The Sun. — London, England, 1865-03-15 00:00:00

lidERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS—LAs'r EVENING• The LORD CIILNCELLOR took his seat on the woalsack at the usual hour. His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales was in the House during the early part of the evening. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Rosendale Union Gas Bill was read a third time and passed. BANKRUPTCY AND INSOLVENCY (IRELAND) ACT AMENDMENT BILL. Earl ST. GERMANS, in moving that this bill should be referred to a select committee, said that it had been drawn up by the Crown officers of Ireland, had received the sanc tion of the Lord Chancellor, and had passed the other house. The object of the bill was to assimilate the law in regard to railway and other companies with that of Eng land, and the greatest anxiety was felt in Ireland for the passing of the measure. The Marquis of CLANRICAR.DE having a d v erted to the defective state of the law in Ireland in regard to railway companies, said that the bill was not to be rejected merely because it had &retrospective operation, because that would refer to different acts of legislation by which different acts of indemnity had been passed. The fact was that this bill proposed to relieve shareholders from liabilities which they had never intended to incur. An error of a very serious character had occurred in their previous legislation in regard to this matter in Ireland, and that error they were bound to rectify. Lord DONOUGHMORE objected to ex parte de facto legislation, but had no objection to a measure assimilating the law between England and Ireland, provided the rights of existing creditors of railways were respected. The bill was then referred to a select committee. BRITISH KAFFRARIA BILL. This bill went through committee. ELECTION PETITION ACTS AMENDMENT BILL. This bill also went through committee. THE CASE OF MARY RYAN. The Marquis of WESTMEATH called the attention of the house to the papers presented in the case of Mary Ryan. The noble lord said that this was a case which required the fullest inquiry. A young woman was brought to the pier of Dover in a straight waistcoat, and she was ultimately placed in a lunatic asylum on the continent. He contended that the capture and confinement of the young person was most unjustifiable, for it appeared that she had been taken away on the authorfty of a Roman Catholic clergyman, who designated himself the Vicar general, and two nuns, and placed in confinement, where she was unable to communicate with any person who was , in a position to assist her or obtain her release. Such an act-was entirely at variance with English law and should not be tolerated, at least without a stringent inquiry. He referred to the letters by the Protestant Alliance on this subject, and read copious extracts from those documents. He strongly condemned the conduct of the Government in not publishing these letters. Lord RUSSELL said it was not unusual for nuns afflicted with insanity to be removed to establishments abroad. But the practice, though usual, was really illegal. In this case, however, every facility had been given to the investigation directed by the Government, and it had been fully ascer tained that the young woman was insane. She was well taken care of, and, as the parties who had removed her did not appear to have been actuated by improper motives, it had not been thought expedient to prosecute them. Lord MILMESBURY was convinced by a perusal of the papers that Mary Ryan was mad, and that the Govern ment had done all it could to investigate the case. The parties had no doubt acted in ignorance of the law of the country, but in some instances, as when magistrates sent persons to lunatic asylums without sufficient inquiry, such ignorance deserved a public reproof from the Home Secre tary. A private rebuke was useless. In this respect he thought the case had been treated too lightly. Their lordships adjourned at a quarter to seven. HOUSE OF COMMONS-LAST EVENING. The SPEAXEIt took the chair at 4 o'clock PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bill was read a third time and Midhurat Railway. The following bills were read a second time :—Utiliza tion of Sewage and Land Reclamation (Ireland). LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE, AND GREAT —Chichester EASTERN JUNCTION RAILWAY BILL. On the motion for the second reading of this bill, Lord GALWEY moved the rejection of the bill, because it had been but very slightly altered in order to suit the legislation of last session. The alterations in the bill had been made to suit the convenience of certain landowners, and he was sure if those alterations were considered by a committee they would most inevitably lead to the rejection of the bill. He did not take up the position he then occu pied on behalf of the landowners concerned, but he would say at once that he did it on the part of the Great Northern Railway. He thought that after two companies had had a fair stand up fight, which had caused the expenditure of a great deal of money, it was unfair and unjust to allow the company that had been defeated to again apply to Parliament to sanction that which was almost identically the same scheme which was rejected in 1864. Mr. CHEETHAM supported the bill, and said it was not at all similar to the bill brought forward lastsession. If the measure was sanctioned by the Legislature it would prove of immense advantage in cheapening the charge for the conveyance of coal, and this creumstance alone