The Sun. — London, England, 1866-08-15 00:00:00

THE SUN, LOMMINT, WEDNESDAY lilVhisiENG, AUGUST 15, 1866. Farewell Addresses to Governor Eyre, and his Vindication. (From the Jamaica Guardian of July 24.) Yesterday morning a committee of gentlemen assembled at the Royal Mail Company's wharf, at Kingston, to form themselves into a committee, re presenting over 1,200 subscribers to a farewell address to his Excellency Governor Eyre, on the eve of his departure from this colony. The deputation consisted of the Hon. L. Q. Bowerbank, Custos ; Hon. J. H . M ' Dowell, Captain Cooper, R.N., J. S. Williams, A. L. Malabre, R. Nunes, G. Henderson, J. S. Brown, A De Cordova, and W. Lee, Esqs. At the hour appointed they drove off to Paradise Penn, the residence of his excellency, where they were received atthe door by Colonel Hunt, A.D.C., and conducted in. The Hon. Dr. Bowerbank then read the address to his excellency as follows We, the undersigned inhabitants of Kingston, and others, cannot refrain from offering to your ex cellency and Mrs. Eyre, our most sincere sympathy with you on your departure from the colony. " We rejoice that after a searching inquiry, the Royal commissioners have reported to her Majesty that praise is due to your excellency for your skill, promptitude, and vigour, in the recent insurrection; and that to the exercise of such qualities by you its speedy termination is to be attributed ; and we heartily congratulate your excellency that there has been evinced, both in this country and abroad, a general approbation of your conduct, in having saved a colony to the Queen, and homes and lives to the Queen's subjects in this her island of Jamaica. " It is our firm conviction that a more intimate acquaintance on the part of the Imperial Govern ment with the local affairs of the colony and its condition, as well as with the true nature of events which had endangered, and might continue to threaten, the peace and welfare of the country, would have shielded from censure a faithful servant of the Crown. " We nevertheless feel assured that when political passions shall have given place to reason and to justice, the vast majority of your fellow-subjects, and others interested in the maintenance of public safety and order, will consider that an officer who (unaided by any instructions from superior autho rity, in times of extreme and sudden difficulty and very grave national peril) has, on the whole, done his duty nobly and well, ought not, for any minor errors or excess of his subordinates to be otherwise than most favourably dealt with. " We earnestly trust that a time will soon arrive when the momentous services which your excellency has recently rendered to Jamaica may meet with that distinguished reward which her most gracious Majesty the Queen so well knows how to confer on those whom she cannot doubt to be meritorious officers. " That every blessing may be heaped upon your excellency, Mrs. Eyre, and your children, is, we be lieve, the fervent hope of all the loyal and grateful people of Jamaica." To which his excellency read his reply in the fol lowing words : "TO THE HON. L. Q. BOWERBANK, J. S. BROWN, J. M'DOWELL, W. S. COOPER, W. TITLEY, J. S. MI, LIAMS, R. NUNES, E. EBBEKE, F. LYONS, A. MAL.I - A. DE CORDOVA, ESQS., R.C. 4‘ Mr. Custos, Rev. Gentlemen, and Gentlemen, —I thank you most sincerely for your very gratify ing address of sympathy with me on the occasion of my departure from Jamaica. " It is only natural that, after serving my Queen and country zealously, and I hope not uselessly, for 25 years (since Sept., 1841), and after having bad the honour of representing my Sovereign in both hemispheres as lieutenant-governor or governor for nearly 20 years (since 1846), I should feel some pain and regret that my career should now be abruptly terminated by removal from the public service under the disapproval and censure of the Colonial Minister. " But this pain and regret are greatly lessened by the reflection, that however able or impartial the parties may be by whom my conduct has been in quired into and adjudicated upon, it is impossible that persons imperfectly acquainted with the negro character, with the country, and with the cir cumstances that surrounded me at the time, can judge adequately or justly, after the event, of the necessity or propriety of the action I found it im perative to take under a great emergency. " The points on which I am condemned are three : —lst. For permitting the trial and execution of G. W. Gordon. " 2d. For continuing martial law and the trials by courts martial after the proclamation of the amnesty on the 30th of October. " 3d. For not being aware of the excesses com mitted under martial law, and for not issuing in structions which would have prevented those ex cesses. " With regard to the first, I can only repeat my conviction that however defective it may have been in a strictly legal point of view, Mr. Gordon was the proximate occasion of the insurrection, and of the cruel massacre of particular individuals whom he regarded as his personal enemies, and that, there fore, he suffered justly. 6 , No impartial person can, I think, read the re port of the Royal commissioners without coming to the same conclusion. " The court before which he was tried was not a court of law, but it was a perfectly legal court. " To have issued a special commission to try him was wholly impracticable at the time ; whilst to have kept him as a prisoner for future trial would have had a very bad effect, and might have been dangerous in the extreme, in the excited and pre carious state the country was then in. " I believe that it was only through the firmness and decision of the Government in dealing with this case summarily ,that seditious teachings and the spread of the rebellion were checked. " Indeed, in my opinion, the prompt trial and execution of G. W. Gordon had more effect in pre venting further risings in other parishes than any of the steps taken by the Government. " Mr. Gordon was regarded by the negroes gene rally throughout the island as an obeah-man is by his immediate neighbours, as all-powerfal and be yond the reach of ordinary jurisdiction. "Isis trial and execution removed this delusi on , and showed that the authority of the Queen was supreme. Nor was he the . only person of better po sition and education engaged in stirring up and ex citing the negro mind. " It was absolutely necessary that a stop should be put to this action, and it could only be done by the immediate trial of the chief agitator, and that trial could only take place by court-martial under the then existing circumstances. " With regard to the continuance of martial law and trials by courts-martial after the 30th October, it must be remembered that during the whole period for which martial law was in force, and for some time afterwards, the accounts daily received from the various parishes in the island led the Govern ment to believe the whole country to be still in a state of great excitement and peril, and that further risings amongst the negroes might take place at any moment or in any direction ; and although addi tional troops had arrived, the total number in the colony was still very insufficient to cope with any thing like a general insurrection, or even to occupy and protect many districts at a time, had active military operations become necessarY " It was essential t o overawe the disaffected,. known to be numerous in most parishes of the island. " For this continuance of martial law became requisite, and it was only by the continuance of the trials and punishment of those guilty of rebellion that the existence of martial law would be believed in. " But there were also no gaols or prisons in whi c h any large number of prisoners could be kept for future trial ; and even had it been practicable, de lay in dealing with prisoners charged with the m ore serious offences committed during the insurrection would have had a most injurious effect in other parts of the colony, ripe as they were for rebellion. " With regard to the trials which thus took place before c - o'tirts-martial, after the most searching scru tiny which practised lawyers could institute—a scrutiny to which, I believe, proceedings under martial law were scarcely ever before subjected, and from which I venture lo think that few would have come out with less of censure—the Commis sioners report In the great majority of the cases the evidence seems to have been unobjectionable in character, and quite sufficient to justify the finding of the court. It is right also to state, the accounts given by the more trustworthy witnesses as to the manner and deportment of the courts were decidedly favourable.' 