The Sun. — London, England, 1866-05-17 00:00:00

RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. MIDLAND. A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held on Tuesday at the railway station, Derby ; Mr. W. IL Hutchinson presided. Mr. G. N. Browne (secretary) having read the advertisement convening the meeting, The CHAIRMAN moved a formal resolution ap proving a bill for conferring additional powers on the company for the acquisition of lands and the increase and regulation of their capital, for giving effect to arrangements with the Great Western Railway Company in reference to lines and stations at Malvern, and for other purposes. Mr. LEWIS seconded the motion, which (after some objections from Mr. M'Turk) was carried. The next was a bill for enabling the company to construct railways from Settle to Hawes, Appleby, Carlisle, so as to provide for the extension of the Midland system to Carlisle. The length would be 80 miles; the estimated capital was £1,600,000, with the usual borrowing powers ; and the average cost would be about £20,000 per mile. The CiLkium.‘.N stated that there would be con siderable local traffic, but their main object was to secu re to the Midland Company their fair propor tion of the traffic between England and Scotland. That traffic amounted to more than £1,000,000 a year. He concluded by moving a resolution ap proving the bill. Mr. LEWIS seconded the motion. Dr. O'BRIEN contended that the construction of the proposed railway would involve a very large and unnecessary expenditure of money ; that the London and North-Western had offered them ample running powers over existing lines, and that the traffic had never exceeded £700,000 a year. He was decidedly opposed to a measure that could not fail to cause antagonism between two great com panies. Mr. BATEMAN, Mr. HADLEY, and other share holders, opposed the motion, which, on being put to the meeting, was declared carried by a show of hands ; but the standing order required that a poll should be taken, the result of which was a majority in favour of the bill. After some discussion, five other bills were ap proved—viz., a bill for constituting the Great Northern and Midland Railway Companies joint owners of the railway, authorised by the Manches ter, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire (Extension to Liver pool) Act, 1865 ; a bill for empowering the Man chester, Sheffield, and Lincdlnshire, the Great Northern and the Midland Railway Companies to make new lines of railway in connexion with the Extension line to Liverpool ; a bil for changing the name of the Thames and Severn Canal Navigation Company to that of the Thames and Severn Canal Comi-,lny, and to make the Thames and Severn Railway ; a bill to authorise the East Gloucester shire Railway Company to make works and devia tions ; and a bill for making a railway from Beck ford to AVincheomb. The meeting was then ad journed to the 6th of June for the consideration of other bills now before Parliament. MID-W ALES. A Wharncliffe meeting of this company was held on Tuesday at the offices, Bishopsgate-street ; Mr. Parker in the chair. The CHAIRMAN said they had only one bill ready, which was for the purpose of changing the name of the Pembroke and Tenby Railway Com pany, and for enabling them to extend their railway to Carmarthen and to Milford Haven, to lease their undertaking and for other purposes. So far as the Mid-Wales Company was concerned it simply enabled them to make working arrangements with the Pembroke and Tenby Company, and while it could not possibly do any harm it might be of much service to the Mid-Wales Company. The bill was then unanimously approved, and the meeting adjourned to the 30th inst. . WREXHAM, MOLD, AND CONNAH'S QUAY. A special meeting of this company was held on Tuesday at the offices, Westminster-chambers, for the purpose of considering a bill now before Par liament ; Mr. Penson in the chair. The Seefetary having read the heads of the bill, The CHAIRMAN said the resolution he had to sub mit was that the Wrexham, Mold, and Connah's Quay and lloylak.e Railways Bill be approved. Mr. WILKINSON expressed his dissent to the un dertaking, and did not think it right that they should be called upon to subscribe £60,000 towards it. They had better not proceed with the bill dut ing the present financial difficulties. The CHAIRMAN did not think the remarks of Mr. Wilkinson would justify them in delaying the bill. The motion approving the bill was carried unani mously, a i d the proceedings terminated. • wi:IITEHAVEN JUNCTION. A special meeting was held at Whitehaven on Monday to coneider the propriety of paying an honorarium to etrtain officials of the company upon the loss of their appointments in consequence of the transfer of the line to another company ; Mr. W. Lumb presided. Tile CHAIRMAN propose.d that an honorarium or gratuity of 3s. ld. and one-seventh of a penny per original share be paid to the undermentioned officers, divided in the following proportions :—Mr. H. Cook, secretary, £350 ; Mr. M. Harrison, en gineer, £l5O ; Mr. J. Rose, locomotive engineer, £250 ;plr. D. Murray, accountant, £lOO ; and Mr. John Corrie, goods clerk, £B5. The resolution provided that no dissentient shareholder should be bound by it, and that no assenting shareholder should be required to pay more. Mr. CLARKE seconded the motion. Mr. J. B. WILSON moved, as an amendment, that no gratuity be given. Mr. BROWN seconded the amendment, which, after ashort discussion, was carried by seven to four, five or six shareholders not having voted. A poll was demanded, and proxies to a large amount were recorded in favour of the motion, which was declared carried. WHITEHAVEN AND FURNESS JUNCTION. A special meeting of this company was held on Monday at Whitehaven, to consider the propriety of voting compensation to certain officials in con sequence of the transfer of the line to another com pany ; Mr. W. Lumb presided. The motion that £350 be paid to the sect ary £l5O to the engineer, £ 2 50 to the locomotive re en , gineer, £lOO to the accountant, and £B5 to the clerk was proposed, when an amendment was moved to the effect that no such payments be made. The amendment was carried by - a show of hands, but it was lost on the production of a majority of proxies in favour of the motion. ROYAL SWEDISH. The report of the directors states that the gross receipts from traffic and other sources, after deduct ing the charges for working and maintenance, left of £3,428, and the directors we re g lad 9'"ll.a° that it was sufficient to enable them to make a fur ther payment of 2s. (the value of one coupon) on account of the arrears of interest due on the obliga tions, leavi ng a s mall balance. The traffic had been carried on with safety and re gu l ar ity, and the works and rolling stock h been efficiently maintained ; but, notwithstanding the recent addition to the number of waggons,the u s ir u e PPlY appeared to be still inadequate to the requirements m ineral traffic. The dict eors nts of the increasing greatly regretted re tu that the year had expi re d without to the definite being settled with refere nce he negotia tions pending between the Swedish he Govern mentline and nn x the Government tr unk line betw een Gotten burg. Som e p reliminar y ste p s were and taken by the Government towards ascertaining the value and state of the line and works, the directors had urged a further progress, and would endeavour to bring the negotiations to an early and satisfactory termination. A line of railway had lately been con structed by an independent company from Utters burg to Koping, a distance of 15 English miles north of the latter town, for the accommodation of a mineral district, whence was brought a consider able supply of rough ore, and also manufactured iron. This had revived the question of completing this company's line between Arboga and Koping, by which means and passing over their entire line the southern and other districts might be reached. Those interested in tl'le Uttersburg-Koping Rail way Company had united to raise the necessary funds for finishing the Arboga-loping extension, one-half being granted by the Government, as was under such circumstances to enterprises of that kind. This extension if constructed would bring much additional traffic-over their line. With a view to assist the promoters, the directors had agreed to work the extension P.ne at 50 per cent. of the