ought to be sufficient to secure the passing of the bill. Ail that the promoters of this bill desired was that their case should be heard. He appealed to the house not to allow the bill to be defeated by a side wind. Mr. MITFORD said ho had gone through all the plans iu the Private Bill-office, and he felt bound to say that the bill was practically the samo as was before them last year under the title of the Great Eastern and Northern Junc tion Railway Bill. Mr. CHILDERS said the people of Yorkshire had peti tioned in favour of this bill, and ho did think that, as they only asked that the convenience offered by the projected railway might be fairly considered, it would be unfair to re ject such a reasonable demand. Mr. EGERTON opposed the bill. There were three rail way systems at present in existence, which he thought was quite sufficient to meet the requirements of Lancashire and Yorkshire. Mr. BRIGHT thought the house was asked to reject the bill on very insufficient grounds. (Hear, hear.) It was said the bill was before Parliament last session, but was that any reason for its rejection this year. He felt it was too bad at this time of day to stand up for protection to the Great Northern Railway, because if that system had been adopted years ago we should have had but very few long lines of railway. • If the present bill was agreed to it would occupy five years in the construction of the railway. He hoped the house would not reject the bill, but allow it to receive that consideration to which it was entitled. Mr. B. STANHOPE opposed the bill, because he consi dered the gradients were exceedingly objectionable. The bill would interfere with the navigation of the river Trent, and would entirely destroy a great extent of private pro perty, and on those grounds he hoped it would be rejected. Mr. AYRTON should support the second reading of the bill, especially as it was said the making of the railway would tend to cheapen the cost of coal in the metropolis. Mr. M. GIBSON said of course the matter of the inter erence with the navigation of the Trent would be care- till considered and reported on, and the committee would ha made acquainted with the result of the inquiry. Under all the circumstances of the case, he should give his vote in favour of the second reading of the bill. Mr. J. R. ORMSBY-GORE should vote for the rejection of the bill. Lord BURY, as a resident in the Eastern Counties, should support the second reading of the bill, because it would tend to cheapen the supply of coal. Col. JARVIS thought the details of this bill ought to be considered in committee, and not discussed in that house, and although there were so many gentlemen present he did not believe there were eight or nine amongst them that really understood what they were talking about. (Laughter.) The house then divided, when there appeared — For the second reading 162121 Against it —ll Majority The bill was consequently lost. SOUTH AMERICAN BEEF. Mr. J. EIVART asked whether any order had been issued for the indiscriminate seizure of South American beef when exposed for sale to the public either in London or Liverpool ? Sir G. GREY said no order had been issued, or seizure made of the description alluded to by the hon. member. lie saw by the public newspapers that an application had been made to the Lord Mayor by the sanitary inspectors . o condem n a quan tity o f cer t a i n mea t, not b e cause it was jerked lieel beef, b u t b ecause it was un fit f or human food. He that certain country magistrates had recommended the vd trial of jerked beef as an article of food in prisons. THE POOR LIW COMMISSION. Mr. O'REILLY ; I ; l liwhether it was the intention of the Goverment t o f u l fi l the promise understood to be made eardwai by Mr. Secretary in 1800, that an Irishman and a Roman Catholic should be appointed to the first vacancy amongst the Irish Poor-law Commissioners. Sir R. PEEL said ho was h could hon. gentleman any positive information CupcL n the subject. not give the CAPTAIN COLE' Mr. DAMER asked the Secretary to the Admiralty if Captain Cole's cupola had been tested by fi • n a ny heavier guns tha n those use d in the ex at it with pe /s i t ments, namely, 40-pounder A rmstron g , on board the Trn with y th to e if not, whether it was the intention of the Admir y alt ; and make any further experim ent before p roceedin g further construction of vessels on the same system ? Lord C. PAGET said no experiments had been made on the cupola with steel 3001 b. shots. Some experiments had been made with 100 and 63-pounder Armstrong guns, and th e result had been that the cupo la had been indented, but the working of it had not been injured. At present it was n ot deemed d e sirable to make any further experiments on other ships. • VOLUNTEER OFFICERS AS JURORS. Mr. WATKIN asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, whether he had received Any commu nication from the War Office on the subject of relieving Volunteer officers from liability of service on juries ; and if he was prepared to take steps with a view so to relieve such officers, in consideration of the time devoted by them to their duties as Volunteers ? The Marquis of HARTINGT ON said a deputation had been to the War-office on the subject, but no communica tion had been addressed to such officers, as it was not at clear that such orders could be issued with advantage. WRECK ABSTRACTS. In reply to Mr. BMTTECCX, Mr. MILNER GIBSON said he would endeavour, if possible, to obtain some reliable information on the sub ject, and if he succeeded he would give the hon. gentleman the Information he required. POLICE STATIONS. Mr. ADDERLEY moved an address for copy of corres pondence between Sir Richard Mayne, Chief Commissioner of Police, and•the magistrates of the petty sessional divi sion of Barnet, on the subject of objections made by him to allowing police stations to be used for the whipping of juvenile offenders under the Act 10 and 11 Vic. c. 82. The return was ordered. ARTISANS IN DOCKYARDS. 