The Sun. — London, England, 1852-12-16 00:00:00

NEW WORK BY SIR E. BITLWEV LYTTON BART. A third will regard it as simply affecting the change in the House Duties, so far as relates alike to the increase in the rate to be levied, and the decrease of the existing exemptions. A fourth will consider it merely so far as it relates to the increased area of taxation. A fifth, as to the whole fiscal question, and the propriety of the gradual and judicious substitution of direct for indirect taxation ;—and the sixth, merely as giving permission to consider the different propo sitions in detail, without being pledged in any respect to vote for any portion of the plan of which he might ultimately disapprove. All these various opinions may in some degree be justified by the vague and uncertain character of the reso lution on which the division will be taken. It is, therefore, exceedingly desirable that before the issue be finally decided, and the verdict deli vered, some mediator may inteipose between the contending parties--that a second PALMERSTON may arise to reconcile these differences, and to produce a distinct understanding as to the exact point in dispute —to ascertain how far the House may be committed by passing the resolution— what it will have pledged itself to pass, or what may be the effect of a direct negative. The resolution taken by itself means nothing, and pledges to nothing. Here are the very words—" That from and after the sth day of April, 1853, the duties granted and made payable by the Act 14 and 15 VICT., c. 36, upon inha bited dwelling-houses in Great Britain, according to the annual value thereof; shall cease and de termine, and in lieu thereof there shall be granted and made payable upon all such dwelling-houses," certain other duties. These are, as we yester day explained, as consistent with the diminution as the increase of the impost. Nor is there a single expression bearing on the " extended area of taxation." Those matters come sub sequently, and are, of course, open to the modifications alluded to by Mr. DISRAELI in his latest explanations. The Right Honourable Gentleman frankly declared, that "it was the in tention of the Government to propose an extension of the area and an increase of the House Tax ;" but he also announced that "he considered him self and the House open to any modification of the present proposition." Having also previously stated, that "he did not ask any gentleman on either side of the House, by voting on the occasion, to come to any direct vote, in favour of the repeal of the Tea Duties, or the Hop Duties, or the Malt Duty, or of any detail of the Income Tax, or even of the mere details of the vote on which they were to come to an issue." Under such circumstances, then, we cannot conceive any reasonable objection to the affirmance of the reso lution. No person will be thereby pledged to vote for the reduction of the Malt Duty ! If that be so—and surely, after the above declaration, no possible doubt can exist on the point--there may be no necessity for the increase of the House Tax —the chief; if not the only objectionable point supposed to be involved in the proposition. If the 1,000,000/. sterling to be paid on the 10th of October, and the permanent loss of 2,500,0001. to the revenue be avoided, there can be no neces sity for the additional charge; indeed, a reduction, rather than an increase, may be sanctioned, or it may please the House, in lieu thereof; to give up the duties on the 233 manufactured articles referred to by Mr. HUME, which produce only 434,0001. to the revenue. The sound financial views of the veteran Member for Montrose might then be carried into practical operation. That faithful and consistent reformer declared that there shoul.d be no exemption of real property, however small the amount. We cordially concur in the recommendation; and, therefore, if there is to be a House Tax at all, we m ould not only ex tend it to 10/, houses, but even to the meanest and cheapest habitation, for as we have shown, it is particularly a tax on the owner, and not on the occupier ; and its effect is to produce an inferior class of dwellings, that are a disgrace to the nation. The House Tax cannot long be maintained, inas much as it is an impost on one kind of real pro perty, from which a thousand more eligible de scriptions are totally exempted. If the principle of direct taxation is to be carried further—as we hope and believe it may be—if industry is to be freed from the burdens and restrictions by which it is clogged and impeded—it can only be bya fairand le gitimate extension of the Property Tax. The in crease of rates, in schedules A and C from 7d. to ls. in the pound, combined with the abolition of all exemptions under these heads, would yielcl more than 3,230,000/. That would allow not only the total abolition of the House Duties, now yielding 700,000/. per annum, but also of the Land Tax, producing 1 ,152,0001., and leave a larger surplus at the disposal of the Right Honourable Gentle man than he would obtain by the proposed altera tion of the House Duties. There would then be but - one description of direct tax, when every man would be charged according to his means. Considerable relief would be afforded to agricul turists, as well as to householders. In 25 counties the Land Tax averages more than Is. in the pound. In Buckinghamshire, Mr. DISRAELI'S own county, it amounts to ls. sd. His constituents, then, would save Is. 2d. in the pound, or nearly 6 per cent. on the value of their holdings by the alteration —while householders would save is. 141., or nearly 5i per cent. on the value of their dwell ings. This course would be alike just and politic-- equitable and expedient. It would afford relief where relief was required, and place the burden where it could be most easily sustained. But the rate of the Property Tax may be altered, and these vast benefits secured for the people if the ' effort be not obviated by a hostile vote in limine. We certainly cannot conceive how fiscal Reformers can join in such a vote ; how Mr. HUME., for instance, whose opinions on fiscal subjects accord most closely to our own, should negative the pro position which only binds him, if it binds to any thing, to this--" That the area of direct taxa tion should be extended." Let this point, then, be distinctly understood, and time afforded for all classes of the people to give full expression to their feelings on the most interesting subject that can be brought under the Legislative consideration, On Ist anuary will be ub li sh, 11/I . Y NOVEL ; J or, Varieties in ed English Life, By PISISTRATIIS CAXTON, VALLIAIr BLACKWOOD & Sons, Edinburgh and London. ferred to—none of the dangers attendant upon the navigation round by the Nore and up the river Thames would have been necessitated, and thereby the country would have been spared a very needless and very considerable expenditure. That the perils of that navigation are really remarkable, we know, surely, by this time from a rather mournful experience. Indeed, it has recently been shown, from the incontestible evidence of one of the most intelligent of the underwriters at LLOYDS, that simply between 1837 and 1843, merely between the Isle of Wight and London-499 vessels lost their cables and anchors, were run foul of, were partially dismasted by bad weather, or were otherwise very seriously damaged. The same authority asserts, moreover, that in the same inter val of seven years, between the same points, merely between the Isle of Wight and London -560 vessels (although they were got off afterwards) ran aground —260 vessels were totally wrecked or foundered, the crew and passengers being preserved-56 vessels were utterly lost, together with the whole or part of their crews and passengers. An aggre gate of 1,375 is thereby indicated as the total number of casualties--during only seven years, namely, from 1837 to 1843—within the com paratively short distance lying between the Isle of Wight and the metropolis ! According to the document from which these particulars are ex tracted, it would appear, likewise, that, besides a terrible loss of life, property to the value of from 400,0001. to 500,0001. were in a similar manner sacrificed during a period of merely eighteen months, dating from the January of 1849 to the June of 1850, between London and Dungeness ! While it his actually been asserted that within the earlier half of 1850, no less than eight vessels were lost between the capital and Southampton, _with every soul on board, numbering some 500 in all, whose lives were thus miserably sacrificed ! All this, remember, from the absence of any ade quate docks on the southern line of coast, pre venting the necessity