gross receipts—terms which the directors believed would prove mutually advantageous to both companies. MADRAS. The traffic receipts on thie company's South-west line amounted, for the quarter ending the 31st of March last, to £92,345, or £lBB per mile, against £83,819, or £l7O per mile, for the corresponding three months of 1865, the mileage remaining the same. On the North-West line the receipts for the quarter had been £15,973 on 119 miles open, or £134 per mile, against £7,422 on 79 miles open, or £94 per mile, for the same period of 1865. The two lines together showed an increase on the quarter of 40 miles, or 7 per cent. in length of way open, and £17,077, or 181 per cent. in the receipts. MIDLAND CONTRACT. A special meeting of the shareholders in this company was held at Birmingham on Thursday ; Mr. W. A. Adams, the managing director, in the chair. The chairman stated that the company had been formed to construct the line of railway in France through La Vendee, from the important seaport of Sables d'Olonne, on the shores of the Atlantic to Bressuire, and then on to Tours. Two-thirds of the line, the section from Sables to the capital of the Province Napoleon-Vendee, had been nearly com pleted, the land beyond had been purchased, and the remainder of the works had been executed at a cost below the original estimate. The first part of the subvention from the French Government, paid half-yearly, had been received, and others would be due as soon as the outlay enabled the directors to claim the instalments. A convention had been en tered into with the French Minister of Public Works for the extension of the line to Tours, with a further sum to be paid to the company of £400,000. This would make the whole amount of money to be paid by the Government towards the construction of the line nearly a million, and that sum would enable the company to possess the cheapest trunk line of railway in Europe. The Midland Contract Com pany possessed all the shares of the railway, so that for the sum they advanced they had the whole of this large property. The estimate of profit was submitted to the meeting, and this, in addition to 5 per cent. per annum upon the amount paid, would more than double the interest on the investment. A resolution was passed to the effect that the capital of the company be increased to £600,000 by the issue of 10,000 shares of £2O each. It was stated that the bulk of the shares would be taken up by the present proprietary. Naval and Military Intelligence. The Griffon, 5, screw gun vessel, 425 tons, 80 horse-power, after having been thoroughly repaired and refitted since her last commission in Sheerness dockyard, was on Tuesday taken to the measured mile off Maplin Sands for the official trial of her machinery. She was in charge of the commander of the Sheerness steam reserve, Mr. W. W. Wil liamson, inspector of machinery afloat, and Mr. G. Blaxland, chief engineer in Sheerness dockyard were present. Six runs were made on the mea sured mile at full-boiler power, giving an average of 9.141 knots per hour, with a maximum of 96 and a mean of 91,666 revolutions of the engines, and a vacuum in condensers of 25-5. Two runs were made at half boiler power, giving an average of 7.504 knots per hour, with a maximum of 84 and a minimum of 73 revolutions of the engines, and a vacuum in condensers of 26. The draught of water forward was 10ft. 10in. ; aft, lift. Bin. The load on the safety valve 201 b., and the pressure of steam in the boilers 18.75. The wind was north, with a force of 3 to 4. The vessel is fitted with a Griffith's propeller, the diameter of which is 9ft. ; the pitch, 13ft. ; the length, 2ft. 10iu. ; and the immersion of the upper edge, Ift. Sin. The engines stopped from the moving of the telegraph in 13 secs., started ahead in 12 secs., and astern in 15 secs. They were manufactured by Messrs. Napier and Sons, of Glas gow, and worked most satisfactorily. There were no hot bearings. The boilers produced a good sup ply of steam without priming. So far as the engines and boilers are concerned the ship is certified as being ready for sea. The large floating shears at Chatham dockyard, used in masting the vessels of war at that establish ment, have been towed round to the Thames by the Adder and other steamers for the purpose of being employed in masting the ironclad frigate Northum berland, 26, 1,350-horse power. The following is an extract from a private letter received from her Majesty's screw gun vessel Espoir, dated April 7, from Jellah Coffee, West Coast of Africa :—" We are daily expecting the Greyhound here to relieve us,when Capt. Stirling, of that ship, becomes senior officer here, succeeding our captain, Peile, and we sail for St. Paul's de Loanda. and St. Helena to recruit the health of officers and ship's company. From St. Helena we go to the South Coast. We were detained some time since and sent on to St. Paul's de Loanda for adjudication the Portuguese bark Dahomey. She had three slaves-- a supposed beginning of cargo—and no papers when captured, together with about 100 puncheons of oil and a quantity of rum and tobacco. She is a beau tifully modelled vessel, and will prove a valuable prize for us if condemned. The yellow fever has en tirely left the Bristol." The screw frigate Tribune, Capt. Lord Gifford, which recently returned to Portsmouth from service in the Pacific, was paid out of commission along side Portsmouth dockyard yesterday. The gunroom officers of the ship, previous to separating, presented to Lieut. G. Shewell, R.M.L.1., a very handsome silver vase. Capt. R. A. Powell, C. 8., at present command ing the cadet training ship Britannia, at Dartmouth, has accepted the command, offered to him by the Admiralty, of the sbrew unarmoured frigate Topaze, 31, 2,659 tons, 600 horse power, as second officer in command of her Majesty's ships on the Pacific sta tion, vice Capt. M. de Courcy, returning to England. We understand that the Admiralty have resolved in order to test as fully as possible in time of peace the turret principle, as fitted with the revolving tables and wheels on Capt. Colas plans, to fire a steel bolt at one of the turrets at short range, from the Armstrong 10-inch, or 300-pounder rifled 12- ton gun, now on board the iron -armoured frigate Bellerophon. The day is not yet fixed for the expe riment. The chartered troopship Alumbagh, which arrived in the Thames on Tuesday from the Mauritius, whence she sailed on the 19th of February with two companies of Royal Engineers, together with de tachments of time-expired men and other troops, on board from the Mauritius and the Cape of Good Hope, disembarked her detachments at Gravesend yesterday, under the superintendence of Brigade- Major W. Lynch and the officers of the Staff from Ch a th am garrison. The 11th company o f R oyal Engineers, from the Cap 3ur Cape of Mauritius, disembarked Hope, andth a e t 21st company from the r t o a v h e e s a e d n q , u o a n r t T e r s u s d B a y r o evening and proceeded di _ barracks, Chatham, Government which they reached late that clilayrecGt night. The troops, to the number of upwards of detachments from 100 men of all ranks, included the 2d battalion 13th Light Infan tr y , 2d battalion 2 2d Regiment, 2d battalion 24th Regiment, 94 th Corps. The time-expired men and convalescent Regiment, 96th Regiment, and the Army Hospita l troops were forwarded yesterday from Gravesend to join the depots of their various corps. Orders were received at Chatham yesterday di recting the reinforcements for the Ist battalion of the 15th Regiment in Canada to embark at Graves end this morning on board the hired troopship Achilles, under th e command of Capt. J. Wilkinson. THE CHANCERY VACATION. --The Chancery vaca tion ends on the 20th inst., and on Monday the offic will be reopened. T r i n it y term commenced on Tuesday. es The arrears in the several courts are inconsiderable. THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MAY 17, 1866. Torpedo Experiments. On Tuesday the Floating Obstruction Committee, consist ing of Colonel Fisher, R.E. ; Colonel Askwith, R.A. ; Mr. Ferguson, C.E. ; Captain Horton, R.N. ; Professor Abel, chemist to the war department ; and Captain 'Dawson, R.N., secretary, attended at Portsmouth to carry out an experiment with torpedoes on a vessel moored in Fountain Lake, one of the many narrow lakes which intersect the shoals forming the upper part of Portsmouth