3fr.FERRAND gave notice that on Thursday he should ask the Secretary of the Admiralty why the artisans in Devonport Dockyard were not paid for their overtime in money, instead of holiday time. THE NAWAB OF THE CARN ATM Mr. FOSTER said it had come to his knowledge as chairman of the committee on public petitions, that certain fictitious names had been affixed to petitions on the subject which amounted to a breach of the privileges of Parlia ment. The subject was under the consideration of the committee, and the matter would be reported to the house on Thursday next. Sir FITZROY KELLY then moved for the appointment of a select committee to inquire into the claim of his High ness Prince Azeem Jah to the title and dignity of Nawab of the Carnatic, and the claims of his Highness under a treaty entered into in 1801 between the Honourable East India Company and his Highness Prince Azeem ul Dowlah. Looking at the nature of the questions involved in this case, he only asked, he said, that, in order that there should be a full and fair inquiry into all the circumstances, it should be referred to a select committee, so that the house and the Government might be able to do justice to this unfortunate Prince. The real question, which arose out of a certain alleged treasonable correspondence disco vered in 1799, was whether it was of such a character as to justify the East India. Company in at once deposing the Nawab in 1855. Sir Fitzroy entered into a long and mi nute history of transactions connected with the Carnatic, commencing more than a century ago, up to the .treaty of 1801, with the then Nawab Azeem-ul-Dowlah. Supposing, he said, that the Cympany would have been justified in deposing the Nawab Wallajah, upon the discovery of the correspondence, or Omdut-ul-Omrah, his successor, the question was whether, under the treaty of 1801, the Nawab Azeem-ul-Dowlah was recognised as hereditary successor to a transmission title and dignity, or only as possessor of the rank for his life. This was a question—the legal con struction of the treaty—which that hou§e, he observed, was not a proper tribunal to decide. He cited documents to show that the treaty was understood to convey a recog nition of the hereditary dignity in the Nawab, a construc tion which seemed to be confirmed by the succession to the Musnud of the eldest son of Azeem-ul-Dowlah, on the death of the latter in 1819. The motion was seconded by Mr. SMOLLETT in a long speech, in which he denounced the " Carnatic transaction" as an act of grave injustice, reflecting discredit upon the authors. Sir E. DEEING defended Lord Harris against charges made by Mr. Smollett, complaining, with some warmth, of the unmeasured terms in which he had impugned the con duct of that nobleman when Governor of Madras with re ference to the treaty of 1810 ; and he appealed to evidence which showed that the treaty was considered to confer no right of hereditary succession, but was a purely personal engagement. He thought Sir F. Kelly had not made out any substantial ground for the appointment of a committee. After a few observations by Mr. VANSITTART and Mr. THE bin% LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 15, 1865. suggestions were carried out they believed the City would be supplied with gas at less cost, of a higher illuminating power, and of greater purity than heretofore, and yet that the companies would continue to receive a ten per cent. dividend on the capitals ; but should the commission fail thus in its endeavours to benefit and protect the public, they unhesitatingly advise that a respectful recommenda tion should be made by the Court to the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Common Councilmen of the City, in com mon council assembled, to consider the propriety of its pro viding the means for constructing works, laying down, distributing pipes, and undertaking the manufacture of gas for the City. They were the less reluctant in recommend ing that course because the commission possessed no funds from which to meet the cost, and would have to obtain additional powers of taxation for the purpose." The CHAIRMAN briefly introduced the report to the Court for its adoption, and observed that the subject was one of very considerable importance, and that it had received very great attention at the hands of the committee. The re commendations made by them in their report were, it was believed, the best that could be adopted under the existing circumstances, and ho begged to move, " To agree with the committee in their report." Deputy FAnnAn. disagreed with the seventh recommen dation made by the committee, and said he thought the Court ought not to decide upon an application to Parlia ment until they had ascertained what course the Corpora- tion itself intended to take in the matter. The General Purposes Committee of the Common Council had the whole subject before them, and would shortly bring up a report to the civic body in reference to it ; and he thought it would be quite soon enough for the commission to deter mine that an application to