of this wholesale resorting to the Channel and the Thames navigation. Everybody who has at all reflected upon the mat ter, understands now clearly enough the exist ence of this necessity, its astonishing importance, and the truth, that, by its effectual removal, we should, no matter what might be the expenditure in the outset, be ultimately and very wonderfully economising in time, in life, and in money—the three great " raw materials " in the carrying on the mercantile undertakings of the British Empire, and, sooth to say, in the very develop ment of the grand labours of modern civilisation. Satisfied upon this point, we were, of course, compelled, as a sagacious community, to consider well beforehand the best locality or site for the carrying out of the projected enterprise. Which should be the southern port of the United Kingdom? Reflection has only confirmed the wiser promoters of the achievement in the opinion, that of all places along that part of our coasts the best, the fittest, the most convenient in position, and the most admirable in capacity, is the harbour of Lang stone. From one extremity to the other of these coasts, from the Nore to the Land's End, no more suitable spot—no spot, in truth, more exactly fitted for the project—could by any possi bility whatever have been selected. Langstone, remember, is, as we have already observed, •in immediate proximity with the vast naval depot of Portsmouth ! Its anchorage is admirable, its basin is of noble dimensions, its entrance--de fended by Cumberland Fort on the western side or the side nearest Portsmouth, and by a Martello Tower on' the eastern side, namely on Hayling Island—presenting a marvellous protection against the forces of an enemy, together with an equally estimable facility for the passage in and out of our own vessels, no matter what their bin - then. Be sides all these advantages—sufficient of themselves to command a favourable regard to the originators of the intended achievement—Langstone is distant only sixty-six miles from the metropolis. For all practical purposes, therefore, in mercantile enter prise, it may be regarded as virtually in as close contiguity to the capital as even Blackwall. It is distant, we repeat, from our metropolitan docks merely sixty-six miles, and those sixty-six miles capable of being abbreviated by railway, so as to admit of the most rapid intercommunication. Langstone has, in fact, been very happily called— and will absolutely constitute, in truth, when once completed—the out-port of London !We say nothing here of the increased security to the scheme of the National Defences consequent upon the adoption of this magnificent project of a new Har bour, new Docks, and a new Railway at Lang stone. That we conceive must be sufficiently ma nifest from the circumstance of its affording shelter to our merchant traffic in the Channel at a spot in immediate proximity to Spithead, and in the closest contiguity to the great naval depot at Portsmouth. Neither do we say anything at present as to the prospects of the growth of the new seaport--re membering, as the public cannot fail to do, the suggestive facts bearing upon this point recorded in the history of the rise of Liverpool. It cannot be forgotten, for example, that though the Wet Docks at Liverpool, which were the first ever con structed in the United Kingdom, were projected as recently as 1708—the dock dues at that port, which at the beginning of the last century were only 8001., had risen in 1756 to 2,2001., that in 1801 they had increased to 28,0001., and that in 1850 they were actually 230,0001. Bear ing these encouraging particulars in mind, it is gratifying to learn that the most active measures are already being taken to carry out the projected scheme of the docks in the harbour of Lang stone. As far back as 1823, an Act of Par liament was obtained to authorise the build ing of additional docks at that place, on the west side of Hayling-bridge. It now is intend ed that that long-dormant undertaking shall be realised, and that besides considerably deepen ing and enlarging the entrance to the harbour, the promoters of the enterprise shall connect these additional docks with the South-Coast Railway by a tramway—thi s tramway meeting the railway . somewhere about the Havant Station. For the im provement of the mouth of the harbour the sanction of the Lords of the Admiralty has been obtain e d, and for the oth er a lt erations there has lately been secured another Act of Parliament : so that the enterprise may be considered as, indeed, already in the process of realisation. Langstone, we repeat, when the new docks are finished, must be regarded as literally the out-port of London. It has been observed that the two places are only distant from each other only sixty six miles, and that these sixty-six miles may be abbreviated by railway so as to command the most rapid intercommunication. Sixty-six miles con stitute the actual distance from London to Lang stone, but thirty-two miles alone will require the construction of a railroad—for a Branch of the South-Western Railway, it must be remembered, is already completed as far as Godalming. So that all now needed in this direction is the con tinuation of that branch line from ,Godalming to Langstone. With admirable promptitude the Portsmouth Railway Company have already an nounced their determination to undertake the con struction of this new railroad at a cost of 400,000/. A single line is spoken of in their Prospectus as in contemplation—but, for our own part, we can not but be most sanguine that a double line will ultimately be laid down to Havant—so strongly are we impressed with the grandeur of this noble scheme of an out-port to London on the south coast of England, in that hitherto neglected har bour of Langstone, which must ultimately prove the Golden Horn to the Hellespont of the British Channel. On Monday will be Published, elegantly bound In gilt cloth, price 7s. 6d. KATIE STEWART: ATrueStory. Originally published in BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINE. With Frontispiece and Vignette Title. William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh and London. THE &TILE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Farewell Season of Mr. Benjamin Webster as Lessee and Manager. THIS EVENING Will be performed the popular and highly attractive Comedy of MASKS AND FACES; or, Before and Behind the Curtain—by Messrs. Benjamin Webster, Leigh Murray. Stuart, and Panel(); Mrs. Stirling, Miss Rosa Bennett, Mrs. Leigh Murray, and Miss Fanny Maskeil. After which, the Farce of BOX and COX, MARRIED and SETTLED, by Messrs. Bnckstone and Keeley. To conclude with the Farce of A CAPITAL MATCH. ROYAL LYCEUM THEATRE. Under the Management of Madame Vestris. THIS EVENING Will be performed THE JENKENSES. After which, a new Comic Drama, called LITTLE TODDLE BINS. Characters by Messrs. C. Mathews, Baker, Butler, Miss F. Matthews, Miss Oliver, and Miss Ellis. To be foll owe d by (4th time) a new Comic Drama, called a PIIE ,7dENON IN A BMOC -FROCK, Characters by Messrs. C. Ma thews, F. Matthews, and Horncastle ; Miss Baker and Miss C. Mitchell. To which will be added the BALLET from the Chain of Events, in Which Miss Rosina Wright will appear. To conclude with A FIRUSE OUT OF WINDOWS. Bole Agent for the Private Boxes, Mr. W. Allcroft, 15, Sew Bond -street. THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI. Open for the Season. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster. —Directress, Madame Celeste. T FITS EVENING, The successfia new Drama of SLAVE LIFE ; or, Uncle Tom's Cabin—by Messrs. Alfred Wigan, Emery, 0. Smith, and Cullenford ; Madame Celeste, Miss Woolgar, Miss Collins, Miss Harding, Miss Laura Honey, and Mrs. Keeley. After which, the admired Farce of A MODEL OF A WIFE, To cbnciude with the Comic Opera of GOOD NIGHT, SIGNOR PA NTA LON. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD -STREET. Under the Management of Mr. C. Kean, THIS EVENING Will be performed Shakes')Pre's Comedy of MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING. Principal characters by Measrs. Charles Kean, Bart ley, Meadows, J. Vining, Addison, Ryder, and Graham ; Miss Heath and Mrs. C. Kean. To conclude with CHARLES THE SECOND. Principal charac ters by Messri. Bartley, W. Lacy, J. Vining, and Cathcart; Misses Murray and C. Leciercq. ROYAL OLYMPIC! THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. Farren. THIS EVENING Will be presented Sheridan Knowles's Play of THE HUNCH BACK. Master Walter, Mr. Hoskins ; Sir Thomas Clifford, Mr. W. Farren ; Fathom, Mr. Compton ; Julia, Miss Edith Heraud (her First appearance) • Helen, Miss Gordon. To conclude with UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. Box-office open from Eleven till Five, under the superintendence of Mr. Edward Chatterton. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Proprietor and Manager, Mr. W. Batty. The greatest novelty of the present day Is Uncle Tom's Cabin. To be witnessed nightly at this House. THIS EVENING, Dec. 16, the performances will commence with the superior Equestrian Drama of UNCLE TOM'S CABIN. To be followed by unparalleled Equestrian and Dramatic Achieve raents in the Arena, by the most talented Artistes of the age—in cluding M. and Mdlle. Lalonde, and the Brothers Selgrist, from the Cirque Olympie, Paris. To conclude with the highly amusing Farce of THE DEVIL TO PAY. In consequence of the crowded state of the Theatre, Mr. Batty begs to Inform his Friends, that Seats cannot be kept after the con clusion of the First Act. Stage Manager, Mr. W. West. Doors open at Half-past Six o'clock; Box-office open daily from Eleven to Four. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. To ID AY DAY — Morning 20 min. a ft er 5 I Evening 45 min.aft. 5 now —Morning 9 min. after 6 I Evening 34 min.aft. 6 THE WEATHER.• SUN OFFICE, Dec. 16. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 49 highest since noon yesterday. 37—lowest this morning and during the night. 46—this day, at noon. BAROMETER, 29 '48—Rising fast. WIND, W.S.W.—Fine in the morning ; dull in the afternoon. THE OUT-PORT OF LONDON. Fortunately, it would not be extravagant to predict that before many years have elapsed, Langstone will have equalled, and that before another half century is completed, it may possibly have immeasurably surpassed, both in wealth and importance, the second port in the United Kingdom—Liverpool. Langstone—bear in mind —is the noble harbour (the capabilities of which seem to have been hitherto forgotten) situated on the eastern side of Portsea Island, being, in fact, a kind of Siamese companion to the harbour of Portsmouth. Fortunately, we have said, be cause on the completion of the proposed docks and the projected railway, a scarcely calculable series of advantages will be secured for ever to the mercantile interests of the population. Numerous shipwrecks will be prevented, numerous lives will be saved, and commerce will receive a very appre ciable and enormous advancement. How all this may be effected, can be at once very readily indi cated. Beginning at the beginning, we may presume, of course, that it is pretty generally known by the intelligent part of the community that Portsea Island is flanked by two harbours of considerable magnitude —one the harbour of Langstone, the other the harbour of Portsmouth. We believe, however, that it is by no means so generally known that Langstone Harbour holds out to the enter prise of the country a number of very extraordi nary advantages, which, until now, appear to have been a lt ogether overlooked. It has undoubtedly long been felt that an enterprise of the character here intimated has been growing more and more increase glaringly. requisite, because of the astonishing of late years visible i n th e merchant copse g the sou th ern coast of England. In tcraffiseeque g nce of the absence of any such undertak ing, vessels have been hitherto compelled to incur, the peril and expense of the most unnec essaril, ea S r u h p e p r o a sM sa g ga t c h it e y re ca h pa ad bl b eeeonf voyage up Channel. manifested somewhat great reqturen:itit-le—ngt, hsavigascibitlye appreciating thi s. such as that which appears the projectors of the Bc h among era() about to be re- After all the debates we have had on Free Trade, there seems to be some misunderstanding in the minds of Hon. Members as to what it really is. We know not whether the perplexity is shared by any of our readers; it certainly ought not to be. In the House, two applications of the phrase have flitted before the minds of the speak ers, and either invalidated or obscured their argu ments. A trade cannot be called free which is obstructed and lessened in amount by Custom house and Excise duties and interferences, nor can a trade be called free which is limited by protective duties, on behalf of some particular persons. In the former sense, the trade in Malt, and still more in Paper, Tea, or Tobacco, is not THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, DECEMBER is, free ; but for high duties on pernicious Excise regulations necessary to the collection of the duty, the trade in these articles would be much greater, in the three latter ones, probably, doubled or trebled ; these duties are, however, in no way like the latter ones, of which the late Corn Laws and the present duties on butter, cheese, silks, and gloves, are familiar examples. In the former case, no duty is levied in favour of any particular class of traders ; in the latter, the duty is levied in favour of English producers. Custom-house and Excise Duties are by no means opposed to Free Trade in the latter sense, since they give no special advantage to any class of traders ; they are imposed for revenue merely, and leave the trade and the market equally free to all. Now, of course, it is only with the latter, i. e., with the differential, protective, or monopoly duties, that the great principle of Free Trade has any contest. Direct and indirect taxation, for instance, must settle their relative merits, on grounds quite distinct from Free Trade. It is, theoretically, quite possible, that to raise all our taxes directly, might eventually repress our trade more than all our present fiscal duties. Were this the case, freedom from the Excise and Customs would only become bondage in another form ; but with neither of these considerations has Free Trade anything whatever to do. It means nothing more than that all producers, all buyers, and sel lers, shall stand on equal footing so far as Govern ment interference is concerned. This simple con sideration on shows how nugatory is much o f the declamation either side a b ou t F ree Trade in regard to the pre sen t Budget. The repeal of half or the whole of th e M alt Tax is no question of Free Trade at all, since all pay the duty equally. No class of maltsters are favoured at the expense of others. Neithe r is the repeal of the Tea Duty a Free-trade proposition ; were we receiving teas from China, and teas from one of our dominions in India, at different rates of duty, then equalisa tion would be a Free-trade measure. Again, what means all the rhodomontade about the ex tension of the House Duty and of the Income Tax, as carrying out Free-trade principles? They have nothing whatever, properly speaking, to do with them. They belong entirely to the question of the best mode of raising a certain amount of national income. They may or may not "relieve the springs of industry," if the amount raised be wisely applied. But what have they to do with enabling all persons to traffic on equal conditions in the same article ? and this alone is Free Trade. If, then, we are asked whether we consider Mr. DISRAELI'S Budget as a Free -trade one, without at present canvassing its other merits or demerits, we think it is but an abuse of language to call it so. It is so only negatively. It imposes no fur ther monopoly duties, but it also takes off none. Four articles, two agricultural, two manufac turing, we have just adverted to on which pro tective duties still remain. Surely a real Free trade Budget would have commenced by using a small portion of its surplus in sweeping these completely away. One penny per lb. on our . butter, half that amount on our cheese, we yet pay to the manes of agricultural monopoly. As to the protective duty on manufactured silks, the Manchester men themselves have formally peti tioned for its removal. Here, then, was fair scope for a Free-trade CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER to have displayed his Free-trade zeal. The mo dification of the Income Tax againrin our view the redeeming excellence of the Budget, has nothing whatever to do with protective duties. It is an imperfect commencement of a right princi ple, and Mr. GLADSTONE and Lord JOHN may rest assured that they will never be in office again, un less prepared to act on the great principle, that to tax differently property and trade incomes is " wise, just, and beneficial." No. The new Budget may have a thousand excellencies—it may be very refreshing to us after Sir CHARLES , WOOD'S stagnancy, to have something worth ar guing about--but it has no unequivocal mark of Free Trade upon it. It does not touch one of the remaining protective duties. Looking candidly at the whole affair, its expla nation is very obvious. Mr. DISRAELI was pledged by all " his antecedents" to do some