harbour. The vessels selected for the purpose of the experiments was the old wooden frigate America—a vessel that has been "used up" over and over again for a target-ship for all kinds of shot and shell fired from the gunnery ship Excellent, and also as a target-ship for carrying armour-plates on her broadsides when under trial by the 68-pounder and other guns. Under this contiguous hard service her old empty hull has necessarily undergone an immense amount of ripping up and battering in every conceivable form, has been sunk and again raised afloat by temporary repairs time after time, and was altogether on Tuesday, previous to the grand experiment of the day, but a shattered, yet still floating, representative of an old wooden frigate tempo rarily rendered water-tight in her bottom, but evidently very weak in frame and planking from ill-usage and age. The America when moored in position for the experi ment had at high water about 4ft. of water under the keel (consequently lying high and dry at low water), and lay over a very pretty nest of torpedoes, which had been laid down in accordance with the wishes of the committee. Thirteen of these were fired in all, 12 being under the ship's bottom, and one projecting from a long spar over the stem of a ship's launch, and under and in contact with the ship's bows. Of the 12 under the bottom of the ship four wera charged with 601 b. of gunpowder, two with 501 b., two with 401 b., one with 301 b., two with 201 b., and one with 101 b. of gun-cotton. The charges in every in stance were enclosed in cylinders made from }-inch iron, with flat ends. The torpedo held in contact with the ship's port bow by the projecting spar over a boat's stem was charged with 101 b. of gun-cotton, considered equiia lent to 301 b. of gunpowder, was enclosed in a similar iron case to the others, and was held in contact with the ship's port bow about 6ft. below the water-line, the bow of the launch being not more than 4ft. clear of the bow of the ship. The torpedoes under the ship's bottom were laid at various distances and depths, the farthest off being 15ft. and the nearest 2ft. 6in. The whole of the torpedoes under the vessel's bottom were thus readyto befired by a common wire communicating with a magneto-electric battery under the control of Professor Abel, in a boat at about 70 yards distance from the ship, and another wire communicated with the single torpedo suspended under the vessel's port bow, over the stem of the ship's launch. There being no peculiar arrangements, in either the form of the cylinders forming the torpedo case, in the nature or disposition of the charge, or in the method of firing them at the desired moment, all was really as simple as could well be imagined, and if the communications between the instrument before Prefessor Abel and the torpedo nest was as perfect as was supposed, the result could only be the blowing in of the bottom and the almost instantaneous sinking of the poor frigate. At noon everything was prepared. The Obstruction Committee, having previously inspected the preparations made, were in their boat well ahead of the doomed ship, having in company Vice-Admiral Sir Thomas Pasley, the Naval Commander-in-Chief at Portmouth, in his galley, the steam launch of the Excellent, with Commander Arthur and the executive officers of that ship ; the War office department cutter, containing Professor Abel with his instruments and staff, &c., and a number of other boats with naval and military officers, &c. The signal was given soon after noon, and the discharge . _ _ of the 12 torpedoes under the ship's bottom immediately followed, succeeded in about 30 seconds by that of the single one suspended from the boat's spar under her port bow. The first explosion lifted the ship a good three feet above the surface of the water, fore and aft, an immense body of detached water at the same time shooting upwards to a great height all around her, and falling on her upper deck, together with innumerable pieces of splintered wood torn from the ship's hull by the force of the explosion. The explosion of the bow torpedo, which immediately fol lowed upon that of the main body, produced, compara tively speaking, a still greater display than did the united 12 under the ship's bottom. The column of water thrown up by the explosion was lifted to a much greater height than in the preceding instance, and the actual effect pro duced on the ship appeared to be more decisive. Thus, while there could be no doubt that the 12 torpedoes under the ship's bottom had sufficiently damaged her to insure her sinking, still no sooner had the bow tor pedo been fired than the ship at once dipped her bow deeply in the water with an apparent inclination, had there been depth of water sufficient, to raise her stern in the air and go down bow foremost. The vessel's keel was on the mud, and the water inside her up to the beams supporting he planking of her main deck is about 50 seconds from the time of the firing of the first torpedoes. The greatest apparent damage visible immediately after the explosion of the torpedoes as the ship lay on the mud, with the water inside her level with the height of water outside, was for ward, where, to some distance abaft the fore hatchway, the keel of the vessel was evidently broken in two, the deck there being settled down at various angles, and the beams broken by the collapse and severance of the vessel's frame. At low water the exact amount of damage inflicted was fully ascertained, and was found to be much less externally than had been anticipated, but very much in excess of what might have been expected internally if any opinion had been formed from the extent of the outer damage. Of the 12 torpedoes under the ship's bottom only those forward had damaged the ship, the six placed under, abaft the greatest swell of the ship at the main hatchway, having exploded without displacing any part of the outer planking. Under the fourth port from forward on the starboard side, how ever, the torpedoes had taken full effect, and blown an im mense hole through the ship's bottom fully 20 feet in width and extending from the floor timbers upwards to the main deck beams. Across this immense hole lay broken timbers and plankings entangled with bent and broken iron diago nal bracing•. This was enough to have sunk the ship of itself, and was the chief cause of her going dom., b 0 rapidly. The remaining 11 torpedoes had shaken up and opened the planking, but they had effected no actual breach through tho ship's bottom, although the effects of the shock of their united explosion could everywhere be seen. The gun -cotton torpedo that was exploded under the vessel's port bow, sus pended 6ft. below the water, from the end of a spar, had ripped off several of the bowptanks and started the timbers, giving admission to the water, but not actually destroying the frame of the ship. Inside the ship the real amount of the damage was some what frightful to look at. Every part of the ship appeared to have been shaken out of place in a most extraordinary manner, and, forward, the unsafe state of the decks, with huge pieces of splintered beams quivering overhead, made it a matter of considerable peril to venture there. This was, perhaps, not altogether the effects of the shock given by the explosion of the torpedoes. The explosion had been the immediate cause of the damage, but the latter may have been completed by the vessel striking the ground heavily with her keel in the " send" of the water, when she fell again from her lifting by the explosion. The main and lower decks of the ship now lie driven up in three huge transverse furrows from the after-hatchway forward, at angles of from 20 to 30 deg., the sides of the ship stand away from the deck-beams, and all is perfect wreck. it is almost impossible for any vessel to have been more effectually or suddenly destroyed, at the same time that the difference in the appearance of the damage from the inside and the outside of the ship is most remarkable. As the object of the committee in making the experiment on the America is understood not to have been so much to ascertain the exact amount of mischief that could be in flicted on a ship by the explosion of a given number of tor pedoes, as to ascertain to what extent torpedoes may be relied upon for certainty of action at distances from the bot tom of a passing ship, the main inferences to be drawn from the results of