Parliament should be made when that report was before them. He moved, as an amendment, " That the consideration of the recommenda tion of the committee to which ho had referred be ad journed for a fortnight." Alderman STONE seconded the amendment. Mr. George Walter, Mr. Deputy Bone, Mr. Sully, Mr. Deputy Bower, and other members, spoke strongly against any delay, and ultimately the amendment was withdrawn, and the report was agreed to, and referred back to the com mittee to carry into execution. The Commissioners, after transacting some other busi ness, adjourned. NEATE N Tll3 SOLICITOR-GENERAL observed that the main tenance in India of a number of nominal Sovereigns was an admitted evil, and their abolition was beneficial to the people of India, and did harm or injury to no human being. Then were we, notwithstanning, bound to perpetuate the evil ? It was said that we were bound by the treaty of 1801. He contended that the terms of the treaty bore no such construction ; that it was not the intention of the treaty ; on the contrary, that it was framed expressly for the purpose of excluding the possibility of such an inter pretation. He proceeded to show that there had been a clear case of treachery on the part of the Nawabs of the Car natio ; that a correspondence of a treasonable character be tween Wallajah and Omdut-ul-Omrah. and Tirpoo Sultan had been discovered which gave us the right and the power to depose the Nawab. He explained the grounds of the treaty of 1801, which was a personal treaty, under which it was in tended that the then Nawab, Azeem-ul-Dowlah, should hold the title by permission of the East ludia Company, and not by hereditary right, which could be claimed neither by the letter or spirit of the treaty, nor by the in tention of its framers. He insisted that the house could decide upon the case, and that nothing but evil could result from the appointment of a committee. Mr. HENNESSY observed that only inquiry was asked for, and he was surprised that the Government resisted it. Mr. DUNLOP thought it was a case for inquiry. Mr. 11. SEYMOUR opposed the motion. He thought that neither on legal grounds nor upon the ground of ex pediency could the motion for an inquiry by a committee be maintained. At the same time, the East India-office should, in his opinion, take the case of this unfortunate family into consideration. After a few words from Mr. Ixolum, Sir C. WOOD justified the policy and justice of the course which had been taken in the case of the Carnatic family upon public as well as special grounds, and insisted that it had been attended with no breach of faith. He gave a short history of the transactions which resulted in the treaty of 1801, and an explanation of its object, which was, after the Carnatic had been forfeited by the family, to give to the then Nawab Azeem-ul-Dowlah the title for life only, the words " him and his heirs," and all terms implying perpetuity, being intentionally omitted. He cited the opinions of Indian statesmen and other authorities adverse to any claim of hereditary right in his descendants. The discussion was continued by Colonel Dicxsox and Colonel SYKES. Upon a division, the motion was negatived by 53 to 38. The house then adjourned. The State of,the Thames. The following is a copy of the report of Mr. S. W.Leach, engineer to the Conservators of the River Thames, upon the present condition of the works in the upper districts of that river : "TO 'rim HoN. THE CONSERVATORS OF TILE RIvER THAMES. " My Lord Mayor and Gentlemen,—ln conformity with y:ur directions that I should report upon the present con dition of the works in the upper districts of the River Thames, I have the honour to state that, in order to enable me to do so, I visited on the 20th and 21st inst. that part of the river which lies between Oxford and Maidenhead. The remainder of the distance to Staines I have so recently had an opportunity of examining that I did not deem it needful to go over it again. The portion of the river beyond the jurisdiction of the Conservators of the River Thames ex tends from Cricklade, in the county of Wilts, to Staines, being about 152 miles in length. It becomes navigable at Lechlade, whey) it unites with the Thames and Severn Canal, thus communicating with the River Severn. I did not visit this district, extending down as far as Oxford, and being in length about 36 miles. I understood on inquiry that it was scarcely used for large traffic, and the appliances for the purposes of rendering it navigable are of so rude and antiquated a character as to be practically almost use less. miles,there Betweenlocksand e Oxford and S t a weirs ines . In , a o f about areB 0 several beauty of wide their e i and r a u d e deep y r e t a b c a h n e s ati not i r less y remarkable o r f o u r a t v i h . e gation. Indeed, had the locks been constructed at a sufficiently low l eve l to allow deeply-laden adhad some barges to use them during summ er l ow water, and - few e shal lows been removed by d re d g i ng, there is every reasont o believe that, instead of it s b e i ng w h at it now is, nearly a b a ndoned navigation, an acti ve t ra d e would h a have ma intained. As a result of the low of the traffic, and the been conse quent failure of the needful funds for repairs, the locks are falling into a most dilapidated condition, not one of the whole number bein g in a sa t isf actory state : many of them, indeed, are dangerously out of order. I have found by experience that it is hazardous to predict the failure of dilapidated