thi ng for the poor farmers. H e was heartily willing to remove the special burthens on land : he searched for them, but, alas !he found none. Their great burden, their Landlords' rent and the Clergyman's tithe, neither he nor any other statesman could righte ously touch. Poor rates, highway rates, county rates,---no, there was nothing special then —nothing which we townsfolk do not pay more of than the farmer. What, then, was he to do ? The Malt Tax was the only one which even seemed to press on the farmer. Yet, here, again he was in difficulty. If he re pealed it all, where could he look for five millions and more of revenue ? If he repealed a part only, it would cheapen beer but a penny per gallon; the consumer, therefore, would not get the benefit ; hence the consumption would not increase, and therefore no stimulus would be given to the growth of barley. A poor project this, therefore, to throw down for discussion, before a pugnacious House of Commons ! Never mind. Something must be done to keep up appearances; landlords would be sure to support him, for should it do any good, it would tell on their rents at the next renewal of their leases. He must hazard it. But, how, then adjust the debtor and creditor sides of his balance-sheet of estimates. Nothing remained but to extend the direct taxation of the country. If, now, he had raised and extended the Income Tax, he could, of course, have met that difficulty. Had he retained the present rate on trades and professions, and trebled it on real property, that would have done it. It would, certainly, have fully made up the deficiency if he had extended it as widely as he now proposes to do. Or had he, what would have been still better, sub jected real property to legacy and probate duties, had he thus made the landlords pay for the re mission of a tax the benefit of which, if any, must in a few. years be wholly theirs ;—either way he could have spared his two millions and a half easily ; but he knew the landlords would not endure fair taxation of themselves. Hence it is, that, instead of raising the Income Tax on incomes from real property, he lowers it a little on trades and professions, giving the farmers a most un equal preference in the mode of assessing their incomes. At the same time he perpetrates his oatest blundcr o f all—that of ra i s i ng th e tax b o re n house property / as we showed in our last, to 21 per cent., and leaving the land still at only 3 per cent. (a low land tax excepted.) It will be impossible to ca,7 , .... , =J.. ) , or if he contrive to carry it, impossible to maintain such a gross injustice as this. We believ e he was by no means fully aware of its extreme injustice at first. He meant doubtless to get half the repealed Malt Tax out of the towns, but he could not have noticed the extravagantly di sproportionate rate at which he was taxing houses as compared with land. Manchester, as well as London, however, has given him warning. If he persist, it will be at the peril of another contest, in which he will be beaten as certainly as he was on the Corn Laws. In the battle of town against country, the odds are now on the side of the towns. In no case, at least, in which the towns have right on their side, Can they be resisted for long. The ten-pound householders will certainly remember the farmers friends at another election, if they show their friendship to farmers by hostility to the towns folk. The old Leaguers are not men to sit down under the reproach amongst their fellow-citizens of such a stigma on the termination pf their long conflict. They are not a little mortified that their great measure was not affirmed to be "wise, just, and beneficial;" and they will certainly find, in the doubled and extended House Tax, an easy means for taking ample revenge. Sundays, at least, during one day out of every seven, the odious vice of drunkenness. An ad mirable chairman he made, too, upon the occasion —although, unluckily, he had to deal with a some what unruly audience, one or two members of which were manifestly, to a great extent, very sadly in want of a feeling of temperance ! If for nothing else, the assemblage here referred to, would have been most noteable, from the circumstance of its giving birth to the announcement of the fact, that the Crystal Palace Company have wisely and benevo lently resolved not to permit the sale of intoxicat ing liquids in the New Palace now in course of erection at Sydenham—that in fact, their so doing is rendered " for ever" a positive condition of their existence, in the Charter granted by the Government. But the meeting was interesting not on this account--it was interesting from the very able conduct of GEORGE CRIIIKSHANK in the chair, and likewise from the really masterly speech delivered by a very gifted man —whose abilities, we think, have never been adequately appreciated by his contemporaries --w e mean the veteran SILK BUCKINGHAM. CRITIKSHANK—merry, wise, generous, brave hearted GEORGE CRUIRSHANK-1S "at it again" (indefatigable wight as he is) "up in arms" to do battle with one of the giant abuses of our genera tion. As Chairman of a very considerable meet ing, held last night in Exeter Hall, he enforced by a variety of cogent arguments, as well as by a variety of humane--but some of them we cannot 1 but think rather i m p ract i ca bl e — suggest i ons, the j necessity of "putting down" at least, upon all.] 8 5 2. LAW INTELLIGENCE.-(THIS DAY. COURT OF CHANCERY. IMPORTANT JUDGMENT.-THE BIRMINGHAM AND SHREWS BURY RAILWAY COMPANY V. THE STOUR VALLEY RAIL WAY COMPANY. The Lords Justices, this morning, gave judgment in this suit and appeal, which was brought by the plaintiffs against the refusal of the Master of the Rolls to inter fere by injunction at the instance of the plaintiffs. The main objects of the bill were to obtain for the Birming ham and Shrewsbury Railway Company the right to run over the Stour Valley line, under the provisions of the Stour Valley Railway Act of 1847 ; and also the joint use of the railway station at Wolverhampton. In the course of the dispute, an award had been made by Sir William Cubitt in reference to the latter matter, making a parti tion of the station ; but the plaintiffs objected to this, and contended that the authority of the arbitra tor had been revoked, that the award was ultra vices of the reference, and was uncertain, absurd, and impracticable. The dispute was, it appeared, in fact, one between the Great Western Railway Company and the London and North-Western Railway Company, as the chief allegation of the defendants was that the plain tiffs had forfeited their right over the Stour Valley line, by having, contrary to the act of Parliament, and by means of various agreements, amalgamated with the Great Western Railway Company. The Court, after going through the facts at some length, stated that they were of opinion that Sir W. Cubitt's award could not be maintained, he having exceeded the limits of his autho rity, but with the best intentions. With regard to the use of the Wolverhampton and other stations, the Court stated that it would be difficult and delicate, in the pre sent state of affairs, to interfere, but if the demands of justice required it, they would grapple with it. The Court were of opinion that, in declining to grant the in junction, neither of the parties should have costs ; and they should, in conclusion, declare the award of Sir W. Cubitt void as against the plaintiffs, with leave to the plaintiffs to bring any action which they might be ad vised, and the injunction to stand •over until further orders. Judgment accordingly. ------- THE GREAT INDUSTRIAL EXBIBITIW OF 1853. VICE-CHANCERY. JU DG 3 IENT.-COW3IAN V. HARRISON. In this claim, by various persons, to participate in the savings by the widow of the testator, on the ground that a trust had been created in favour of the claimants by the will of her husband —the testator having particularly recommended and desired his wife to divide what money she might have saved among all his children in equal parts—his Honour (Vice-Chancellor Turner), after stat ing the facts, this morning, held that the bill must be dismissed, and that with costs. Judgment accordingly. THE FOREIGN DEPARTMENT S. Iy The progress of this im orta.nt undertailb watched with the deepest int P erest, not only in the to Kingdom, but also throwthroughout the greater P continental Europe. Theg d principal cities of Belgium, an d P russia will be ex hibitors, lleaL le A N e : tively by the Emperor Napoleon axial their e y o ur King Leopold and Frederick Willianivthe of whom has graciously promised to contributes 7 from their private collections exquisite sPe ein° To I vertu art and m anu f ac t ures o f their kingdoms.. list can now be a dd e d th e Austrian do mi a° l th rangements having just been entered into, `"„ 1 ,, express sanc ti on o f the E m p e ror Francis Psellelt tween the Imperial Royal Government al L o ne and the Imperial Royal Austrian Consulate 111 ,, e5 .hi for the publication and circulation, throughout of the A us t r i an terr i tories, of the ru les and rere-tzi issued by th e C omm i ttee of the E x hibition, fo r sport of foreign goods, reception of articles, xeus ha pe o Government ve likewise been pleased to issu cotl invitations to all the Austrian manufacture rs ,' t 0 b it bute specim ens o f t h e i r han di cra ft to the . 