yesterday's experiments may be considered to be that all torpedoes should be brought in close contact with the body they are intended to destroy, or they run the chance of proving harmless, and they should be brought directly under that body, or their force may be deflected. The first inference is supported by the present undamaged state of the America's after body, where the torpedoes were placed furthest from the ship, and the second by the fact of the slight damage done to the ship's port bow by the single gun-cotton torpedo, which evidently expended its force upwards with its immense column of water deflected off by the angle of the bow lines. In fact, the explosion of torpedoes such as were used yesterday, adds nothing to our previous knowledge of the subject. It is now many years since Captain Warner became famous by his "long-range shell." In 1846 torpedoes were supplied by the Admiralty to Captain E. Belcher, now Admiral Sir Edward Belcher, on leaving England on his Arctic expedition, breaking up the ice in Wellington Sound. Elaborate plans of torpedoes for attack ing the Russian fleet at Sebastopol, and also for destroying those laid down in the Baltic by the Russians themselves, were also laid before the English Admiralty by their chemist, Mr. Hay, but from some cause were never brought into use. The cases used by the Obstruction Committee on Tuesday were simply cylinders filled up with their charge, and fired as a boy might fire a surreptitiously gained car tridge of sporting powder in the playground of his school. Science was altogether seemingly discarded for the day for the sake of a "grand blow up," and the results simply bring to mind a story still current among English naval officers of a young midshipman serving in her Majesty's ship Edinburgh in the Baltic during the war with Russia, who improvised a torpedo with some rather startling re sults. The youngster had just cleared out the last pot of jam that had been sent him from home, when the idea struck him and his messmates that it would be rare fun to turn the empty jam pot into a torpedo, of which there was then much talk, naturally enough, among the Baltic fleet. The pot was filled with powder, plugged up, lowered out of the gun-room ports, and fired. The consternation on board was something great, and many imagined the ship andtorpedo e b e a u n l p k r . t T w h a s e sde duly y e t , q a h a o r w t e e r v - e d r e , c w k e a d s and sNso'aosnlyingdid,se oov admonishedve reer a to play no such pranks in future. Royal Geographical Society. At the meeting of this society on Monday evening —Sir Roderick Murchison in the chair—the first paper read was by Captain Montgomery, describing some of the results of the trigonometrical survey of the mountainous region of Little Thibet, which se parates India from the Russian territories. The difficulties of carrying on the survey were all but in surmountable, for not only did the physical features of the country present the greatest obstacles, but, as the district is beyond the boundaries of the British possessions, the prejudices and suspicions of the Chinese authorities bad to be overcome. There are several ranges of mountains, some of them being the highest in the world, one of the peaks, of which a drawing was exhibited, baying an elevation of 26,680 feet, or more than 10,000 feet higher than Mont Blanc. It is situated in Ist. 36 deg. and 76 deg. east long. A great portion of the survey was conducted above the clouds, surrounded by snow, which sometimes proved very treacherous, and sud denly gave way, sinking down for many feet and leaving deep chasms. On one occasion mentioned by Capt. Montgomery his party had spread out their dinner on the snow and were about to sit down, when the whole of their provisions disappeared and were buried far below. The difficulty of carrying food and the instruments required for surveying to such heights greatly obstructed their progress, and to add to the obstacles, part of the survey was carried on during the time of the mutiny in India, and the men em ployed to assist in the work were Asiatics, who had been accustomed to a hot climate. The highly elec trical condition of the atmosphere also interfered with the operations, the frequent lightning render ing it often dangerous to elevate a flag-staff, and one of the theodolites was destroyed. So far as the expedition was allowed to proceed they succeeded in mapping the district with great accuracy, but they were stopped from going further north by the jealousy of the authorities, who would not allow Europeans to enter that part of their territory, and Captain Montgomery was obliged to employ a native agent, whom he had instructed in the use of instruments, to take observations in the lower coun try as far as Yarcund, the latitude of which town was ascertained to be 39 deg. The person so em ployed died, or was murdered ; but his papers were secured, and from them a generally reliable map has been made. The mountainous region on the north of our possessions in India is estimated to ex tend 400 miles ; and at a distance beyond the moun tains of about 300 miles the boundary of the Russian territories commences. Captain Montgomery read his paper so hurriedly that a great deal of it was in audible at the distant parts of the room, and, as it was occupied more with geographical details than with descriptions, it was somewhat impatiently lis tened to. Sir Henry Rawlinson and the Surveyor- General for India made some observations, pointing out the importance of the survey, and eulogising Captain Montgomery for having accomplished so much under difficult circumstances. A paper by Commander Forbes, " On the Wes tern Shores of Volcano Bay, Yesso," was then read, in which he described generally some of the volcanoes now in a state of eruption near that bay, which p - pears to be a concentrated seat of volcanic action, for not only are there several mountains erupting igneous matter, but many geyzers ejecting boiling water. Commander Forbes described a peculiar tribe who inhabit a part of Yesso, who are called hairy men, from the fact that all parts of their bodies are covered with hair. He had succeeded with some difficulty in obtaining the possession of one of the skulls of this tribe, which he had submitted to the inspection of Professor Huxley, who was present, and on being called on by the chairman he explained the peculiarities it presented. He said it differed remarkably from the form of the skulls of the Chi nese and other Asiatic races, which are generally round, in being remarkably long, resembling in that respect the skuPs of Esquimaux. After some obser vations by Commander Forbes on the Japanese, the meeting adjourned to the 28th inst., when the anni versary of the society will be held. An Indian prince from Singapore was present, and sat on the right hand of the president, who introduced him to the meeting. The Cholera in Liverpool. The state of affairs appears to be rather more hopeful. There is nothing to indicate danger of the disease spreading among the inhabitants, and, if a fresh influx of Germany can be avoided, it is expected that the disease will speedily die out. The worst feature of affairs at present is that there are now 13 cases in the workhouse, where the danger of contagion must necessarily be greater, despite every precaution, than on board a ship in the river. Another case of cholera has been taken to the work house from a German lodging-house in Kent-square, and another from the Bankhall depot. Two more deaths are reported from the Jesse Munn ; 12 cases remain on board. Much dissatisfaction has been expressed at the landing of the passengers at all, either at Birkenhead or Liverpool ; but the local authorities can scarcely be censured since, after the three days'quarantine,they had absolutely no power to detain them. Still, the fact is patent that the course of action had the effect of multiplying the centres of the disease in a fourfold degree, and in creasing the danger of contagion to a still greater extent. There has been some talk about removing the Germans at the Birkenhead depot to that at Bankhall, but it appears that there is not sufficient accommodation for them at the latter place. There is no depot at the Harrington dock. There was some negotiation about taking a building there, but the Bankhall warehouse was preferred. The National Steam Navigation Company have resolved to burn all