structures, for they often endure long after their destruction seems inevitable ; but there are some of these Jocks apparently so completely out of order that it is diffi cult to conceive that they can by possibility last much longer. It is clear that the giving way of one single lock would put an end to the traffic on the part of the river where it might happen, and that such au occurrence is imminent in several instances I do not hesitate to assert. If I might single out one lock more than another where this danger threatens, I should name Bell Weir Lock, the first ahove Staines,and through which the largest amount of barge traffic passes. There are several of the others which might fairly be described as equally insecure and equally likely to produce the same disastrous result to the navigation. A cardinal defect in nearly all these locks is the inadequate depth on the lower sills. Several were pointed out to me where that depth was less than three feet. A profitable cargo cannot be carried in a vessel whose draught is suffi ciently light to enable it to pass such an obstacle, and it is this defect which has tended very greatly to the destruction of the trade on the river. So far has this destruction gone that at many of the locks, especially between Abingdon and Reading, I wa s t o ld th a t some ti mes for a week together not a single barge p asse d th rou gh. At a l mos t e ach of the locks between puwerfor Oxford an d M a id en h ea d th ere i s a wa ter-mill, the d t r: i v e in w g ei w r h at ic ta h cb is e d d e t ri o v e e a d cb fr l o ok m o t . h l e f h th ea e d lo o e f k w w a e t r e e r held up by power of the mill wouldn ca be se g s on s e e , e to fail, whi c h i n ma remedy the def ec t b y damming unless the thienemintiletrhwe e w r e a t tor o r up the look. This process would be, however, the stoppage of a public highway. It is one among, perhaps, many of the difficulties which would arise out of the failure of these works. It is not unworthy also of remark that those beautiful reaches for which this part of the Thames is noted owe not a little of their attractiveness to the fulness of their stream being maintained by the weirs, to which the locks are an essential adjunct. Newnham, Basildon, Cliefdon, and other spots would have their beauty sadly marred by the river being reduced as it would be to a streamlet. I have already men tioned that at each lock is a weir, constructed for the pur pose of holding up a head of water, and so giving an artifi cial depth to enable barges to pass over the shallows, which would otherwise obstruct their progress. My attentionwas particularly attracted to the insufficiency of the provision made at almost all of these weirs for the escape of the land floods. I regard this as a most important defect. Generally speaking, the capacity of the river appears ample to carry off all ordinary land floods, but the weirs have been, most of them, so constructed as to offer great impediments to the escape of flood waters, and they have been and are the means of inflicting very much injury on the low-lying dis tricts within their influence. When it is considered how great is the length of the river (152 miles) subject to the action of these weirs, it will be perceived how important is the defect I have pointed out. Among other evils which are now attracting attention in the part of the river under con sideration is the extraordinary and luxuriant growth of weeds which has occurred on the decline of the barge traffic. The passage of the barges and the dragging along of the towing lines kept the weeds effectually in check. This influence being no longer in existence, in some pecu liar localities the weeds have attained so rank a growth as to cover the whole bed and surface of the river. It is by no means impossible that if this growth is allowed to con tinue unchecked it may lead to the silting up of channels which it is important should be kept open for the drainage of the country. A grievance which has been and still is the cause of much complaint from bargemen is the charge made for what is known as the " old lock tolls." This charge is made for locks which have ceased to exist for very many years, and the barge owners not unreason ably complain of having to pay a toll from which they derive no benefit. If means could be adopted to arrest the destruction which seems to impend over this navigation, and to restore the works to a state of efficiency, it might be well worth consideration whether in some cases one lock might not be substituted for two, and thus future expense of maintenance be saved as well as existing im pediments removed. There are instances in which this plan might very probably be adopted with advantage, but further information on the point would be needed before it could be recommended with absolute certainty. This idea leads me to point out the want which exists of a proper map of the part of the river under consideration, accompanied by longitudinal and cross sections, which would give the infor mation which is much needed in dealing with the question. Registers of the daily height of the water and the rise of floods ought also to be kept, in order to supply the data to determine on any alteration which may hereafter be deemed desirable. I have confined my remarks to defects in the works which have presented themselves to my notice, and have not entered upon the questions of the policy or the means of maintaining the navigation. They are matters which would require more comprehensive investigation than I have considered it within my province to pursue.