4 , That the Government earnestly desired to show as much leniency as considerations affecting the safety of other parts of the island permitted is evi denced by the early date at which an amnesty was proclaimed, under which large numbers of persons were absolved from the penalties of all lesser crimes, though the more serious ones were still, for a limited time (prescribed by act), to be dealt with by courts martial. " I may here state that as soon as it was known that martial law was to terminate at the end of the statutory period of 30 days, I was waited upon by members of the Legislature and custodes to urge upon me an extension of it, and lam quite certain that had I attempted to curtail the limited period which by law it had to run consternation and ap prehension would have been universal. t; Even after martial law had expired, and not withstanding the very numerous trials which had taken place under it, a large number of prisoners charged with the graver offences committed during the rebellion still had to be dealt with, of whom very many were found guilty on trial before a special commission, and were sentenced by a civil court in some cases to death, in others to a long term of im prisonment. In reference to my not having been aware of the excesses committed during martial law I would only ask, how was it possible that I, necessarily detained at the seat of government in watching over the interests, and providing for the safety, of the island generally, as well as in attending to the laborious duties of a most important legislative session, could make myself acquainted with occurrences which even Brigadier General Nelson, the able offi cer commanding in the districts where they were taking place, heard nothing of ? " Those who know anything of the nature of the country in Jamaica, and the few facilities which exist for intercommunication, will readily under stand that at any time, but especially during the rainy season, which was at its height during the suppression of the rebellion, it is physically impos sible to learn or to control all that is going on throughout a tract of country so extensive as that occupied by our troops during martial law. " But the truth is, that excesses must always take place under martial law, and especially when black troops, who are often wholly beyond the control of their officers, are employed. No one can regret these excesses more than I do. It is, however, upon those whose acts made martial law necessary, or upon the people who by not coming forward to uphold the Queen's authority and protect life and property en couraged such acts, that these excesses are charge able, not upon the authorities who are compelled to resort to that stern remedy to put down or prevent the extension of rebellion. " Did no excesses occur in repressing the Indian mutiny ? or were the authorities there made respon sible for not knowing of or not preventing them ? " In that case it was not thought necessary, as it was here, to appoint a commission of inquiry to rake up and parade before the world every allegation of injury which an ignorant and excitable population, in many respects little removed from savages, whose habit is untruthfulness, and vindictive at having been foiled in their recent rebellion, could be induced to bring forward, whether well or ill founded against those who had the onerous and thankless task of putting down that rebellion. "With regard to the non-issuing by me of instruc tions for the guidance of the military I have only to point out her Majesty's instructions to governors lay down the rule that it is the duty of the governor to give all necessary orders for the march and distri bution of troops, but expressly enjoin him to leave all details connected with the carrying out those orders to the military authorities. " When martial law is proclaimed in a district the case is even still stronger, for then all civil juris diction is absolutely superseded, and the entire and sole management of the district so circumstanced becomes vested in the general in command. - " I have thought it right to make these observa tions, not to repudiate any responsibility properly attaching to me, or to excuse any shortcoming or errors in my own conduct, but as feeling it due to myself, to you, and to the British public to state some few of the considerations which influenced me in reference to the particulars in which my conduct has been most strongly condemned. " And I the more gladly make these statements to you, gentlemen, because fro.n your having been in the colony at the time, and from your long and practical acquaintance with the country, the people, and the circumstances which existed during the period referred to, you are in a better position than other persons can be to judge of the value of them, and to know how far I did my duty to the colony and to my Sovereign in the hour of difficulty and danger. " Even the Royal Commissioners, labouring as they did under all the disadvantages of unacquaint ance with the character of the country, the people, and the circumstances of the moment, and making their inquiries after the event from a people na turally untruthful, and stimulated by the impres sion sedulously instilled into them by designing persons, that the Queen was on their side, and desired to obtain evidence against and punish the authorities engaged in suppressing the rebellion — even the Royal Commissioners, labouring under all these disadvantages, have been compelled to admit that ' though the original design for the overthrow of constituted authority was confined to a small portion of St. Thomas in the East, yet that the dis order in fact spread with singular rapidity over an extensive tract of country ; and that such was the state of excitement prevailing in the island that had more than a momentary success been obtained by the insurgents their ultimate overthrow would have been attended with a still more fearful loss of life and property.' And they have very justly remarked that 'sometimes the success of the measures adopted for the prevention of an evil deprived the authors of those measures of the evidence they would otherwise have bad of their necessity.' "Had I hesitated there would have been evidence enough of thi s necess it y ; b u t w h a t wou ld have been said of me for not having prevented the 6 still more fearful loss of life and property ?' " The Royal Commissioners and her Majesty's Government h ave b een pleased to ' skill, promptit u d e, and vigour' al 73, v t e h me eoccurrence r of a great emergency, and to state that 'to my exer cise of these qualities the sp ee d y term inationofthe insurrection is due.' lam told that I ' showed my self superior to the feelings of alar m expressed and entertained by those around me ;' and her Majesty's Government further ' express their sense of the . promptitude and judgment with which I submitted to the Legislature the views which I entertained, and in which they so readily concurred, as to the ex pediency off effecting a decided change in the mode of government of the colony'—views which have since been confirmed by the sanction of the Crown and an act of thelmperial Government. Whyshould they not equally give me credit for having exercised a sound judgment in the lesser matter of continuing martial law for a limited time after the proclamation of the amnesty, although they, acting as my judges after the event, without the necessary local experi ence, and when the very success of my measures had deprived me of the evidence of their necessity, are unable to appreciate so clearly the force of the con siderations which influenced me in this matter, as they do in the circumstances which surrounded the commencement of the rebellion or the change effected in the constitution ? "With regard to the case of Mr. Gordon the Royal Com missioners, labouring unde r th e di sa d van t ages a l rea dy ad verted to, and looking at. the proceedings as lawyers natu rally would d o, t h at i s in connection with the strict rules and Practice o f courts of law (though I have already shown the court before which Mr. Gordon was tried was not a court of law, though a perfectly legal court), whilst express ing their opinion that they cannot see in the evidence which has been adduced any sufficient proof (that is, I pre sume, according to the strict rules and practice of courts of law) either of his complicity in the outbreak at Morant Bay, or of his having been a party to a general conspiracy di stinctly