the fittings and beds on board the Helvetia at once, and also those on the War Cloud and Jesse Munn as soon as their occupants are removed. The emigrants' luggage has been landed and handed over to them. All the vessels will be thoroughly fumigated. It is interesting to know that the Erin, another of the company's boats which sailed on the 11th of April, for New York, with 1,069 emigrants on board, has arrived safely, with only three deaths of children during the passage, and those were stated to have arisen from sea sickness. The Queen, another of the company's boats, has taken out a large number of emigrants, of whom 600 were Germans, and the Louisiana, also a full complement, without any case of cholera on board. Among the emigrants at Birkenhead there is a young woman, about 25 or 26 years of age (a Ger man), who can speak the English language. This young person, without hesitation, offered her ser vices not only to interpret, but as a nurse, and in both these capacities she acted until the appointment of a regular interpreter and a staff of nurses. Her noble and disinterested services on behalf of her suffering countrymen having become known in Bir kenhead a number of benevolent persons raised a subscription, and on Tuesday Dr. Robinson, the medical officer of health, as their medium, presented her with about £lO, and informed her that it was also intended to give her a gold watch, bearing a suitable inscription, as a reward for her exertions to alleviate the sufferings of her fellow passengers in a strange land. Smoke in Towns. A public letter was recently sent from the Home office to the Mayors or local authorities in several of our chief towns, making inquiries in relation to the prevention of the nuisance arising from smoke, and a paper has been issued stating the substance of the replies to this circular. From Stoke-on-Trent we learn that, though the Local Government Act has been adopted, the law is a dead letter through out the pottery districts. At Derby the law is not so generally observed as it ought to be ; at Sheffield the nuisance has been to some extent diminished, but the manufacturers generally evince reluctance to comply with the by-laws; at Sunderland the nuisance has diminished, but the enforcement of the law has been very partial. But what are laws if they are not enforced? The Liverpool return states that the smoke nuisance has considerably diminished under the local Act of 1854, but the law might be made more effectual. The Birmingham return is that the quantity of smoke issuing from the various furnaces has been greatly diminished, and the atmo- sphere is purer ; at Huddersfield the average amount of reduction of dense smoke is from 10 to 6 ; at Leicester the small amount of smoke, considering the number of long chimneys, is the subject of ob servation to all strangers. At .Newcastle-upon-Tyne a considerable reduction of the nuisance has been effected ; and so also at Leeds. From Manchester the result is stated to be a marked improvement. But there is another return from Manchester, pub lished by the Registrar-General; Mr. Leigh, the registrar of the sub-district of Deansgate, rex.orting on the first quarter of the present year, says Coal smoke forms a continual dark and dense canopy over the town, and causes a murkiness in the streets from which they are never free. On the finest day the air is darkened by haze, and the prospect seems bounded as by an impenetrable wall. Blacks' settle on the streets and footpaths, find their way into the houses, soil and damage fur niture and wearing apparel and other things, till it is generally recognised that light-coloured clothes cannot be worn in Manchester, nor the hands re main clean, if ungloved. The constant inhalation of these black particles (of which an analysis is given) must be highly irritating to the lungs, and productive in many instances of an amount of in flammation sufficient to induce incipient phthisis or bronchitis, or to determine the recurrence of these where a predisposition exists. There is besides these black particles issuing from our factory chimneys, a more finely precipitated matter, which in the country curls among the trees from the roof of a cottage, and in Manchester forms the constant haze of our streets. I do not think any scientific in vestigation has yet been made of it. It is not gaseous, for it does not diffuse ; it is not simply vaporous. When it saturates or charges a Novem ber fog it is sticky and exclusively irritating to the eyes and throat. It must in a less degree be a con stant source of irritation under the ordinary condi tions of a smoky atmosphere. It proceeds from the imperfect combustion of bituminous matter, and partially from the distillation of the least volatile products of coal. From experiments I have made on it I am satisfied that it is in some degree bitu minous. . . . A smoky town atmosphere must contain an abnormal amount of carbonic acid, and a distinct Amount of sulphuretted hydrogen and of sulphurous acid ; and I know of no circumstance more likely to predispose a population for the recep- tion of fever or cholera than the constant inhalation of an atmosphere vitiated by the presence of sul phuretted hydrogen. The gas does exist in the atmosphere of Manchester. From the chimney of a perfect furnace nothing ought to be evolved but in visible carbonic acid, sulphurous acid, and watery vapour ; all else means waste of coal and injury to health. Manchester must be regarded in many respects as a model town ; but it is one of the least healthy in the kingdom. Children under five years of age contribute half of the total mortality, while in the agricultural:districts one-third of the deaths is their proportion. The artisan's wife dies in middle age ; and his own career is cut short long before he has reached the 70 years' term allotted to man." THE CHURCH ESTATES.—The 15th annual report of the Church Estates Commissioners has just been presented to Parliament, from which we extract the most important paragraphs. The Commissioners state :—We have transferred to the Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England during the past year a sum of £50,000, in respect of the surplus proceeds of enfranchisements completed. The aggregate amount which has been paid over or trans ferred to the account of the Ecclesiastical Commissioners is now £1,250,207 2s. 2d., in addition to .£140,000 in respect of interest which has accrued on the surplus. We last year reported that the transactions approved by us between August, 1831, and March, 1865, were 2,638 in number, and that the value in fee of the estates so agreed to be dealt with amounted to about £10,310,000. We have during this year approved the terms agreed upon in 105 cases ; 98 be ing cases of sales of reversions, and seven cases of pur chases of leasehold interests, and the value in fee of the estates so agreed to be dealt with is approximately £350,000. The aggregate number of cases approved by us is therefore 2,742, and the value of the property dealt with amounts to about £10,660,000. In three cases we declined to approve the terms proposed ; but in two of these the terms have been modified so as to meet with our sanction, and they have been included in the number above stated to have been approved. • Anthropological Society. On Tuesday evening an ordinary meeting of this society was held in their rooms, in St. Martin's place—Dr. J. Hunt in the chair—on which occasion fourpapers were read having an archological bear ing on anthropology. The first was by Mr. West ropp, on " The Analogous Forms of Stone and Bronze Implements in Different Parts of the World." In this paper he pointed out, in the first instance, the similarity in character of the implements used by all savage people, and the difference in rudeness of construction between those of savages of the known historic period and those found in the drift deposit, and assumed to have been made by men of the pre historic age. The inference drawn by Mr. Westropp from the similarity of form in all instances was that it arose from an instinctive propensity in man to make those kinds of implements, and that all nations have proceeded through a sequence of natural changes until they become civilised. The correspondence on the proportions of tin and copper in bronze implements of all countries he considered also instructive. The rude character of the stone implements of the " drift" Mr. Westropp