—l have, &c., "S. W. LEACH, Engineer to the "July 23, 1864." Conservators of the River Thames. City Sewers Commission. _._ Yesterday, at 12 o'clock, a meeting of the Commissioners of Sewers of the City was held at Guildhall, under the presidency-of H. De Jersey, Esq., Deputy and Under-Sheriff. Among the commissioners present we noticed—Alderman and Sheriff Besley, Alderman Stone, Deputy Bone, Deputy Bower, Deputy Reed, Deputy White, Deputy Farrer, Deputy Lott, Messrs. George Walter, J. Thomas, Cos, Ellis, Gower, Chaplin, Straker, Banning, Israel, J. T. Young, &c. THE SUPPLY OF GAS TO THE CITY. A very lengthy report from the special committee on gas, appointed in June last, was to-day laid before the court for consideration. The committee set forth the several references made to them from time to time ; but before entering into the snbject they drew attention to the former conditions of the gas supply to the City, so far as they related to the formation of the Great Central Gas Consumers' Company, and the cir cumstances which subsequently led to the passing of the Me tropolis Gas Act of 1860. Adverting to the charges for public lamp lighting they stated that the present price per lamp per annum was about 4-1- per cent. dearer than it was in 1823, when gas was at 15s. per 1,000 cubic feet, and 84 per cent. above the lowest price charged in 1853, when gas was at 4s. per 1,000 cubic feet. In 1853 the cost of the public light ing of the City was about £8,700, whilst in the presentyear it would be about £15,700 ; after making allowance for the increase in the number of lamps since 1853, the excess of cost owing t o increased charges was about X 6,500 per annum , or equal to the rate of more than ld. in the pound upon the assessed value of the City property. The officers of the commission bad reported to them that they estimated the private consumption of gas inthe City at about 1,000,000,000 cubic feet annually, which at 6d per 1,000 feet gave £25,080 as the excess of that which would have been paid had gas remained at 45., and to that had to be added the increased cost of public lighting. It would be seen therefore how large a sum of money was now paid by the citizens owing to the abrogation of the compact made by the Great Central Gas Company with the commission in 1850, while it was char that the advantages which were intended to be given by the Metropolis Gas Act had not been realised in return for the increased price. The committee then proceeded to deal with the several references to them, anddivided the subject matters referred to into the following classes :- 1. Complaints as to defective street-lighting. 2. As to deficiency in the supply of gas to private con- sumers. 3. As to the inferior illuminating power of the gas. 4. As to impurities in the gas. 5. As to the high price of the gas. 6. Consideration as to the propriety of the commission seeking powers to take upon itself the manufacture, supply, and sale of gas in the City. 7. As to the commission purchasing the mains of the gas companies, and establishing a"manufactory for the sup ply of gas, cr laying down their own mains,!and obtaining the supply of gas in bulk by tender. 8. As to the best means of obtaining a reduction in the price of gas, an increase in the quantity, and an improve ment in its quality. Upon the question raised relative to the commission taking into its own hands the gas supply, the committee stated that, looking at all the circumstances attending the passing of the Metropolis Gas Act of 1860, and at the short period which had elapsed since it became law, and also at certain provisions in the act not yet exercised, there seemed to them to be little probability of bringing either of the projects suggested, if undertaken, to a successful termination at the present time. They wished it, however, to be clearly understood that that opinion was formed with reference to existing circumstances only, and they did not say that occa sion might not arise at a future day when those subjects might again be raised with advantage. The question as to whether such projects generally should be undertaken by the Corporation of London or by the commissioners acting on its behalf, was an important one, but need not be further alluded to in that part of the report. The committee stated that they now approached the question of applying to Parlia ment for an alteration in the Metropolis Gas Act, so far as it affected the City. In their opinion, whilst the companies had since 1861 obtained a higher price for gas, and derived a largely increased revenue thereby, as well as from other causes which that act brought into operation, neither in the illuminating power nor in the chemical purity had the citizens had an equivalent for it ; that upon the whole the citizens would have been better off at the present time had the con ditions of gas supply, as existing up to 1859, been unaltered. They moreover believed that in many towns where the stand ard of illuminating power and chemical purity werehigher, the price of the gas was lower than it was in the City ; and yet that the City had all those conditions which should make it profitable to supply "gas to it at a cheaper rate than in any part of the metropolis, or perhaps any other part of England. The city of London was, therefore, sup plied with gas less brilliant, loss pure, and at a higher price than many other places in the United Kingdom, and they considered that the City, as well as the metropolis