record, We ha ve against the Govern men t , ' yet formed the opinion that the true explanation of Mr. Gor . don's conduct was to be found in the account he has given of himself—" I have just gone as far as I can go, but no further. If I wanted a rebellion I could have had one long ago. I havo been asked several times to head a rebellion, but there is no fear of that : I will try first a demonstration of it ; but I crust first upset that fellow Herschel], and kip l; him out of the vestry, and the baron also, or bad will come of it !" ' "Mr. Ilerschell was not kicked out of the vestry, nor the baron upset ; and they were two of the first victims of the insurrection. " Again, the Commissioners distinctly record their opi nion Mr. Gordon might know well the distinction between a rebellion and a demonstration of it ; he might be able to trust himself to go as far as ho could with safety and no further ; but that would not be so easy to his ignorant and fanatical followers. They would find it difficult to restrain themselves from rebellion when making a demonstration of it. " 'lf a man like Paul Bogle was in the habit of hearing such expressions as those contained in Gordon's letters, as that the reign of the oppressors would be short, and that the Lord was about to destroy them, it would not take much to convince him that he might be the appointed instrument in the Lord's hand for effecting that end; and it is clear that this was Bogle's belief, as we find that after the part he had taken in the massacre at Morant Bay, he, in his chapel at Stony Gut, returned thanks to God that he had gone to do that work, and that God had prospered him in his work. "'lt is clear, too, that the conduct of Gordon had been such as to convince both friends and enemies of his being a party to the rising. " ' We learn from Mr. Gordon himself that in Kingston, where ho carried on his business, this was the general belief as soon as the news of the outbreak was received. " ' But it was fully believed also by these engaged in the outbreak. Bogle did not hesitate to speak of himself as acting in concert-with him. " When Dr. Major was dragged out of his hiding-place on the night of the 11th October, he saved himself by ex plaining that Mr. Gordon would not wish to have him injured; and when Mr. Jackson made a similar appeal for his own life to the murderers of Mr. Hire, it appears to have been equally successful. " The effect which was likely to follow the meetings which took place during the spring and summer of 1865, in some of which Mr. Gordon took a part, was foreseen by one of his most ardent supporters, who, writing to a common friend on the subject of an article he had inserted in a newspaper re specting the Vere meeting, used these words :—" All I desire is to shield you and them from the charge of anarchy and tumult, which, in a short time, must follow these powerful demonstrations."' "Again the Commissioners report:—' It appears exceed ingly probable that Mr. Gordon, by his words and writings, produced a material effect on the minds of Bogle and his followers, and did much to produce that state of excitement and discontent in different parts of the island, which ren dered the spread of the insurrection exceedingly probable.' " The British public may judge from these extracts from the report of the Royal commissioners how far Gordon was morally guilty of causing the rebellion, and therefore justly punished, whatever may be the doubts entertained as to the proof of his complicity having been sufficient, in a strictly legal point of view, to satisfy a court of law ; but they can never know the full weight and pressure of the circumstances which made it necessary, in order to save the colony from the general massacre and pillage which further risings would have occasioned, to act promptly and decisively upon proof only of his moral guilt (and this, be it remembered, is all that is required before a court-martial under martial law). "I am not a lawyer, but I understand there are legal gentlemen of high ability who dissent entirely from the opinion expressed by the Royal commissioners, that there was not sufficient proof (that is, such as would be received in a court of law) of Gordon's complicity in the outbreak at Morant Bay, and who consider that the evidence ad duced before the court-martial, taken in connection with concurrent circumstances, would have been both legally ad missible in a civil court, and sufficient to satisfy a civil jury of his guilt. "Be this as it may, I had myself no doubt whatever as to Gordon's having occasioned the rebellion, or of the danger to the colony if his ca se was not promptly and summarily dealth with. Under such circumstances, it was impossible to hesitate as to the ,:ourse which I considered my duty to the Crown and to the colony made it impera tive on me to take. " And now, gentlemen, I come to the hardest part of my task, that of saying farewell to those who have been kind to me; who supported me in the difficulties and dangers through which the colony has so recently passed, and who now sympathise with me under the obloquy and misrepre sentations to which I am subjected. " I have lived amongst you for nearly four years and a half, during which you well know I have had more than the usual share of hard work and political strife. "Yu;t will, I am sure, do me the justice to believe that in these, as in all other matters, I have been actuated by the single desire to do what I conscientiously ly_dieved to be my duty.' "I have necessarily sometimes had to say or to do hard things, but you will, I know, at least acquit me of mixing up any personal feeling with my public action. "And in taking leave of you I would only add that, as 1 bear no to any individual, I trust that none is borne towards myself, but that when I am gone from amongst you all will unite in believing that I wished well to the colony and to yourselves, and that I did my best to serve you. " 1 now retire into private life, dismissed from the public service, after nearly a lifetime spent in it ; but I have at least the consolation of feeling that there has been nothing in my conduct to merit it, nothing to occasion self-reproach, nothing to regret. " On the contrary, I carry with me in my retirement the proud consciousness that at all times, and under all cir cumstances, I have endeavoured to the best of my ability to do my duty as a servant of the Crown, faithfully, fearlessly, and irrespective of personal considerations. " With such convictions, deeply as my removal from the public service must necessarily affect my future and the interests of those most dear to me, I can submit to the forfeiture of position, to the sacrifice of 25 years' career in the public service, or to any personal indignity entailed, counting my individual losses as utterly insignificant when so largely counterbalanced by the undeniable fact that the very acts which have led to my dismissal have saved a noble colony from anarchy and ruin. "Your generous and valued testimony to the integrity of my conduct in this my last and most important govern ment will ever be most highly cherished by me, and will be handed down, to my children, and their children, as an encouragement and a stimulus to them to do their duty also, under whatever circumstances of trial they may at any time be placed. "Again, gentlemen, I thank you, in Mrs. Eyre's name, and in my own, for your warm-hearted sympathy, and for your good wishes towards ourselves and our children. " We shall always remember most gratefully your great kindness and good feeling. " Our best wishes and our ferventprayers for your indivi dual and collective interests and welfare will still be with you, and we earnestly trust that the change recently made in the government of the country (and which I shall ever regard as a proud monument of my administration amongst you) will, when time has permitted its development, and matured that reorganisation which is essential, lead to a renewed confidence in Jamaica at home, and to progress and prosperity within the colony itself, that must eventually largely promote its material interests, and add to the comfort and happiness of all within it. "E. EYRE. " Kingston, July 23, 1866." We may state hero that the address has 1,230 signatures, 613 of which are those of persons residing in this city, and the rest are of individuals from other parts. The following address was also presented to Mr. Eyre, on behalf of the bishop and clergy of Kingston, and the neigh bourhood:— "TO HIS EXCELLENCY EDWARD JOHN EYRE, ESQ., LATE GOVERNOR OF JAMAICA, ON HIS DEPARTURE