regarded as an indication that they were formed by a lower race of mankind. A long discussion took place on these speculations, in which Mr. Baines, Mr. C. Blake, Major Owen, Professor Macdonald, Mr. Mackenzie, the chairman, Rev. Dr. Heath, and other gentlemen took part. The second paper was a contribution from Col. Walker and three other gentlemen, describing an extensive " kitchen midden" that had been cut through in making the fort at Newhaven. The mid den extends along the top of the cliff in a regular stratum upwards of 100 yards ; it is covered with several feet of vegetable mould, and underneath there is a stratum containing remains of pottery and Samian ware, showing that the midden,had been de posited since the occupation of the country by the Romans. Though presenting similar general charac teristics to the kitchen middens of Denmark, which are supposed to be evidence of the great antiquity of man, it is quite clear that the midden at Newhaven has no pretence to belong to a pre-Adamite period. In the discussion that ensued Mr. Mackenzie objected to the term " kitchen midden" as applied to these collections of refuse, and suggested that they should be called archaeological dust-holes. The thirdpaper was contributed by Capt. Burton, from Santos Bay, describing a large kitchen midden he had examined in that locality, in which human bones were found deposited among the refuse shells. Some of the oyster shells in the heap, which was of considerable height, were conglomerated in large masses. The fourth paper, contributed by the Rev. W. Brett, from Essequibo, gave an account of the open ing of a similar heap of shells, with which human bones were mingled, near that place. Photographs of seven Andaman islanders were exhibited by Mr. Baxter, who briefly stated that they had visited Calcutta, and were photographed there. He said that these peculiar diminutive people are fast dying out. The meeting adjourned to the sth of June. Restoring Revalenta A ra bi ca Food, ADVERTISEMENT.} -Avoid med i c i nes: they always aggra vate chronic compl a i nts, but Du Barry ' s Delicious Health the nourishment of the bat meat, saves fifty times its cost in other remedi es, and invariably restores perfect digestion. strong nerves, so un d lungs, healthy liver, pure bl oo d , re freshing sleep, fu nc ti onal regularity, which yields three times and energy to the most disordered or enfeebl e d . We extract a few ou t o f 60 , 000 Cures :—Cure No. 58 ,216, or the Marchioness d e B re h an, of seven years' li ver complaint, wastin -1 away, debility, nervousness, with a n ervous palpitation all over, b a d diges tion, constant sleepl essness, and the most intolera b le nervous agitation.—Cure No. 1 . 7 71. Lora Stuart de D ec i es, L or d Lieutenant of W a t er f ord, of many years ' dyspepsia —No. 10,832. "Fifty y ears ' i ndescribable agony from dyspepsia, nervousness, asthm a, cough, constipation, fl atu l en y,g spasms, sickness, an d vomitin.— . Maria Jolly."—Cure No. 16,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lunge, spitting of blood, liver derange ment, and partial deafness. —Cure No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, lONI spirits, and nervous lancles.—Cure No. 54,816. The Rev. Jas T. Campbell, Fak en h am, Norfolk, " of indigestion and torpi dity or the liver. w hi ch had resiste I all medical treatment' In tins, lib, 2s 9d ; 21b, 45 61; 51b, uls ; 121 b, 225; 241 b, 40s.—Barry D u B arry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London; also Phillips, tea d ea l ers, 8, King William-street ; likewise at 61, Gracechurch-strut ; 4, Ch ea p s ide ; 49, Bishopsgate street Within ; 63, 150, and 298 Oxfo r d-street ; 330, Strand ; 54, Upper B a k er - street; 103,, Tott en ham-court-road; 96, Upper-street, Isli ng t on, N.; Harvey, Notting-hill; Close Brothers, 65, Hi g h s t reet ; and Stubbs, Q John's-wood, Lo n d on; and all respectable grocers and che mists.—Beware o f spurious imitations. Queen's-terrace, St. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—The events which preceded the bombard ment of Valparaiso are placed in a somewhat new light by the statements of the Duke of Somerset and Mr. Layard. A body of English merchants, smart ing under a sense of the loss wantonly inflicted on them by the Spanish fleet, may be pardoned for tak ing a view of their own grievances which is not alto gether warranted either by facts or by international law. The public, however, has a duty towards Ad miral Denman as well as towards our injured coun trymen, and we cannot do justice to all parties with out a clear appreciation of what had passed before the 31st March, when the Custom-house was de stroyed by the Spanish fire. Our readers will re member that towards the end of last year news was received that Admiral Pareja had presented an ,ulti matum to the Chilian Government, and that war had been declared between Spain and Chili, upon a casus belli so trumpery as not even to mask the ag gressive designs of Spain. Our own Government, in concert with that of France, lost no time in tender ing its good offices, which were accepted by Spain, and the terms proposed were such as to satisfy the most punctilious demands of Castilian honour. " They were," as specified by Mr. Layard, " that Chili should disavow any intention of offending Spain; that the treaty existing between Chili and Spain at the time of the outbreak of hostilities should not be annulled; that Spain should express herself satisfied, and disclaim any intention of conquest ; that diplomatic relations should he renewed between the two powers, and salutes exchanged, Chili firing the first shot." Unhappily, the despatches containing these proposals did not reach Chili till after acts of hostility had been committed, a Spanish ship had been captured, and treaties had been made with other South American Republics. The Chilian Government accepted our offer with gratitude, but asked for delay in order to consult their allies; the Spanish Govern ment construed this request as a ruse to gain time, and retracted their consent to mediation. Meanwhile apprehensions of a bombardment were entertained by the inhabitants of Valparaiso, and had been reported to the Foreign-office by Mr. Thompson, our Minister in Chili, who also mentioned the con ditions upon which the Chilian Government were prepared to allow the removal of British property from the Custom-houses to a place of safety. Mr. homson was therefore instructed to recommend the acceptance of these conditions on our merchants as fair and reasonable under the circumstances ; but, in respect of mediation, it was hoped that no risk would be incurred. When, however, the Spanish Government withdrew from their engagements, against a protest from England and France, and when information reached our Government that in structions had been given for the bombardment of Valparaiso, very strop g remonstrances were addressed to the Court of Madrid. The reply was equivocal, according to Mr. Layard, and highly discreditable to the good faith of the Spanish Government ; for it now appears that explicit orders had been issued to the Spanish Commander, Mendez Nunez, under which he felt himself compelled to act, not without some feelings of reluctance and compunction. Such was the position of diplomatic affairs on the 25th of March, when Admiral Nunez declared that unless certain ternis were accepted he should bombard Valparaiso, giving four days' notice for the removal of non-combatants. The English, French, and American Ministers in vain endeavoured to dissuade him, and on the 27th he gave notice of the attack on the 31st, which involved the destruction of the Custom-house stores, including British property estimated to have been worth 20 millions of dollars. We have next to examine the allegations made on behalf of the British merchants with respect to their own wrongs, and the conduct of Mr. Thom son and Admiral Denman. These allegations are embodied in the resolutions passed at a meet ing of British subjects on the 28th of March, and read by Colonel Edwards to the House of Com mons. They here represent that "positive assur ances" had been given them by the Admiral that he would prevent a general bombardment, by force, if necessary, notwithstanding which he allowed it to be carried into effect, pleading the inferiority of his armament, yet declining the proffered assistance of a powerful United States' squadron. They