generally, instead of being placed in an inferior position in those respects, should be the standard for the example of other towns ; and they believed, if these facts were set be fore the Legislature, that an amendment in the Metropolis Gas Act, 1860, as far as it affected the City,wouldno doubt be obtained. The committee submitted the following recommendations for the approval of the Court : " 1. That an offer should again be made to the companies from the commission to undertake the lighting, extinguish ing, cleaning, and the entire charge of the public lamps, affixing meters to every 20 lamps or thereabouts, and adopting such other precautions as will insure a fair average consumption. " 2. That the companies be requested to affix, at their expense, governors or regulators to the whole of the public lamps. " 3. That the further assistance of the police be, if pos sible, obtained in the supervision of the public lighting. " 4. That the application of Mr. Greenfield in respect of his curbetting process, be not complied with. " 5. That all legal measures to secure to the citizens gas equal to the Act of Parliament standard of illuminating power and chemical purity should b 3 resorted to. " 6. That an application be made to the Secret;ry of State for the Home Department to institute an inquiry as to the capitals of the several companies, and for the purpose of securing to the consumers all the advantages contemplated by the Metropolis Gas Act, 1860. " 7. That after mature consideration of the subjects re ferred to us, we are of opinion that it is inexpedient at the pre sent time to take measures with the view to the commission, manufacturing, and selling gas, but that application be made to Parliament for a modification of the Metropolis Gas Act, 1860, so far at it affects the City of London, and especially with the view of obtaining for the City gas of a higher illuminating power, of greater chemical purity, and at a cheaper price than that now supplied, and such otherpowers as may be beneficial to the ratepayers and gas consumers in the City. The committee, in conclusion, stated that if these The Lock-out in the Iron Trade. The millmen feel confident that their suggestion relative to the sending of puddled bars to the mills at the finished ironworks in North Staffordshire may be acted upon by the masters, who, they think, would be pleased to have it in their power to re open their works. Like the committee of the puddlers, the millmen's committee have received in timation that at two works the men have been offered the opportunity of returning to work if they will sign a document pledging themselves in no way to assist the puddlers in North Staffordshire. The works are not those respecting which application was made to the executive of the puddlers at Brierly hill on Monday. They are situate between Bir mingham and Wolverhampton. The committee object to their members signing documents gene rally, but in this case they see no reason why the condition required should not be complied with. The millmen are mostly the possessors of property which they have been able to accumulate as savings, and they are now mooting the project of starting a works with their own capital so soon as this lock out shall have termiqated. They purpose to avail themselves of the Joint-Stock Act, and to adopt the ordinary rules of co-operative societies. They have full confidence in their ability to carry on a finished ironworks by these means, and they say that they should not have contemplated such a step if their masters had not treated them, as they con ceive, with a marked absence of consideration. The millmen do not appear to be so generally of opinion as the puddlers that the employers meditate the destruction of the unions. Nevertheless, they are preparing for the worst by retaining their funds as long as is possible. That they are not altogether devoid of fear on this head may be gathered from the condition which accompanied the suggestion at their meeting on Monday. It was that while the masters sent puddled bars to North Staffordshire they should give the men a guarantee that they did not in tend to interfere with the unions when conducted in a manner that cannot be fairly considered as trenching on the privilege of the employers. Both millmen and puddlers in this district have a dislike to men living in tenements belonging to their employers; and both look upon masters who provide cottages for their men as most likely to use their in fluence as landlords to the detriment of the tenants. As the custom of housing men prevails to a great extent in the north of England, it is chiefly there the men think the ironmasters will insist on the annihila tion of the union. At the meeting in Newcastle-on- Tyne, however, there were even less feeling dis played of antipathy to the unions than at the meet ings in Birmingham ; indeed, at the former meeting there were some firms who were prepared to admit that the Gateshead Executive had done its utmost to prevent the men in North Staffordshire from re maining out. They would have been willing not to lock out these men, but this was not the feeling of the majority, and they gave way. In Birmingham, however, the determination to lock out was unani mous. The Ironworkers' Association feel that they have committed themselves in allowing the North Staffordshire puddlers to strike. In extenuation they explain that when the first meeting of delegates was held to consider whether or not the reduction should be accepted the delegate from North Staffordshire