FROM THE ISLAND. "Sir,—We, the undersigned clergy of the neighbourhood of Kingston, desire respectfully to convey to your excellency on the eve of your departure from this colony the imperfect expression of our feelings on this painful termination of the period of your government. In conjunction with a large number of our brethren in other parts of the island, who would, we doubt not, most cordially join with us on the present. occasion if time allowed us to invite their concur rence, we not long ago tendered to you the heartfelt ex pression of our gratitude, our esteem, and our confidence. We desire to reiterate those sentiments now. No former governor has ever rendered to us greater ser vices than your excellency has done. You have not only rescued the island from most imminent peril of general in surrection, by your courage, promptitude, judgment, and administratib skill, but by the exercise of the same high qualities prepared the way for such a reconstruction of the form of our constitution as, while we are not forgetful of our debt of gratitude to the House of Assembly for its liberal support of our anciently established Church, the present emergency seemed to demand—a reconstruction to which, if any human moans can avail t: ke e e ff w e l c e t ag it e , the e futuro prosperity of this colony w ill primarily be du e . "For ourselves we would gratefully e uniform kindness and courtesy which the clergy have ever experienced at your excellency's hands, and the lively and discriminating interest which you have ever manifested and exercised for the welfare of the Church. 44 But even for these eminent services we could not thus warmly thank you did we not know your excellency to have been actuated by the purest motive; to be a devout worshipper of Him whose ministers we aro ; and to be in fluenced by feelings of true humanity towards the people to whom we minister. "But, knowing these things, we assure your Excellency of our sincere sympathy with you, and our earnest hope that you may ere long be called by our gracious Sovereign to another sphere of honourable and important public service. "It is our eincere desire and prayer that wherever four lot may be cast the divine blessing may rest on you and on all the members of your family ; and we would beg you to accept, and to convey also to Mrs. Eyre, who has concili ated to herself the esteem and regard of so many amongst us, our respecfful and most cordial farewell. " We have the honour to be, sir, your excellency's most obedient servants, "REGINALD KINGSTON, Bishop of Kingston. THOMAS STEWART, D.D., Archdeacon of Surrey. WILLIAM MAYHEW, Rector of St. Andrew, &c." To the forging address Mr. Eyre returned a reply in these terms : "TO TILE RIGHT REV. THE LORD BISHOP OF KINGSTON, THE VENERABLE ARCHDEACON STEWART, THE REV. T. MAYHEW, &C. "My Lord Bishop and Rev. Gentlemen,—l thank you very gratefully for your generous and warm-hearted ad dress of regard and sympathy on my removal from the Government of Jamaica. " I assure you that it is both gratifying to me and greatly consolatory to know that after a long residence amongst you, and after having had to guide the colony through scenes of great difficulty and trial, I retain the confidence and esteem of the clergy of the country, whose good opi nion (living as they have done of the spot, and knowing intimately all the circumstances connected with the late re bellion) is in itself the strongest testimony I can offer that I have not merited the imputations which have been alleged against mo by persons not in the colony at the time, and perfectly acquainted with the true nature of the events, of having acted either with injustice or with undue severity in repressing an insurrection which imperilled the lives and property of the inhabitants, and jeopardised the safety of the colony. " I heartily concur with you in regarding the change recently effected in the form of Government of the island as likely to confer great and lasting benefits upon the com mtmity, and I shall over feel proud that it was accom plished during my administration of the Government, and in a great degree through my own personal exertions. " It is most gratifying to me to think that when I am gone from amongst you there will still remain this per manent proof of my anxiety to benefit the colony, and that my efforts were not unsuccessful. " For the good feeling and friendly intercourse which have ever characterised my connection with the clergy of Jamaica I am most deeply indebted to you. " It has been a great pleasure to me to co-operate cor dially with you in all matters affecting the interests of the Church, and I pray that God's blessing may rest upon your continued labours to promote his Honour, and ad vance the temporal and spiritual welfare of the people en trusted to your charge. "firs. Eyre unites with me in sincere and affectionate thanks for your good wishes towards ourselves and chil dren. " E. EIRE. "Kingston, July 24." has yet to be learnt in respect to the general sub ject of that phenomenon, and only the most careful experiments and comparisons could give scientific value to any such comments. We may briefly state, however, that some instrumental estimates of the recoil of Mr. Dixon's gun-cloth have been pub lished, giving an average of 781 b. for that material as against 1081 b. for gunpowder and an equally high amount for Schultz's gun-sawdust. Mr. Dixon claims for his charges superiority of propellent force over gunpowder, and from practice we have ourselves seen made with his sporting cart ridges we are bound to say the shots were thrown unusually close, and spattered the target well. Upon all such points, however, the practical test of long continued use alone can fit a critic to give decisive opinions ; but every one who has any scientific knowledge of the main requirements of a proper ammunition will know at once that an efficient means of regulating the rate of explosion or com bustion is one of the most material considerations, and this the simple expedient of interfolding paper, or other more or less non-combustible material, with the gun-cloth, is well calculated to effect.—Morning Herald. Gun Cloth Ammunition. The valuable properties of gun cotton as an am munition, and generally as an explosive agent, every body is disposed to admit; but somehow, so far, that practical crown of success, universal adoption, has not yet graced any of the inventions of the numerous experimenters in this new field of commercial science. The Austrians, under the skilful guidance of Baron von Leak, brought the manufacture of gun cotton a considerable way on the road to perfection, but whether sufficiently far to have produced any re markable results in practical warfare the inoppor tune abandonment of this material by them, as a national ammunition, and their return to the use of the old familiar gunpowder, has prevented our learning. It is possible, however, despite the asserted damaging effects of the small residue of acid retained in the explosive material, and those other shortcom ings, dangers, and deteriorations of which we have heard so many sinister whisperings, that the absence of such volumes of smoke as emanate from the dis charge of many thousands of guns fired with ordi nary gunpowder might have given some counteract ing advantages against the Prussian breech loaders. A superiority, however slight, is always valuable in battle, and less smoke might give the soldiery better chance of seeing more clearly and hitting more cor rectly. In our own country the Messrs. Prentice, of Stowmarket, have for some time manufactured mer cantile gun cottons of very good quality, and we believe in very considerable quantities. We are by no means satisfied, however, that gun cotton, or more correctly to speak, that pyroxilin (the chemi cal product which gun cotton represents) has been made up to the present time with anything like the perfection we are inclined to think it is perceptible of ; nor are we better satisfied that it has been ap plied in practice with as much skill as we may here after see exhibited. Certainly so far as cartridges for small arms, and especially for military rifles, are concerned, many valuable improvements in neat ness and capacity might be suggested. The greatest difficulty hitherto experienced with gun-cotton for sporting and rifle-shooting has been the uncertainty of the strength of the charge, one cartridge having considerably more energy than another, or vice versa, so that the shots, if small, either scattered or did not hit hard enough, or the bullet fell short of, or flew