urge that in the absence of special instructions from home the Admiral was bound, on his own judgment, to protect " those interests which are especially con fided to his protection," and they charge Mr.Thom so. n (who had already been suspected of undue sub servience to the Chilian Government) with " pas sive submission to the abuses of the Spanish squad ron." The document concludes with an expression of thanks to the American Minister and Commodore, and an appeal to the British public. Now, we learn from the speech of the Duke of Somerset that Ad miral Denman hail been directed " to observe the strictest neutrality towards the contending parties," and would have incurred the censure of the Admi ralty had he interfered with the bombardment after due notice given. It appears, indeed, that he had threatened some time previously to open fire on the Spanish fleet in case the latter should proceed t 9 bombard the town without notice, and by assuming this attitude had, in the Duke's., opinion, somewhat exceeded his instructions. Being pressed by the merchants after the final notice was given, he re plied that, however he might deplore the attack on a defenceless town, it would be a breach of neutra lity and an act of war to interfere. In the statement which he has transmitted to the Admiralty he en tirely denies that he ever held out any hope of armed intervention, or that he referred to the inadequacy of his naval force as a reason for inaction. lie also negatives the assertion that he declined the co-ope ration of the United St a t es ' C ommodore, whose in structions were similar to his own. Mr. Layard explains the prob a bl e or i g i n of this misapprehen sion, on the authority of th e S pan i sh Minister, an d emphatically contradicts the story that, after the conflagration, the a id o f A merican sailors was cor dially welcomed, while that of British sailors was rejected by the inhabitants. In short, the official account of the whole transaction differs in many important respects from that which first reached us, and which, it is right to add, purports to rest in part on a letter from Commodore Rodgers hims 3 If. It relieves Admiral Denman f r om an imputation in consistent with his well-known character, it throws on the merchants themselves a large share of blame for neglected repeated w arnings to remove their goods beyond the reach of danger, and it leaves no doubt as to the direct responsibility of the Spanish Government for this great outrage against the usages of civilised warfare. It is true that no fixed law of war—if there be fixed laws of war—is vio lated by cannonading an unfortified town, even if the consequences are likely to fall on neutrals rather than on belligerents. All towns within an enemy's territory are liable to hostile operations, with all th a t may be contained in them. It is often assumed too readily that private property on land is exempt from capture, but no such definite rul e h as b een laid down by jurists or established by constant prac tice. The principle which has ever b een held to go vern all such questions is that as little j • inury is to be done to non-combatants as is consistent with the paramount objects of warf are ; b ut the applica tion of this principle must dep en d on t h e conscience of a naval or military commander. We are assured by Mr. Layard that Ad m i ra l N unez was by no meansinsensible to this moral obligation, but that his orders from home left him no option. That his act was an extreme and barbarous exercise of belligerent rights admits of no doubt, for Valparaiso is a purely commercial port, its only battery had been dismantled, and th e merc h an di se on w hi c h Spanish vengeance was to be wreaked did not even belong to Chilian subjects. Every circumstance of palliation, therefore, was conspicuously wanting, nor could the bombardment have the least effect in reducing Chili to submission. Still, it gratified Spanish pride—that pride which feels resentment keenly, but is proof against shame, which broods long after a fancied affront, but holds such commer cial virtues as solvency and veracity in light esteem. It is assuredly an error to speak of this proceeding as unprecedented—nay, more, it was strictly legal ; and yet we cannot but pity the British admiral who was compelled to witness it with his guns silent, not because he wanted the old spirit of Nelson, but simply because he understood his duty, and kn ew well that his own Government, unlike that of Spain, would never sanction the plea that " national hon our" involved a breach of it. POST.—Although the discussion of the proposed scheme for reducing the national debt was post poned when the resolution embodying it was sub mitted in committee a few nights since, it must not be supposed that its vast importance has been over looked, or that the soundness of Mr. Gladstone's proposal has been treated as beyond all question. We have always been endeavouring, though in a very mild way, to diminish our national debt, but it must be admitted that our labours hitherto have not been attended with very satisfactory results. If one year's extravagance exhausts the savings of 40 years, we are driven to the conclusion either that the prodiga lity has been inexcusably great, or that the economy effected has been little more than nominal. The one hundred millions which we succeeded expung ing from the national debt between the fall of the first Napoleon and the accession of the third were again added during the comparatively brief cont es t w hi c h we waged with Russia in defence of the Ottoman empire. It is not, however, suggested that the Crimean war could have been carried on effectively at a smaller cost, and it conse quently appears that an unforeseen contingency suf ficed to negative what we will assume to have been the well-directed efforts of a long series of years. The occurrence of the Russian war and its effects on the debt of this country should be clearly borne in mind by those who set themselves about considering any scheme for the reduction of that debt, because it _ . is manifest that, admitting the obligations of exist ing generations to relieve those which succeed them of the burden they have created, those obligations I should be discharged i n a s pi r it w hich recognises the possibility of posterity having its own special bur dens to provide fo r . It resolves itself, then, i n to a question of deg r e e . Th e po i n t i s n ot whether we ought to reduce our d e bt, b u t i n w h a t proportion that reduction should b e e ff ec t e d. And, in order to arrive at a satisfactory co nc l us ion, we must tak e into consideration the productive powers of a coun try on the one h an d, an d th e cost en t a iled by such unforeseen contingencies as wars on the other ; for if one of such contingencies adds on an average a sum, say, £100,000,000 to the national debt, a coun try which desires to continue solvent should endea vour during its intervals of peace to reduce its obli gations by an equal, if not a greater, amount. War e are certainly more infrequent, whilst at the same time they are more costly, than in the olden time, and it would, doubtless, be difficult to strike an average with the view of ascertaining the frequency of their occurrence and probable cost. But in any scheme which a country may form with the view of preventing such a progressive increase in its debt as would seriously affect its solvency, some rough calculation of the kind must be attempted . It is admitted on all hands that this kingdom. long period did not turn to sufficie n t accoun t th a t lop of peace which intervened b e t ween the batt l e of Waterloo and the dest ruc ti on o f th e Turkish fleet in the Bay of Si no p e . Th ose, h owever , w ho make this admission, in effect sa y th a t our statesmen ought to have reckoned o n a ccs tly w ar within a period of 40 ye ars , an d s h ou ld h ave ma d e a more considerable reduction of the N a ti ona l Debt. Turn ing, however, f rom th e p as t t o th e presen t, and ap plying the same principle s o f reason i ng , let us see how far the proposal of Mr. Gladstone, assuming i t to be a sound one, wo u ld serve t o rea lise the trust demands of those who will succeed us. The debt is at present, in round numbers, £800,000,000, whilst the annual revenues are £67,000,000. By mean . ' which we explained at the time, Mr. Gladstone pro poses to reduce the debt about £50,000,000 in th e , course of the next 19 years, or at the rate of abou t 2? millions each year. In order to effect this result the burden thrown upon the country will be a con stantly increasing one, commencing with £420,0 00, and terminating with £1,440,000. Of the absolute advantage of owing £50,000,000 less in 1885 than we do in 1866 there can be no question ; but of th e extent of that advantage, considered com paratively , some may be permitted to doubt. A ne t decrease c, i 23- millions per annum would leave the Nation al Debt in statu quo in the event of our having s uch a war as that of 1854-55 once in 40 yea r s ; or, in othe r words, we should reduce our debt during peace in precisely the same degree as we did during the pea ce which followed the wars of the fi rs t E m pire. It mo s ." not, however, be forgotten th a t an y sc heme of th is kind, of whatever excellence, is a l wa ys exposed t the risk of being suddenly c h ec k e d by the outbrea k of hostilities; and experience s h ows us th a t, indepe n ; dently of the addition which is made to a nations; debt by a war, the increased temporary burde e ,,,, which are most justly thrown o n th o se by wh ° t "" that war is made last suffi c i en tly l ong to preven , t for some years at least, any further attemp being made to re d uce th e pr i nc i pa l d e bt. A wa r may only last for a t we l vemon th , but the war ta %eil by which it is fed su rv i ve the actual conflict 1 1 several years. This also i s a c i rcums t a nce wh ich financiers, desirous of reduci ng a na tional deb t, would do well to bear in mind. Without, there fore, calling in question the i n t r i ns i c ex cellence. e Mr. Gladstone's scheme, we confess to e ntertairol a doubt whether it is sufficiently l arge , and wbet he its results will be those with which the next gen e ," - ..; tion will have reason to be satisfied. If a cotliw y J e may, by some unexpected exigency as we 11 a . i .. shown, be compelled to expend one hundred 111% lions in the course of one or two years, can it '''„f said to have turned to sufficient account the days - 0 its prosperity by economising that sum in the 09°1.6 , 4 of forty years ? The questions irresistibly Pre se n - d , themselves—Cannot the English nation do le , v h - is than this ? and if so, ought it not to do so ? r;"itg country was never so prosperous as it is now it-of revenues were never more easily collected. O u t its vast wealth can it only afford to pay on an a i t h rage about a million a year, or one sixty-sev en part of its present expe n dit ure i n a ddition, towa rd s the reduction of its debt ? If it can not do tne' than this, we may well de s p a i r o f the time ever coming when any greater effo r t s can be more ca 1,. 1 .. made. One of the arguments advanced by I, c , Gladstone as a reason for se r i ous ly attemptinc, diminish the existing debt is the probability .l l " before the close of a century the prosperity of . .t! i : country may begin to decline. Our coalfields, i b re , said, will, not last for three generations at the PT ° sent rate of annually increasing consumption. ~,i0 this argument we confess w e attach but 11 .. 0 weight. If the data on whi c h these ex pectatious B '; ci formed are incorrect, then they may be dismis s 0 from notice ; if they are correct, then no al, °l :d, made by the England of 1866 can save the Eegi,ai w hich is 1966 from insolvency. Th ere i s one f ac t we'" h is incontestable. This country enjoys at the Pre sent moment a degree of prosperity hitherto un equalled. Irrespective of the future we should ro W ' out of the abundance of our riche s , p a y off a larg e portion of our past debts. COUNTRY MARKETS. GAINSBOROUGH—TUESDAY. lied Our corn exchang e t o -d ay was not very largely 8i " . . -mp s Of with wheat. Millers and factors were eager purhs„sersus the best lots, and the ra t es of last week were fn"Y„, qr. tained— white wheat, 53s t o 55 s ; mixed, 51. s to 5 2 s P' - Spring corn scarce and firm. 11ULL.—TUESDAY. f 03g; At our market t o -d ay there was a good supplY 0 " see k lish wheat, and se ll ers asked more money, but l a st al , o f prices could not be exceeded. There was a fair all°duc linseed, but th e b us i ness done was very smal l , a t a I . ' ti on of ls to 2s per . English old white qr wheat, 50s to 548; old red, 4 4 s 2 4 5 8 : Barley, En g li s h , 3 6s to 375. Oats, R uss i an , 24s to 403 Beans, new English, 43s to 445. Peas, E ng li s h blue , to ils 04 ; grinding, 40s to 41s 04 per 36 stone. SBUY.—T UESDAY. j ilea At this m ar ket SALl to-day an R improved demand P re„ a 0 for wheat, a t i n some cases better figures. The supp l yueh short, as al so th a t o f b ar l ey, which made fully.s s ,, o de° money as last week. Oats, beans, and peas were in rate request, but unaltered in price. A Rola The following are the quotations :—Wheat realise", 403 38s to 52s ; barley, 35s to 42s ; oats, 22s to 328 ; b ea :lol° to 525; and peas, 42s to 50s per qr. Tares, from us 1 2 ( 1. 6d per bushel ; Best bread, 13d ; household ditto, per 81b loaf. Flour, 34s to 38s per sack. MONMOUTHSHIBE—TuEsDAY• Oi Scarcely any business has been done at the severn kets in this county in consequenc e o f th e financial pines Home grown wheat was in moderate supply, an d was transacted at the late advanced rates. Foreign was small request, and prices remained unaltered. For i tilting there was no inquiry. There was nothing done in 0 1e. barley, but grinding qualities commended a modertn i . &- Beans ruled steady, at full money. There was 3 14. mand for oats, and prices were a shade higher•_,, „ L red , The following are the av erage quo t a ti on s:— w u e "" od 5s 6d to 5s 9d per bushel ; inferior ditto, 5s Od to 50.riod, white, Gs to 6s 3d ; malting barley, 38s to 424 per qr ; g os; ing ditto, 27s to 325; beans, 44s ; white oats, 2 4 s 6d t° black ditto, 23s Gd to 24s Gd. LYNN—TUESDAY. beat ; At to-day's market w e h a d aga i n a sma ll s how of W- ,„ e elg the demand was steady, at the full rates of this daY: eio s for all descriptions. Barley was tho turn dearer. and oats in request, at advancing prices. , „ r htel New wheat, 42s to 46s ; new red, 41s to 44s ; old " for 51s to 53s ; old red, 48s to Ms per 36 stone. Barley malting 37s to 40s ; secondary, 33s to 355. 0at5,,11,0, 24s to 26s per 24 stone. Beans, small, 43s to 465. •L 43 36s to 40s per 28 stone. NEWCASTLE—TUESDAY. At our market to-day there was a small supply of from the growers and the coast, but a good arrival ' f o re abroad. Fine English and foreign brought a little w money, but in other descripti ons th ere was no imfr°fsair ment, and only a limited business done. Barley ha Bea ns sale, at late rates. Fi ne ma lt was rather dearer.'-'„,igo and peas were is high er . S cotc h oats were fi rm . For- rather lower. Flour was 6d per sack dearer. Births. ~-,ve r, APLEOD—On the 15th i ns t., a t th e W es t ern Hight's, m",,, r s, the wife of Lieut.-C o l. W. K. 3PLeod, 74th Hig hlau,- of a son. i near POLLARD—On the 13th inst., at Park House, Frail', - ,i Tunbridge-wells, the wife of Comm an der E. J. R.N., of a son. Pollar I Marriages. h DAVENPORT—COOMBS—On the 15th inst., at St. Stel3-`,l, Albert-square, Clapham-road, Montague, second s0 1 to J. T. Davenport, Esq., of Sillwood Hall, Tulse-h." f APomitlalinda-rpyfacoen, l e y la d v a h u a g m ht_e r r oa o d f . J. L. Coombs , Esq., ° S t PAR RATT —WIGGLESWORTII—On the 14th inst.,i4rt o tt, George's Church, Hanover-square, Capt. E. E I .",;baril second son of Li eu t . -C o l . H . M . P arr att, of ~, " ,"fo . ies House, Surrey, to Eli za b e th , re li c t o f the late J. Nv ib° worth, Esq., of Northumberland House, Pontefract. Deaths. BRADANT—OR the 13th inst., at Marlborou Bath, IL H. Brabant, M.D _ T,incolo" B , LAILSFORD—On the 14th inst , at Tuft Grange, -- Lieil shire, Thomas Brailsford. Esq . , one of the Deputy g h_buildir 4s, tenants of the county, aged 7j. ur qrcl, HAZARDS On the 13th inst at Cambridge, lienry Poz` 1 Esq., Benjamin aged 80. v illa, LAWRENCE— On th© 14th inst., at Burch - roa d, Rosher Lawrence, Esq., aged 7 9 . . 7 .10,C07 READ—On the 15th inst., at 38, Upper Belgra,ve 1 , Pimlico, Francis Road, Esq., aged 76 . ------2-7--------- London : Printed and Published by WIT. L TAINI AN 9 NO%l/4V o. 1 1 2 ' of No. 112, Stran, Punter, at Trtz SUN Oinee CoWitY ° , _ i Strand, in the Pr d ecinct of the Savoy, in the Middleses.—Thursday, May 17, 1866.