0 bee s The various Chambers of Commerce have al s ° 0 1 1 strutted to collect all applications for consulthe Austr transm g it e t n h e e r m al in London. . m And to Dr. V I Schw , arz, of havebi be forwarded over v aibitie „„ j J t the noMaenrnsadj:iestdssotuoytevh' issued, that f n trh t o e_ ne r tr e aia s el interest in frontiers railways, nooafoydtssh,sa, Saxony, roor a on s uyt Exhibiti on, e n hfr eo u tiec3j ekrine : os 1 11 .1 pense to the exhibitors. The Swiss governrn ertare •biti °lb ,; alive to the importance and interest of the .EL.Ar e d fro communication having last week been r fi e e n e i r e derst i l Mr. Prevost, the vice-consul of the Swiss " 001 in London, requesting that the fullest inform a 1 6 5 11 be immediately forwarded to him, as it is tbe her the le a d ing watchmakers at Geneva, a nd the 19,t , cho ice nufacttiring tow ns o f S w i tzerlan d , t o send a lection o f th e b eaut i ful articles for w hiell„ ii tn e ttotios? justly cel e b ra t e d . T he progress which the -r":rj making in the United States is also verY„, 'ttan, the Letters have arrived from Mr. Edmond ra cosoA,'"; British c onsu l a t Boston, statin that the lox' - ee , w tees, under the presidency of Mr. Abbott 1-43111.1,e;1 beef late U n it e d States ambasador to England, P1:.5, formed at N ew Y ork, Boston, and Pb were actively a t wor k in promoting the W ere° Great Industrial Exhibition of 1853. SOCIETY OF ARTS. CENTRAL; CRIMINALCOUBT.-TIIIS DAY. fl ed 1.;; The fourth annual exhibition of inventions o P e nr ci erday. The exhibition is arranged under s ix 'aleell''' e heads :-1. Motive machines, including railwgjpiltil ism. 2. Manufacturing machines and tools. 3 „,*. or y contrivances and materials, and naval and irnt r dical e i chanism. 4. Philosophical instruments and 4 ° 9 '00; 5. Agricultural implements and saddlery.: T v „ . tlie laneous, including articles for personal use. - 1- ' 0 pi:4 class some electro-magnetic machines for use Inns movers, invented by M. Froment of Paris, ar e p e d to c ' o f by M. Fontaine Moreau. The means viate the difficulties hitherto experienced in ":, f etc° a ' : this fluid as a motive power are to be is PIA action op lisir by causing the magnet to come into' as its keeper approaches it. This is a,,, ec° "tel ° ,, l3. by means of an eccentric. A d raw i n g of Inc' a s C ( '` .: nell's express-engine attracted much attention/ r osoc,; bining the most recent improvement in the c° oibi A t'; tion of locomotive engines. Mr. J. Rock, ju n ,;;:tisg an improved railway luggage van, for facin" 0. ,1f 4 ' ; removal of the tarpauling, at present nn e Ntre od 9; convenient and laborious operation. Several 51 0 01 tions of steam-engines applicable to agriuultu r t i P e 011 t and for facilitating the turnip of the erV i i i kee i field, and the distribution of g manure, w ere ' shown. There were some beautiful specimen s % r ecl i,l terra cotta by Mr. J. M. Blashfield, be capable of assuming the most delicate Aar' gep ; ` be suitable for ornamental and build' g urP se° re ° a °nil „jet rally. It is said that this materialin ili P n w l t, the action of the atmosphere, but even become 3 c ps , on exposure to it • and should it be produces: l4t h . rate, there can be no doubt it will be extenov e 'l, so which OP: ar id. , Gold -washing machines were exhibited in j o e et!,' varieties. Th ey possess many points in commontihii, a revolving cylinder, and dasherg for washing — r te: r and obt a i n i ng t h e auriferous dep i osit free of torl e ", purities. Th e t oo l s are constructed in such a 7,0' that by a v er y s i mp l e operation the shove l bee" of,' scraper, and th e h an dl e of the shovel a Porno ,1 crowbar, a pickaxe, &c. • It w ou ld be impossible o te the limits o f a short notice to giv e a d e tailed ae c° g this collectio n , w hi c h w i ll well repay a visit, se' . drio of ir it does to mark the progress of the age in °' leading features — mechanical invention. DAILY WEATHER T.A.BLE. THY, DE c. 16, 1852. State of the wi n d and weather R at SDA each of the following Places at nine o'clock yesterday morning. The stations are arranged in order of latitude. HASTINGS—S.W. strong breeze --scud. SOUTHAMPTON —W., strong breeze —rain. FOLKESTONE—S.W., strong breeze —overcast. TUNBRIDGE—S.W., gentle breeze —sand—rain. BASINGSTOKE—N.E., gentle breeze —overcast. GREENWICH —S., strong breeze--rain. STRoop—S.W., gentle breeze —rain. SWINDON—S.' strong breeze—parti a ll y c l ou d y. LEIGHToN—S.W. strong breeze — overcast. COLCHESTER—S.W., strong breeze —fine. YARMOUTH— S.W., strong breeze—heavy rain. The returns from the following places indicate the state of the weather on Saturday morning at nine o'clock LIMERICK—S.W., gentle breeze—foggy. MULLINGAR— S. calm—rain. SOUTHAMPTON-28.W., strong breeze —partially cloudy. FOLKESTONE—S. W., gentle breeze --overcast. TUNBRIDGE—S.E., gentle breeze—partially cloudy. BASINGSTOKE—N. -W., gentle breeze —partially cloudy. GREENWICH —S.. gentle breeze—partially cloudy. STRoon--W., gentle breeze —cloudy. SWINDON—S., strong breeze— c l ou d y . LEIGHTON—S. gentle breeze --overcast. COLCHESTER —S., gentle breeze --partially cloudy. CAMBRIDGE—S. gentle breeze--cloudless. YARMOUTH—S.W., calm —partially cloudy. LANCASTER —S., gentle breeze—partially cloudy. WHITBY—S.W., gentle breeze —overcast. D ARLINGTON—S. by E., gentle breeze —overcast and foggySHA . P—S., calm—overcast. THE WELLINGTON SUN. ON TBURSDAY -THE 18TH ULTIMO, AN EXTRAORDINARY EDITION OF THE SUN WAS PUBLISHED, CONTAINING A SPLENDID PORTRAIT OP THE LATE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, WITH HIS AUTOGRAPH, AND A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE GRAND NATIONAL FUNERAL, AND IS NOW ON SALE. ORDERS RECEIVED BY ALL NEWS AGENTS, AND AT THE SUN OFFICE, 112, STR AND , LONDON. • 4 , "P 54 I 7,74 I $4,4 1 , 4/0 LONDON, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 16, 1852. We yesterday pointed out the uncert linty respecting the issue now pending before the popu lar branch of the Legislature. None can deny the vast importance of the subject. It is not merely that the fate of the Ministry may depend on the result—that by the vote of this evening Her Majesty's Government may be converted into Her Majesty's Opposition—that " the ins" may becom e " outs," and the " outs" " ins." There is something of far greater consequence at stake. The great cause of fiscal reform mainly hangs upon the decision. Not that its progress can be altogether arrested, but it may be seriously and most injuriously retarded. And yet we ven ture to assert, that many Honourable Gentlemen Who are to pronounce judgment on a matter so euxeeapcetly interesti ng , are s till i gnorant as to the e t question on which th e y are to deliver their verh ' q and that if s i x diff erent persons were re li ueStZ d explain to the real point b e f ore th e _muse, no opinion, two would altogether agree in T he CuArreFamoß of the ExcHE- Quint was ca n ed evenin on no less than four times on Tuesday the explanatio ng g dyet, notwithstanding the Right Honourable gentlergan to th e ' . ' n b y clica,rrogatories of Sir DE LACY EVANS, Sir JAlry, s and Sir CHARLES w oo :A t M_ I Lord JOHN RUSSELL, stiltileepr.oblem still remains unsolved—the doubt One will tell you that it is a question of co l ' l n st fi s ( i e fidence—the real point of Mr. vitL ri t e e or no con motion, which would have decided th ereon, Eß : t s intervention of Lord PALILERSTOI.T. And' for the , that as it was desirable to expel the minority fro m o ffi ce Without hearing the propositions about t 0 be su: initted, and to bring in the Whigs, ulipled ged to any course,—so it is expedient now t o n i p the financial scheme in the bud, and, under th e pre _ tenoe of voting against an increased House T ax, to prevent the recognition of the great distinction between fixed and fluctuating receipts, between temporaryandpermanent revenue—in other words, between property and income. Another, with equal plausibility, will declare that the point for