over, the mark. These irregularities of explosive force were most noticeable when the gun- cotton was used in the condition of loose fibre ; but are of far less moment in themodern woven fabrics of the Baron Von Lenk and the Messrs. Prentice. Even in these there are suffi ciently marked differences between cartridges in tended to be of one size and power, although their general superiority over the former state of matters must be readily and properly admitted. Further improvements both in the manufacture and use of y called upon to w it ness gun-cottonby Mr. pi we w Dixon, at at e t r h e lately called of Messrs. Bussey and Co., of New Oxford-street. Every inventor holds, naturally enough, optimist opinions of his own in vention, and is always disposes to claim every pos sible advantage for it. Many c l a i ms th us put for wardlil)aixpPirilscable to any other patent gun-cloth cartridges on b m e half gb t be of equally kind of gun-cotton, such as its general superiority in certain respects to gunpowder. But there are two principles involved in Mr. Dixon's ammunition which merit commendation, and are decisive steps in advance of anything that has been submitted to us, or that we have seen by other makers. The first is that Mr. Dixon takes as the foundation for the chemical operation an already woven calico or cloth, varying in fineness or coarseness according to the purpose for which the explosive product will be ultimately required, insteading of weaving the fabric after the cotton fibre had been converted into pyroxlin, as hitherto had been done by previ ous manufacturers. Thus a more even and regular explosive material, if the cloth be properly chosen, must necessarily result. The second improvement is the inter-winding with the strip of gun-cloth in making the cartridge of a corresponding strip of paper, the prolonged end of which is wrapped round the central pellet of gun-cotton, and made to form the enveloping case. The commencement of this paper wall between the folds of the gun-cloth is brought nearer or farther from the centre of the cartridge according as the combustion of the car tridge is desired to be quicker or slower, and thus by a proper adjustment of the paper to the gun cloth the propelling gases can be caused to feed the bullet, as it may be described, with force during the whole of its passage along the barrel, or for a half, a third, a fifth, or any other portion of its length. The thickness or thinness of the interposed paper, or its saturation with a variety of chemical sub stances, will of course modify the rapidity or the retardation of the explosive combustion of the gun cloth, and bring it under any practical degree of control. One very important safety results from the last improvement—namely, that as each car tridge takes a certain definite time to burn out, say so many seconds, whenever anylarge of such ammunition takes fire accidentally the mass accumulation must burn out, and cannot, so far as one can judge, explode. Indeed, we hear that something like a proof of this view has really arisen, and that between 4,000 and s,ooo'cartridges in being stove-dried got scorched and took fire, burning out in flame, near a boy in charge, who escaped entirely unin jured, while no dam age was done to the building, as would certainly have been the case had the equivalent quantity of 321 b. of gunpowder been ex ploded under such circumstances. After admitting the value of these improvements we may fairly say that the merits Mr. Dixon claims for his patent gun-cloth charges have a legitimate foundation, and these particular merits are their freedom from the common risks and dangers inci dent to loading sporting guns with gunpowder, " on the simple ground that (except when confined in a gun-barrel or bomb-shell) they are non-explosive : they burn and do not explode ; if lighted and held in the hand they are harmless ; and they may be dropped down a red-hot barrel without fear of dan ger." With regard to the amount of recoil, which is always less from an y kind of gun-cotton than from gunpowder, we do not think it an essential point to dwell upon in the present case, for much SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—A tour of inspection, conducted in ac cordance with official routine, has just brought the Lords of the Admiralty to Portsmouth. After a brief essay of his authority in the House of Com mons, Sir John Pakington will now have an oppor tunity of testing with his own eyes some of the de scriptions of dockyard management given by Mr. Seely ; but the result will not be limited to official impressions. An experienced naval officer has re cently observed that the public has now become quite competent to' entertain these questions for itself, and that the most purely professional disqui sitions may be addressed in the present day with entire safety to the general reader. It must not be forgotten, moreover, that we owe our first alarm in this matter to Sir John Pakington himself. We have it on his own evidence that England has not reserves enough for the mere relief of her foreign squadrons in time of peace, and it requires no great effort to infer from this statement what would be our position in time of war. Let us now see, how ever,what is the actual state of things as ascertained by inspection at the chief naval arsenal of the nation. At Portsmouth, then, there lie the Bellerophon, a new and powerful ironclad, and the Valiant, another ironclad, rigged, stored, and ready for sea, with one material exception. These men-of-war have no guns. This want, it is true, cannot be laid to the account of the Admiralty, since the guns required for sea service are furnished by a military board ; but the fact remains the same. Besides these vessels, there is tile Royal Sovereign, ironclad turret-ship, not designed for duty at sea; a couple of frigates, the Mersey and the Glasgow, reasonably efficient as wooden ships go, and two or three smaller vessels of similar quality. That appears to be the extent and character of the available reserves at Portsmouth. It will be asked if it is really true that half-a-dozen ships represent the whole floating navy at this im portant port. We answer, by no means. There is as fine a fleet of ships in Portsmouth waters as any body -20 years ago—would have wished to see. Eleven magnificent line-of-battle ships, eight heavy frigates, a floating battery, and a whole squadron of gunboats can be shown to the visitor. A more powerful fleet, as fleets used to be, it would be im possible to desire, but unfortunately, as fleets are now, the array is all but useless. The ships are without armour and without any guns which could make an impression on' an armoured enemy. We might, possibly, in the countless exigencies of a war find some employment for such vessels in default of better, but nobody imagines that a second Channel Squadron could be formed out of such materials. So wa see the whole truth of the case in this one example. There is, indeed, a fleet at Portsmouth, but it is a fleet unfit for service at the present day. Now comes the second inquiry. What is doing at our chief naval yards in the way of construction ? What is Portsmouth producing in aid of our needs? If we have no efficient " reserves" at present, how soon shall we have any ? As far as we can see, a single slOop is the only new vessel actually in hand. The Danae, we are told, will be a very fine cruiser when finished, and it is hoped that another equally fine cruiser of a superior class will be ordered by the visiting Lords to be laid down, but that is speculation only. Repairs and outfits form the real business of Portsmouth Dockyard—the real work on which the votes of Parliament are expended. What with new "works" and old vessels, there is neither time nor money left for modern fighting ships. The Dockyard artificers are engaged upon the Himalaya, a good old troop ship ; the Scorpion, one of the Mersey rams, condemned to transformation ; and the Warrior. This latter vessel has now been nearly two years in dock, and it is expected will be there about a quarter of a year more, after which she will be in as good a condition, it is hoped, as when she was last put out of commission. When there are two fine vessels " outfitting "—the Minotaur, one of the swiftest ironclads in the world, and the Royal Alfred, a wooden ship, con verted by ironplating into a powerful frigate ; but these two also are waiting for their guns. We fancy it would not be difficult to collect from these statistics a general idea of the way in which money is spent at Portsmouth. First, there is the expense of preserving and maintaining that numerous but worthless assemblage 'of vessels which represents the fleet of the past. What does it cost us to keep in repair all those line-of-battle ships, frigates, and gunboats which are never likely to be sent to sea again ? We should like to have that expense ap proximately calculated. Next, there are such " repairs" as those given to the Warrior, which consist apparently in pulling to pieces and building up again, as if for the mere sake of the work. Then there are the innumerable minor jobs which Mr. Seely exposed—the outfits of new vessels and the conversion of old—till, in the end, there is very little money left for that business which the public fondly imagines to be rather a proper work for a dockyard—shipbuilding. Indeed, Sir John Peking ton himself, we believe, brought this broad fact to light some years ago. The first elucidation ever given of the great dockyard mystery amounted to this—that there was only a margin, and by no means a large margin, of the whole expenditure on the navy left available for the construction of new ves sels. All the rest was swallowed up, or muddled away in repairing and refitting old ones. This system was bad enough in the best of times, but when " reconstructions" became more radical and more necessary year after year, it proved calamitous. We must say we are no longer much surprised at the deficiency of reserves. We cannot do every thing, even with such lavish estimates as those yearly voted. If we must needs keep up' an old fleet, we cannot expect a new one too. We have plenty of ships which would h ave b een very useful in the year 1846. They are now about as useful as postchaises, but we have taken such care of them that we have had little to spare for the substitutes which present times requires. H a ppy the nation that had no navy ten years ago ! That is what has sent the Americans so far ahead. Every sixpence of their expenditure has been upon vessels of real and immediate efficiency. Nine-tenths of the ships in their Navy List have been built or bought since 1861, and are, therefore, serviceable in 1866. Nor is it only America which is in this fortunate position. Brazil spends upon her navy less than one million sterling, and yet Brazil has a little fleet of gunboats superior to any thing we can show. She has actually 32 of these formidable vessels, all iron -built, all iron-plated, and all capable of steaming at a rate of at least ten knots an hou r . Th e smallst armament carried by any one of these boats consists of. four Whitworth guns, rifled, and throwing shot of 1501 b. weight. Now, it has been seriously argued by persons of no mean authority that .a squadron of small heavily armed gunboats capable of manoeuvring together at great speed would bet match even for a fleet of frigates or line-of-battle ships, and in that case what must we think of a comparison between Brazil and England ? We need not carry these remarks any further, but as we believe Sir John Pakington to be a conscientious and well-meaning Minister we cannot but conclude that his visit to Portsmouth will impress him with the necessity of a radical and immediate change in our system of Dockyard administration. MORNING HERALD.—There is an odd rumour cur rent that Mr. Gladstone is bound upon an autumnal trip in the Mediterranean with Lord Clarence Paget, whose flag has been hoisted for that sea. Consider ing the present condition of the British navy, the worst built and equipped that was ever in the ser vice of the country, we cannot think that the pro posed excursion would be very agreeable, and we, therefore, prefer to believe that the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer is not going to hang about the neighbourhood of his lonian exploits. But the state ment has been made, and is uncontradicted. Should it be true, Mr. Gladstone will have an opportunity of learning in what stress our power afloat was left by his late colleagues. The great and zealous Re former,side by side with the ex-Secretary, may inspect the ruin, the waste, and the inefficiency for which they are r esponsi bl e. Yet, serious as their answer must be when the nation calls upon them to tell what they did with the British navy, while it was in their hands, we have no right to shrink from pointing out who are the persons to be charged with the blame of the humiliating and dangerous defects in our fleet. In the first instance, of course, the distributors of patronage. In the second, and practically, the designers and constructors, whose pretensions have been favoured and whose plans have failed.. These men are now under the control of a new authority, which is practically compelled to reverse all the old decisions, to get rid of the jobbed appointments, and to act upon an entirely independent principle. Be cause, never before, in contrast with the maritime affairs of other nations, were our own so unequivo cally condemned. Every one knows that personally the Duke of Somerset commanded respect and in spired confidence. He was, moreover, in earnest; but it is only now that we are aware to what extent he was blinded and misled. There is no use in minc ing matters. The fleet of England is a public dis grace. Its past history for seven years has been a scandal, and cannot be retrieved. It represents so many millions as completely sunk as the Russian ships at Sebastopol. With whom does the respon sibility lie? With the late Admiralty. With whom would the responsibility lie of continuing the present perilous weakness and confusion? With those who should confirm, through a mistaken delicacy, the late Admiralty appointments. There must be some de partments, there must be some individuals, whom the country is entitled to question upon the subject of these deficiencies, which, in a time of crisis, might be fatal. For the moment we refrain from professional argument, but as a plain fact we would ask whether the turret principle was not first pro ' posed in England, and first applied in America ? Was it not an English invention ? By whom has its adoption been so strenuously opposed ? Upon what grounds did their unexplained and inveterate opposition rest? What were the favouritisms of the late Admiralty Board, and are they to be in herited by its successors ? The whole ship-build ing world is crying out against our system, and ridiculing its results. Yet it is the costliest upon earth. We get worse than nothing for our money, for we purchase at an enormous price a false sense of security. Let Mr. Gladstone reflect upon this while he traverses the classic sea. From above the clumsy keels that cleave those waters, from the brilliant circuit of shore whereof every spit and inlet has a history, from the splendid gulf dividing the discordanti liti of Europe and Africa, from the voyages of Necho and Scylax, let:him turn his atten tion to the decks upon which he stands, and inquire whether they represent, greatly and worthily for England, that maritime power which used to be called supremacy. It is all very well, and not diffi cult, to undertake a salt-water expedition, but could our squadrons vie with all others where the Mistrals and Siroccos, the Levanters and . the Birazones, bl ow ? It is only since Sir John Pakington entered office that we have acquired the painful knowledge that the British navy is half made up of lumber. The First Lord, while admitting the general incomplete ness of the service, generously .endeavoured to break the force of Mr. Seely's complaints ; but the truth came out, and it is to enjoy a sight of the dilapida tion wrought by his quondam colleagues that Mr. Gladstone goes upon pleasure to the Mediterranean. We have no exaggerated fear of the future. There is no reason whatever to doubt that, on an emergency, Great Britain could send to sea as glorious fleets as ever ; but at present our navy is confessedly poor in every important respect. Yet we are a seafaring peo ple. In the building of ships for war or commerce, if wemay expect rivals, we should dread no superiors. We have the materials and the men in abundance. We have science. We could, if we please, construct a hundred first-rates on lines running as finely as those of a Thames wager-boat. Parliament has not stinted the supplies. In our economy we have ex pended seventy-five millions sterling within the life of any Administration upon our dockyards. We lay out more upon patchwork than i would i pay fo r a re spectable navy. Then, why s t ? Is it jobbery ? Is it official favouritism ? Mr. Gladstone not long ago broke into an ecstacy of indignation about our national