consideration is " the Budget --the whole Budget —and nothing but the Budget," and that unless he is prepared to vote for the project as " a whole," --if there is any Portion of it to which he is un able to yield a willing assent--it be his duty to divide in the amine lobby with the Opposition. COURT OSBORNE, WEDNESDAY. Lord Raglan remained at Osborne yesterday, and [eft this morning for London. --- SUDDEN DEATH OF THE COMMANDER -IN CHIEF OF PORTSMOUTH. PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAY MORNING. Admiral Sir Thomas Briggs , G.C.M.G., di e d suddenly, at the Admi ra lty-h ouse, in ortsmouth Dockyard, this morning, at a quarter past two, after a sh or t ill ness, with which he wa s se i ze d on l y on onday. EXCISE RETURNS. The Excise statements for the first three quarters of the present year have just been issued. The following table exhibits the quantities of each article charged with duty in the United Kingdom during those periods, as compared with the corresponding nine months of 1851, and also the quantities retained for home consumption. They all show an increase, consequent upon the general prosperity of the country, but the small quantities ex ported continue to indicate the effect of the vexatious restrictions which prevent them from being improved and cheapened so as to compete with similar foreign produc tions : NINE MONTHS ENDING THE 10TH OF OCTOBER. Charged with D u t y . Retained for Consumption. 1851. 1852. 1851. 1851. lb lb. lb. lb. .... 46,607 43,605... Bushels. Bushels. Bushels. Bushels . Ma1t..... 25,999,562 26,372,266... 25,999,562 2 6,372,266 . lb. lb. lb. Paper ...116,545,073 116 , 463 , 4 93...109,801,887 111,033,240 Soap ..... 159,366,799 168 , 861 ,947...149,017,160 157,163,376 iftllons Gallons. Gallons. Gallons. Spirits.. 17,358,545 1 7,849,589... 17,314,989 17,803,956 Ilome•nid. cwts. cwts. cwts. cwts. Sugar ... -- 116 ... 116 TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. have read your excellent article in reference to the neglect exhibited in the non - completion of the monument to Nelson in Trafalgar-square, and, contrast ing it with the profuse expenditure on the late funeral pageant, permit me to say, that I think the neglect evinced in the matter of the monument is almost credit able to the character of the country, if considered with the disgraceful fact that Nelson's only child whom he left (he had nothing else to bequeath her) to the pro tection of his country, is a poor struggling clergyman's wife, driven lately to make a public appeal for pecuniary assistance. Nelson has pointed out this lady, and iden tified her as his child :—" I leave my daughter to my country," or some such words, were his testamentary declaration ; and under such circumstances, must not every man and woman in England, who thinks on the subject, reprobate the heartlessness and ingratitude of all Governments who have permitted " Horatia " to linger in poverty ? Why does not some independent member propose an annuity of liberal amount for the lady, and demand that the Government should take her children under their protection, and provide for them in the public service ? The case is peculiar, and requires no apology. I have the honour to be, &c., Your obedient servant, CIVIL'S. Dec. 10. THE COURT.—Thursday next, the 23d instant, is the day at present fixed for the removal of her Majesty and Royal family from Osborne to Windsor Castle ; and Prince Leiningen, brother to the Queen by half blood, is expected to prolong his visit to her Majesty until that day. During the sejaur of the Royal family in the Isle of Wight, the illustrious juvenile branches have again enjoyed regularly out-of-door exercise, which, owing to the late inundations, had been circumscribed at Windsor. BUCKINGHAM PALACE.—The new state apartments, including the new grand state banquetting-room, are pro gressing ; but we understand that with all dispatch they will not be ready for the usual series of Royal entertain. ments to be given by the Sovereign next season. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, it is understood, will, as on previous occasions during embellishments at the Palace, direct the decorations of the new state rooms. ALARMING FIRE IN NEWGATE-STREET.--Yesterday morning, at a few minutes before 7 o'clock, a fire of a very alarming nature, and nearly attended with fatal conse quences to not fewer than five human beings, happened in the premises belon g i ng t o M r. M`Donnell, known as the " Number Seven" wine and spirit-vaults, situate in New gate-street, City, immediately facing the school of Christ's Hospital. EAST INDIA MAIL RACKETS. —The Ripon, which takes out the next East India mail, will, on her return, have to undergo some alteration to increase her speed, as she will scarcely be safe enough for the new India mail con tract, now about to commence. The speed between South ampton and Alexandria is to be very great, but will be easily performed by the Indus, Bengal, and Himalaya steamers, which are destined to work the Alexandrian line next year. The Euxine and Sultan steamers will lead off under the new contract between Marseilles and Malta, until the Vectis and Valetta, two beautiful steamers now build ing expressly for that line, are ready. The Himalaya, the largest ship in the world, is now rapidly progressing to wards completion. She was originally intended for a pad dle-box steamer, but it was found that to attain her maxi mum speed as such her consumption of coals would be 140 tons daily. She was therefore converted into, a scre steamer, by which m eans s h e will be equally fast and only consume 70 tons of coals daily. The Peninsular Company are lengthening all their steamers. It is now an established principle in ship-building that length gives speed, and that a long steamer will be faster than a shorter one with the same engine power and tonnage, from the circumstance, no doubt, that the former, owing to her superior length, has not to breast every wave the samo'as the shorter vessel. LONDON TEMPERANCE LEAGUE.—A meeting of this society was held last night, at Exeter-hall, for considering the subjects of the closing of public-houses on Sundays, and the exclusion of strong drinks from the Crystal Palace ; George Cruikshank, Esq., in the chair. On the platform we observed J. S. Buckingham, Esq., Rev. Jabez Burns. D.D., &c. The meeting was addressed by Dr. Burns, Rev. H. Solly, Mr. Buckingham, and other gentle men, and resolutions passed for petitioning both Houses of Parliament to close public-houses on the Sabbath throughout the kingdom, and to memorialise the Queen, such memorial to be signed by females, &c. The chairman communicated to the meeting the fact that, in reply to a letter addressed by him to the Crystal Palace Company, Mr. Grove, the se cre t ary, h ad written an official letter, stating that the company never had entertained the idea of allowing the sale of wines or spirituous liquors, "under any Circumstan ces w h atever, " in the Palace or on the grounds thereof. This communication was received with loud cheers. REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS OF WOODS AND FORESTS.—Yesterday the 29th report of the Commissioners of her Majesty's Woods and Forests and Land Revenues, was printed in a parliamentaryblue book, by or d er of the House of Commons. This is the first report since the separation of the woods and forests from public works and buildings by a late act. The bank balances on the 9th Oct., 1851, were 34,0311., at which period the liabilities for the metropolitan improvements were 895,160/. From the Ist April to the 9th October, 1851, the amount of sales of produce in the royal forests, with the arrears, was 43,311/. The arrears on the 9th October, 1851, were 6,8781. and 8,6571., which latter sum is due by the Admiralty, for the sale of timber supplied for the use of the Royal Navy. The gross income from the Ist April to the 9th October, 1851, was 149,997/., com p r i s i ng 117 , 1001 . as land revenue, 28310/. from royal f ores t s , &c., and 4,5851. f rom royal parks, &c. The gross expenditure in the same period was 77,2881., of which 42,6831. was in land revenue, 1 9,2301. for royal forest 3, &c., and 15,3741. for royal parks, gardens, &c., leaving a surplus income of 72,7091. BIRMINGHAM CATTLE SHOW. —BIRMINGHAM, WED NESDAY.