contempt of economy. May we hope that when—amid the bland hospitalities of Lord Clarence Paget—he courses the Mediterranean, he will divert his schqarly mind from the wind of Egypt, from the HoMeric laughing of the sea, from Assyrian and Babylonian memories, from Hero dotus and Thucydides, to the wooden and iron walls closely around him, which cost so mu c h an d are pronounced so useless ? We have given up in this country, probably for ever, all thought of being mistress of the seas, of ruling the waves. But is that a reason why England should become and re main absolutely inferior ? Is that a reason why her best work should be paid for by foreign Govern ments ? Is that a reason why our boldest and most masterly inventors should be neglected? We see from far and near the mightiest efforts of concen trated power and ingenuity upon the waters of the world, efforts constantly rising with the need of the day —armaments triumphing in a strength which the builders and battle heroes of the last century wouldnot have dared to imagine —en ormous f orces in swift motion—and our own small armada can scarcely keep the sea in sight of the Bill of Port land. Perhaps, under these circumstances, Lord Clarence Paget, with a sailor's sentiment, may allure the vast-eyed Reformer of the period from a too appreciative gaze upon the Lacedemonian hills, the rocks of Scio, ;the white crests of Ida, and the everlasting watch towers of Samothrace. Will lie, among the reminiscences of that marvellous midland sea, bestow a thought upon Chatham, or upon the comparative value of our ironclads and, those of other nations ? Will he answer our question-- What was done by the late Government with the navy of Great Britain ? They were engaged during seven years in overhauling and tinkering up, and scruti nising inventions, and lavishing the public treasure ; and they go out of office leaving a naval force, the details of which their successors are ashamed to recapitulate. Let us reflect for a moment upon the reason why Englishmen are not more anxiously con cerned upon this subject. They trust too much in the traditions of the past. They have seen the marines of France and Spain go down before their own. They have seen enemies chased, overtaken, engaged yard arm to yard-arm, beaten by strength of hand, and captured by mere bulldog courage. Now, however, all is changed. As well might Lancashire try to Manu facture against the world without the spinning jenny as a navy endeavour to hold the seas without a per fect adaptation to modern requirements. We behold, in every direction, people equal to ourselves in sea manship, quite as full of courage, ardent in the race of improvement, and excelling us both in their build and in the care they bestow upon essential details. Already the consequence may be felt in a diminution of the national prestige. It would be idle to pretend that our navy enjoys the rank it occupied after the day of Trafalgar. So far from it, we are actually deficient in the proportion of our defensive arma ments by sea. The Admiralty itself tells us so. Our resources are scanty, and as for reserves they scarcely exist. There is a handsome squadron afloat, no doubt ; but it could be no match'for the fleets of any first-class power with an ally. It is eclipsed by the new American n av y. A n d a ll th e time that this went on—this diminution of our national safety—Minis ters were rioting in a prodigious expenditure, swell ing the estimates nea r ly ever y year , t r ying costly ex periments, meddling with the various departments, and vaunting the triumphs of our dockyards. A fresh Administration steps in and discovers that after seven years of prodigality we have a fleet nine-tenths of which would be practically useless in war. There are hundreds of names on the list, but what do they represent ? Dummies, structures obsolete, blocks of timber work about as valuable for fighting purposes as Carnarvon or Raglan Castle would be against a modern siege. We have still an old-fashioned fleet, and perhaps the poetic mind of Mr. Gladstone may deplore the mechanical necessity of trusting no longer to those maj estic line-of-battle fortresses—those fleet and fiery frigates—those high-masted towers of the sea, that would have gladdened Nelson's eyes. If, however, he goes to the Mediterranean, this time, with a purpose, we beg to repeat our counsel, and ask him to consider how many opportunities and how much public money he and his colleaglies have wasted upon a navy which can scarcely be called a national defence. THE POTATO DISEASE.—The potato disease has reappeared in some parts of Norfolk and neighbouring counties. At present the disease has shown itself chiefly in gardens and on clay soils. Some fine dry w ea th er would, it is believed, arrest the further progress of the calamity. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—Consumption, and all nervous, billow, stomach, and liver complaints, in every stage, are only ag gravated and accelerated by drugs of every description, but perfecily curable by Du Barry's health restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, as proved by thousands of cases which had been considered hopeless ; such as indigestion (dyspepsia), cough, asthma, consumption, habitual constipation diarr hoea, all gastric derangements, haemorrhoids, liver com plaints, flatulency, nervousness, biliousness' fevers, sore throats, diphtheria, catarrhs, colds, influenza, noises in the head and ears, rheumatism, gout, impurities, eruptions, hysteria, neuralgia, irritability, sleeplessness, acidity, pal pitation, heartburn, headache, debility, dropsy, cramps, spasms, nausea and sickness even in pregnancy or at sea, sinking fits, bronchitis, scrofula, tightness of the chest, pains in the pit of the stomach and between the shoulders, &e. We quote a few.—Cure, No. 48,270. Mr. James Roberts timber merchant, of Prim ley Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deaf ness. —Cure, No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure, Nu. 1,771. Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord-Lieu tenant of Waterford, of many years' dyspepsia.—No.4S,Bl2. Fifty years' indescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, const patine, flatulency, spasms, sickness, and vomiting—Maria Jolly.- Cure No. 54,816. Tile Rev. James F. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, of indigestion and torpidity of the liver. which had resisted all medical treatment.— In tins, lib, 2a 9d ; 21b, 4s 6d; 51b, lie; 121 b, 225 ; 241 b, 408.—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; IC3, Tott enham -court-road; 96, Upper-street, Islington, N. ; Harvey, Nottinz-11111; Close Brothers, 65, High-street ; and Stubbs, Queen's -terrace, St. John's-wood. London; and all respectable grocers and else mists.—Beware Pi apurioae imitations. Shocking Accident on a Racecourse. Yesterday afternoon, during the running for the 'Wol verhampton—which are the chief stakes at the races which began in the town of that name on that day, and which will be continued to-day—a shocking accident happene d, by which, as we write, the information is that two persons have been killed and 14 injured, nine of them so seriously as to be taken as patients to the South Staffordshire Gene ral Hospital in Wolverhampton. The catastrophe her pened at 10 minutes past 4 o'clock, when some 80,000 people were at the highest pitch of excitement consequent upon the coming in of the horses that were contending for the stakes. The race, which was twice round, was a stif f one between the eight horses which contended. As the race race proceeded the fortunes of the h orses se emed to w' frequently, and the favourite was being beaten just at the moment when the winning-post was being reached. Near to the goal was a temporary stand, upon which some s° '' spectators had paid for standing-places ; and the occupants seemed to be intensely interested in the issue of the rac e ' Like the rest of the people, they were cheering and wnv ie f their bats, when suddenly, with a ter r ibl e cr a s h, the whole fabric with all its occupants fell to the gro und. The sta nd was composed of seven tiers of timber planks, fastened to uprights by ropes, the centres being supported upon timbers. Beneath the lowest seat th ere we re barrels of ale. Upon these the 500 spect a to r s an d th e i r timber sta nd came crushing down with varied results. The injuri es sustained by some were shocking, and on ly little reaso n ' able hope is expressed of their recovery. Among the eP ec taters in the Grand Stand, were the Right Hon. 0 . Villiers, the Right Hon. Sir Robert Peel, the Earl of Stamford and Warrington, Sir Henry Johnson, and ot her noblemen. cross- FURTHER PARTICULARS. No deaths have yet occurred. Fifteen people have bee n treated at the hospital, where there remain the following patients, whose injuries are also appended :—Richard So n ' monds, 33, of Deepfields, a miner, with a broken leg; j °llll Bradley, 40, Ladywood, Birmingham, retail brewer, gen e " ml contusion ; Joseph Bromwich, 56, Walsall, gra iner, 111 the employ of the London and North-Western Ba wl , Company, comminuted fracture of arm ; Wm. Handl 't Portobello, bootmaker, concussion of the spine ; Josep h Smith, 22, shoe finisher, Tower-street, Wolverhamp ton ' injuries by kick from horse ; Jos. Taylor, 87, LyeWast e ' near Stourbridge, chainmaker, compound comminuted frac" ture of left leg and fracture of right thigh, very bad; 3 1 c' sel5 Burton, 56, Gibbet-lane, near Wolverhampton, butcher+ broken leg ; William Allen, 35, Birmingham, broken jag', John Bunny, 41, Cheapside, Birmingham, concussion of spine, very bad. And others. Two it is feared caul° ti recover. COUNTRY MARKETS. LEEDS—TUESDAY. The arrivals this week are not large. We have had de quotable change in wheat since Tuesday last. The 131 ' ",. f may be called firm, but the business passing is not I' extensive. Spring corn at fully last week's rates. MARKET HARBOROUGH.—TUESDAY. At this day's market there was a fair attendance of trade, and a fair business was done in wheat, at about prices. There was a limited supply of barley, which 0/ 1 4 at previous rates. Oats a moderate show, and the deraa ° dull. Beans as before. Old white wheat, 52s to 56s ; new red, 48s to 54s per 1 6 stone. Barley, fine, —s ; other kinds, 28s to 38s per BO; Oats, new, 26s to 32s ; old, 30s to 34s per qr. Beans; ° 52s to 545; new, 48s to 50s per qr. L IVERP 0 OL—T UESDAY. At this day's market there was a good attendance of the , town and country trade, and only a limited business done. Wheat met with a moderate demand for consur°P; tion at Friday's prices, and flour was in fair reques t ,:t 6d. per barrel and sack dearer. Oats were neglected , "- not cheaper, and oatmeal declined is per load. In barleift beans, and peas there was little change. Indian corn o w with an extensive demand. MELTON MOWBRAY.—TUESDAY. A moderate supply of wheat on offer, and sales W e l No steadily effected, but prices were not much altered. o f very much barley, and last week's rates were made. oats there was a moderate show. Beans as of late. e , White wheat, 54s to 59s ; red, 50s to 53s per 36 stop t Barley for malting, 36s to 39s per qr ; feed, 28s to 338, )fit. 30 stone. Oats, old, 26s to 345 ; new, 22s to 30s per ;v'" Beans, old, 48s to 525; new, 45s to 48s per qr. SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY. There was a tolerable show of wheat to-day, an d i the ~e . tone of the trade was dull, with no material change n 1-, s vious currencies. A slow trade in beans, at last Wee ¢ y prices. A small show of barley, which may be quoted , about late rates. Oats were not plentiful, and at for tyve prices. 1 0 , 1 Red wheat, per load of 3 imp. bushels 198 Od 2- 6 n i White do do 218 Od to 2 30 y o d New red do do —s Od —0 Od New white do do -s Od — 6 0 1 Beans do do '9B Od 200 1 Peas, per qr. Grinding bai ley, per qr 34s Od 3 7, ° i Malting barley, . o atis Od 4 2 $ ~ Oats, do 9 7s Od 3 2 $ th '' F10ar....18 10d io 2* ad per 1411' Foreign Mail Packet List. -4.- MAILS DUE. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton Atlg. 19. Aug. Ditto, via Marseilles t 3. Brazil and Cape Yards. by British packet. ..... .. • • SeP - Ditto, by French packet Cape of Good Hope, Asoension, and St. Ilelena Aug• 21' China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Aug 19 ' Ditto, via Marseilles Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton Aug . India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Aug. . 1 ; Ditto, via Marseilles •......... " Aug. India (Bombay), via Southampton. Aug• Ditto, via harseilles . AUg• 21. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Atli' , . 1 3 . Ditto, via Marseilles Aug. /. Mauritius, via Southampton Aug . , Ditto, via Marse il les. • Aug . 13 Newfoundland Portugal Sept' $. Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon... ..... United States and British North America, by Bri tish packet Ditto. by United States packet, via Southamp ton Ditto, via Cork ..... 7. Ditto, by Canadian packet, v i a L on do n d err y ..Aug' 4 0. West Coast of Africa, Mad e ir a , an d Teneriffe ....SePt• 1 0. West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas and Honduras) Au g 13 Cuba and Mexico - . A.ug• 2 t Bermuda, via Halifax Bahamas, via New I ork. Auk i'. Val TYBURN GATE.—It may not be generally 1 03° among your readers that the centre portion of this ° er with the clock, is still standing on the premises of Mr. 13 :„. 11 9 farmer at Cricklewood, who bought it at the time it, 471,0 taken down. It consists of a high woo d e n a rch, With ;,b doors; underthis arch, in its original position, was a W e ld. bridge, over which all waggons with goods from the n ra „ land and western counties passed, and tolls charged ac ,. c° oo ing to weight ; the height of the load was restricted I° . , h t, height of the arch. These waggons were drawn 1 3 9 e t a ten, or more horses, and carried goods and passenger; red derneath swung a " dog-basket," which was often ocellP tv by children, or even men, when there was no roan ru yo waggon. The arch and d oors w ith th e o ld c lock over lAO been erected at the entrance to a wooden cowshed,:,, can be seen from the high-road through CrickleW o° ' Notes and Queries. „ w o g so I ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway's Ointment and r.',, - 0 0, Effectual Remedy for Diseases of the Skin.—Ringir,".„o - jaundice, scrofula, sore heads, and the most terate skin diseases, cannot be treated' with a more ee r " - v i 'ti safe, and speedy remedy for their cure than liollonir ointment and pills, which act so peculiarly on the con s:1 6 00 tion and so effectually purify the blood that those dinegure are quickly eradicated from the system and a lasting c o os obtained. These sovereign remedies are equally erne°,%gs, in curing tumours, burns, - scalds, glandular B_,NoP ;o ts• ulcerous wounds, rheumatism, contracted and stia e et By the same means and with equal facility the treatinice.. by Holloway's inestimable rem e di es w ill overcome li ana rated and sore throats, diphtheria, bronchitis, pleurion all asthmatical and pulmonary congestive complain' Births. , e ter- BRUCE—On the 12th inst., at Stoke Bishop, Glou-- 6 wife of Colonel . Bruce, shire, the BuoomE—On the 13th inst., at 35, Gloucester wife of Captain Arthur Broome, of a son. a til° HODGES—On the 14th inst ,at 6, Finch-lane, Coral, — wife of George A. Hodges, of a son. i f e of of a d a ghten ijle MACGREGOR—On the 10th inst , at Torquan th e lr Major-Gen. Sir G. Macgregor, 5.C.8., of a daug.—. Marriages. Duza—HUNTER—On the 9th inst , the Paris h c a r ol' Croydon, Surrey, the Rev. Amite H. Dunn , d a rk ° l Chris. College, Cambridge,' M.A.,ec"urate of t. I , to Notting-hill, of 38, Cornwall-road, Westbournoll;ley Alice, only daughter of Wm. Hunter, Esq. , % , , f Lodge, near Croydon, and 30, Moorgate-stre et, LEES —QUINTIN—On the 9th inst. at All Saints ' , St. Archibald R. R. Lees, of "the Standard Life Mud ' ance Company, London, to Catherine M a tilda , s w eL : 76 , - daughter of John E. St. Quintin, Esq., St. Jubu'- Deaths. ALLEx—On the 12th inst., at Ashley Vill 3 t LeWit4ll3llll Arthur Allen, Esq., aged 79. vlio" DunGEoN—On the 12th inst. at at 10 C rlton-stroet, , ft., burgh, Major-General P. c Dudgeon, late of the hBth W 6 aged . DARLING B6 —On the 12th inst., at Esq., of Lednathie, Writtr - the SiSi o net. ft re, GORDON—On the 11th inst., at 24, Blunswck-scr Brighton, t Dowager don, aged 72. RAmsDEN—On o the 12th in La st dy at Gor 6, Upper Brook-strolj; Guendol G. Rm enls a abell s a d J e a n. ne, the" infan t d a ughter o f 5 and Lady irj John , peel SUES—On the 12th inst., at Grosvenor -place, LabY wife of Sir George Shee, Bart. J. Vi• uNwni-- On the 13th inst.. at Queen's - roa d, v 2alstT3eB. .....13nwin, Esq., formerly of Great Alie-street, t.........—_-_. • ____ ___ _- -------.-- - j _ _ London : Printed and Published by WILLI/1g Ao „,, 1 ;I, of No. 112, Strand, Painter . at Tn Sus (Ace, , "" ti of Strand, in the I'veinet of the Savoy, i n the C o" Middlesex —Wednesday, August 15,1800. A' Dubi E rn So by t Who! 11 ,8 I'l.l 'tee of s fn E itetgly L„, or