—The amount received for the sale of poultry for breeding, at the close of the first day, exceeded 1,100/. Yesterday th e a tt en d ance was unprecedentedly numerous, being considerably greater than the corresponding week of last year. The dinner last night, owing to the present dis cussion in Parliament, was not so influentially attended as on former occasions. FORGERY AND ROBBERY. Samuel Finley, 26, draper, plead e d gu il ty to an indict rnent charging him with the uttering of a forged request, with intent to defraud ; and with stealing 300 yards of, silk, value 501., the property of George Merrington, his employer. Counsel for the defence:submitted to the Court that the prisoner had yielded to pressing temptations, and that up to the period of committing the offence he had borne a good character. On the other hand, it was urged that the prisoner, before entering into the service of the prosecutor, had been engaged in ext ens i ve b etting transactions, and had even kept a betting-office, from which he had absconded without satisfying the liabilities which he had incurred. The learned Recorder, in a feeling address, in which he solemnly warned all young men to avoid betting transactions, glanced at the mitigatory circumstances connected with the prisoner's offence, and sentenced him to twelve months' imprisonment and hard labour. William Weekes, 21, John Hughes, 19, and Michael Hurley, convicted at a late hour last night of having burglariously entered the premises of Mr. Robert Burgh, and stolen therefrom 60 dozen bottles of port wine, value 601., were brought up for sentence. The learned Recorder remarked upon the bold nature of the robbery, in which the prisoners, who lived in a low lodging adjacent to the prosecutor's premises, which were the remains of an old monastic building, had skil fully dug their way through six feet of solid wall to accomplish their object ; getting drunk with a portion of the wine, and selling the remainder. He sentenced the prisoners to be each transported for seven years ; to which Hughes responded by wishing his Lordshi " Merry Ch r i s t mas an d a h appy new year. " p a This finished the business in the Nevi , Court. DERBY ELECTION COMMITTEE -(THIS DAY The committee assembled this day at half-past eleven o'clock for the purpose of going over the evidence laid be fore them relative to the allegations in the petition impugn ing the part taken by the Right Hon. Mr. Beresford, and drawing up their report for presentation to the House of Commons. Several persons interested in the matter at issue pre sented themselves ; but so strict were the orders given by the chairman, the Right Hon. Mr. Goulburn, that the deli berations of -the committee should not be allowed to tran spire, that not even counsel agents, or even members of the House of Commons not specially engaged in the inquiry, were allowed to enter the room, or communicate with any member of the committe, either personally or byletter, sub sequent to the committee having taken its seat. The door was strictly guarded by two special officers of the house, who peremptorily refused to convey any mes sages to the members on any pretence whatever. From sounds which now and then reached the ears of persons standing in the corridor, it was evident that a spirited debate was going on amongst the members of the committee. The contention was loud and apparently animated, which naturally gave rise to many conjectures amongst those who were awaiting with anxiety the result of the deliberation. It is not expected that the committee will have agreed to a report sufficiently early to enable them to present it to the house before to-morrow evening. Hops OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Wightman.) MURDER. Amelia Elizab e th Burt, 30, married, who stood re manded from l as t session, was indicted for the wilful murder of her daughter, Annie Philadelphia Burt. Mr. Ryland conducted the prosecution, and Mr. Bodkin appeared for the prisoner. James Fendall, a fisherman, residing at Greenwich, deposed to finding the body of the child while he was dredging in the Thames, off Rotherhithe, about 8 o'clock on the morning of the 16th of November. It was fully dressed, and had on a bonnet. He delivered up the body to the beadle of the parish. The tide was then about half ebb--that is, half run down. Anna Cowley, a widow, residing at 82, Cornwall-road, Lambeth, said she was the mother of the prisoner's husband. The deceased child was her grand-daughter, and was 10 months old. The prisoner and the baby had lived with her six weeks before the 15th of Novem ber. She was then residing apart from her husband, who allowed her 7s. a week. The prisoner's mother was also a widow, and lived in Oakley-street, Lambeth. Witness left the prisoner at home at 9 o'clock on the morning of the 15th, and on returning at 11 in the evening found the house closed, and could not get in. She then went to her mother's, where she had been with the baby, but learnt that they had both left some time previously. Cross-examined.—The prisoner had been married 11 years. The husband was employed as a gas-fitter at Greenwich Hospital. They had three children, to whom she behaved very kindly. Up to the time she came to my house, when she left her husband, they lived very happily together. In Nov., 1851, one of the children died from small-pox. She supposed the child had caught it from her mother, who had nursed a sister of hers, who died of small-pox. After this occurrence there was a re markable change in her manner. She was previously a person of cheerful and lively spirits. She was at this time in the family way with the child whose death is the subject of inquiry, and she remained in a de sponding state until it was born. On the 17th of January last I tried to rouse her, but did not succeed. She could bear the idea of any one laughing, and never liked to go out of the house. She often expressed a wish to die, but said she could not, as she was disturbed dying. She used to place her head in her hands, and remain in that posture for a long time without saying a word. She complained that her head was burning, while her legs, feet, and hands were quite cold. Her memory was also affected, and she some times could not remember that she had a husband and children. When I spoke to her it was sometimes seve ral minutes before I got an answer. She said she was not herself, and could not talk. In consequence of her desponding state it was thought advisable to keep her separate from her husband. She appeared to grow worse afterwards. I occupied the same bed-room with her. She always appeared awake when I looked to her. She did not seem ever to sleep. She continued in this way until the day before the unhappy occurrence. Mrs. Gibson, the prisoners mother, said I remember the 15th of November. I saw the body of the child after it was found —it was that of my grand-daughter. The prisoner came to my house on Monday the 15th, about 12 o'clock at noon, with the b a by, an d s h e suckled the child w hil e she stayed. She left with the child at 10 o'clock, and I did not see her again until she was in custody. Cross -examined—I have unfortunately had two mem bers of my family afflicted with insanity —one died raving mad, and the other is confined in a lunatic asy lum. They were both females, and the latter became insane after her confinement. I had observed a change in the prisoner's demeanour before her confinement, and she became worse afterwards. She complained of great weight on her head, and was very reserved and singular in her manner. I was in the habit of often leaving home, and thinking it would be unsafe to leave her alone, I induced her to go to her mother-in-law on one occasion. She attempted to take some arsenic, which her husband was in the habit of using, but he prevented her. She used to sit for hours with the child in her lap, without speaking. She told me that she was dead with the exception of her head, which was the only part of her not affected. She used to sit in this lonely way without fire or candle, though she had both in the house. I considered her of unsound mind. She was once under the impression that her husband would blow out her brains. Osborne, policeman, said, a little after two on the morning of the 16th of November, he saw the prisoner wandering about the streets in Greenwich. He asked her where she was going, and she replied that she did not know. She also told him, in reply to other ques tions, that she had three children, and that she had given one to a boy to throw over Hungerford-bridge. He then took her into custody. She had the cloak of a child under her arm. Mr. Justice Wightman said it would be for the jury to say whether they thought the prisoner could dis tinguish Wright and wrong, so as to be a responsable agent for her acts. The jury almost immediately Acquitted the prisoner. • NEW COURT. (Before the Recorder.) FORGERY. Frederic Steans, 39, corn dealer, charged with forging a bill of exchange for 271. 10s., with intent to defraud William Townes, pleaded not guilty. Mr. Payne appeared for the prosecution, and Mr. Parry for the defence. Mr. Payne, in stating the case to the jury, said the only point for consideration was whether the prisoner had altered a bill of exchange for 20L., given to him by Townes for 271. 10s., as he should b e a b le to prove, the prisoner h av i ng confessed that he made the alteration in the hearing of two witnesses. The utterance of the bill for 271.105. was then proved but the two principal witnesses, Mr. To wnes and Robt. Dackman, did not answer to their names when called. Mr. Payne said that they would be in court shortly, as the train by which they would come to London bridge had not yet arrived. Mr. Parry said there was no excuse for their being absent then, as the case had been postponed from the previous day to meet the convenience of the prosecutor: The learned Recorder concurred with Mr. Parry, and, the parties having been again called without effect, directed the jury to acquit the prisoner, which was ac cordingly done. 311; DEATH IN THE QUEEN'S PRlSON.—Yesterday , 0 Payne, the coroner of London, held an inque s w , 51 (0 Queen's Prison, on the body of Mrs. Mary Bsg v dis 0 56, the widow of an extensive farmer of Cheshire , ce rp, el sent to the gaol for contempt of the Court of Chf.b li to '.„ not producing certain deeds and papers relatn o f , 1.,: j estate. The deceased was received in the monthss* comber, 1850, and she died on Tuesday last from , 6 heart and dropsy. Verdict, " Natural death." 1 ,,,,,--Vo LICENSED VICTUALLERS' PROTECTION SOCO b e ii o , nineteenth annual meeting of this society ws s ,. FA 4 Radley's (Mr. Holt's) Hotel, New Bridge.streev , pr k; friars, to receive the report of the committee, t° , ( lit°, l , 6 committeemen going out by rotation, also to elect a to ,`' A statement of the funds of the society, as audite d 4 jts ' l / 31st of Octob er l ast, showed the following r e g ' s ,l l ' : Debtor —T o b a l ance on hand Oct. 31,1851, 3,526/. 10, 0 , to total a moun t of cash received from Oct. 31, 'eer, Oct. 31, 1852, i nc l u di ng 1511. 3s. 10d. net profit °n e, o sion to P or t smout h in July last, 1,3681. 15s. ld. ; 007 a total of 4,8951 . 2 s. Creditor—By total of disburscietiA 8651. 13s. 6d. ; l eav i ng a balance in favour of the s° of 4,0291. Bs. 6d.; being an increase upon the balance,: few year of 5031. l s. 7 d. The report and accoun ts adopted. 10 RAO le 4 FATAL ACCIDENT ON THE SOUTH WALES --,. clor o —An inquest was held yesterday on the body' f„,',. p0 1 ,,,t Hanbury, a signal-man at the level crossing in ","., 107„, of Westbury-on-Severn, on the Gloucester and Dean train Railway, who lost his, life while signaling a de" the s it and 'who was dashed to pieces while standing °. i line by an up-train, which arrived unnoticed by hip o ot; appeared. from the statement of the brother of the n o t n o f that he was sometimes afflicted with deafness, but tion t was a most intelligent man. After the examin s _ e dic several witnesses the jury returned an unanimous v at of " Ac c id en t a l D eath. " IT t rd 3 P J EFFECTS OF. THE CRYSTAL PALACE.-- es . e ..„. e y . 6 .° 31 noon, a general meeting of the trustees of the Stii,`,,i, P .. Sussex Roads, which was very numerously attenolo Shadbolt in the chair, was held at the Sessions : th e e:' Newington, for the purpose of letting on lease (for l o o: of one year, commencing at midnight of the 31-et„ste% ber), to the best bidder, the tolls payable to the ,'-` -.0 The at the various gates and bars under their jurisdic,W to Et° toll gates and bars extend from Camberwell-gale P r includ e •th Grinstead gates, in the county of Sussex, and fe , iil i nington-common-gate, Str eatham - gate,Peck.haulls gen ~,t ) with several side bars, They have been in posse s (WI; the trustees above four years, and the sum received,a, c 't them last year was 24,8761. 15s. 6d. The chair r t n c,o°. putting them up to auction said that, in eonsegit e ais the prospects before them in'the ensuing year, (the ° b r a d r e ' of the Crystal Palace at Sydenham) the trustees ha filere' solved to have a reserved bidding of 5001., he Won. IV fore offer them at once at the sum of 25,361. 158. ",i fiev' first bidding was made by Mr. J. Levy, who offe r `;;ylsri on the original sum. Messrs. Messenger, Bowers, i i. o . 0 1 ' &c., competed for the property, which was eventually for for the above period to Messrs. Levy, Bolton, and ' . the sum of 26,6501. , THE ATROCIOUS M URDER AT STAFFORD.—TI bolo' DICT.—The protracted investigation relative to th e Blab rous murder of a n age d couple named John and Jan! , jos" burn, at their f arm a t A shflats, near this town, n 3 Dr been compl e t e d, an d an amount of evidence has heeo vealed which renders it one of th e most horrible iury re. perhaps ever committed in this country. The igoors' turned a verdict o f "Wilf u l murder " against Charles a the Edward W a l s h, an d Peter Kerwan or Kerevan, al l os izO were accordingly committed for trial at the next , for Staffordshire. „, 01 (ince- , THE SCREW STEAMER LARRISTON.—By the -.-- c re , . the South intelligence has been received that thiq b of steamer Larriston, which left Plymouth on the 2 ' Tit o" November, arrived at Teneriffe on the 3d December , v j a st ing made the pass . age in six days (the first two days 7 ever a strong head -wind and sea), being the quickest a h e " effected by any screw vessel. Her captain expresse d c ial o lief that he would reach the Cape of Good Hope in from Plymouth. ? . j ., of ctie, B Sr. TriomAn's HosrrrAL.—On Tuesday an ele ;t 1. a rather exciting character took place at the hosP- - %tion' vacant post was that of full physician to the instil' ~..n c l Hitherto it has been customary, in the event of a ve v ior occurring, to fill it by tho appointment of the se an assistant-physician, but in consequence of a resohithst having been agreed to by the governors, to the effec.l' o t o any supposed claim of seniority, or length of service 1 4e ct, junior department, should henceforward be of no v i be some considerable degree of interest was taken bl e w, election of a gentleman to fill the post of full phyla l g. lately vacated by Dr. Leeson. The candidates were ,;' 6 O Goolden, who has been connected with the hospir ook , assistant-physician, for nearly nine years, and Dr. P ? l ee whose connection with the establishment has been of -V . ,.„,, more than three years standing. After a somewhat W_Tv:,l discussion, the election was proceeded with in the 11 ,s1: 30 form, viz., by ballot, and the result was that Dr. Goe,T os , was elected to the vacant post by a majority of 32 pot many gentlemen who have for a considerable period 77; 0 This result appeared to give w ge h n o e m ral w s e ati m sf a a y cti nt on : nas : funi congratulated the aucce sgoirvezorHs o.f Inglis,t he ho spi t warmly, candidate. CLEW BAYS MINES, MAYO, IRELAND. —At the nieeting c. ,,, ofthe di es, rectors, h the 9th inst., eld on Monday last, a report from , 1 7 0 iMt dated was read. H e says— 0 have completed the head-drain, and also the platforl on . hold the copper ore. To-morrow (Friday), it is my ill e at tion to begin to timber the mines, so that the im en i , t work in safety, then we will make our best efforts in shoo ing or blasting the veins of copper ore. In my n e '' cr.' trust I shall be enabled to give the result of the blastnt. Captain Mates adds that the lode still appears more P . `" mising. i 74A THE TRUST ,AND LOAN COMPANY OF UPPER C.°•-• , D of —At a meeting of the Trust and Loan Company d ea U nt d p tih p ne e g r rta C ht a ee Canada, a h 6, op h fe e rs l d eepe ytneeti September t pb e e r e d rr a last a, annuman d itf dividend ohretshu w ei nassioxfd wont e l c , 1 450 1 }: was carried forward. Authority was at the same tune given to the directors for a further issue of debenture bonds. PILLS , FOR THE CURE OF WOUNDS IN THE L EG. e [ADVERTISEMENT.] HOLLOWAY'S OINTMENT A ND x ,. a ct of a lett er f rom Mrs. Simpson, of BramleY , x i Leeds, datiii Octob er 16, 1852. "To Professor Irello' ~ 3 Way. Sir,--I was afflicted for eighteen months vi? s t . ' very bad leg, in which there were three deep w oun r d e of tried all kinds of remedies, and was under the el, vo different surgeons here and at Leeds, but deri a vr vise d benefit from their treatment. I was at length ,to . to resort t o your o i ntment and pills, and I WTI haPfeJoin _leoqd l say by th e use o f t h ese valuable medicines Ty pletely cure d , an d as sound as ever it was.' —°` , by inent ai,l druggist s , an d at P rofessor Holloway's Establon 244, Strand, London. 40 37E3 an P r, , t r h a i o t a s e t cl l e e s a r 2 l arket c l oy A lcerica l t cqd • • 40 , 0 ; ar 7 n ll ,Way Sh Able six T t n last - this day,