announced, even before the discussion began, that, a could conti nuance deter mined secure t c h r e e had delegates whatever decision they might com e t o , th e men h e represented believed that they d that even if ul theyifu of the old wages. He said they oug ht no t t o be a s asked e t d o tore resist st work an f y o for reduction,le less, and should refuse them help during their strike. The de legates resolved that the notice for a reduction should be accepted, and they desire, they say, that North Staffordshire should accept it, but as the latter were determined to take another course they were per mitted to do so. At the same time they suggested that they should be prepared to meet their masters half way, and endeavour to get off with a'reduction of 6d. instead of ls. a ton. Upon the latter sugges tion the North Staffordshire men at first acted, but were unsuccessful. They then continued the struggle for the whole of the old rate. Now that the dele gates, seeing the imprudence of their first step, desire to retrace it, the North Staffordshire men complain that they are being deserted, and state their determi nation to punish those by whom they conceive that they have been forsaken. The executive say that they are not the first men who have made a mistake, and that they do not think that they ought to be punished by either the masters or that portion of the men who are disaffected, as they have done all that they possibly could to prevent the consequences of their first false step. They repeat that all the op position they could have originally brought to bear against the men of North Staffordshire when they resolved not to accept the reduction would have been ineffectual to prevent a strike there. Their error, they confess, lay in supplying the North Stafford shire men with funds during any portion of the strike. But they say that they have done all in their power to rectify that error. So soon as they saw their mistake they ordered the North Staffordshire men to withhold all assistance, and, at the same time, they passed a resolution to expel them from the association in the event of their refusing to re turn to work. The withholding of funds and the ex pulsion have, they state, been rigidly carried out throughout the entire union ; the North Stafford shire men being no longer members of the associa tion, and their application for relief being rejected wherever it is made. Their good faith in this respect, the Executive state, they shall further give evidence of by strongly appealing the Trades Unions at the meeting of delegates on Wednesday not to afford any relief to North Staffordshire, and there can be no doubt that their appeal will be supported by the three'delegates from the Millmen's Association, who were appointed at the meeting of that body on Monday, at West Bromwich. Next Monday a third meeting of the delegates of the Ironworkers' Asso ciation will be held at Brierly-hill, at which the chairman and secretary of the Brierly-hill Execu tive will report upon their interview with the dele gates in London ; but no delegate will be invited from North Staffordshire. It is the opinion of the Executive that, owing to the great extent to which aid is withheld from the men in North Staf fordshire, they will not be able much longer to refrain from going to work. On the other hand, the North Staffordshire men proclaim that they are not starving, but, on the contrary able to do with out the help which has been withdrawn by the exe cutives. They say that they are receiving assurances of sympathy from many quarters,with practical evi dences of that sympathy from workmen and trades men in the potteries and elsewhere, who believe that their labour is worth all that they are asking for it. While the masters are not opposed to any project favourable to the return of the North Staffordshire men to work, they still have no confidence in the permanency of any arrangement the terms of which could not be enferced by legislative enactment. They say that the union has shown itself to be thoroughly powerless to enforce its own decrees among its own members, and that in the event of any arrange ment between masters and men the latter would be sure to break it the moment that they saw it was working against them and they felt they could do so with impunity. The masters in Scotland and South Wales are not understood to entertain the some lenient views in respect of the union as those by which the present action of the employers in the north and south of England is influenced ; and it is not unlikely that they may stipulate that their taking part in the dis pute shall depend upon the English masters taking a more decisive step in relation to unionism. No such step, however, is now contemplated by the associated masters in this country. Information has been received by the millmen that two large establishments at Jarrow are in full work, no notice having yet been given. Yesterday the secretary and some other members of the Millmen's Association were in Wolverhamp ton taking the necessary steps preliminary to the holding of a public meeting in that town. They propose on the occasion of the meeting to explain that they as a society and as individuals are in no way responsible for steps taken by the puddlers on account of which the masters have closed their works to all alike. Having done this they intendto leave the public to judge on the facts and to determine whether or not they merit to be visited with the punishment which, if it ought to be inflicted on any one, should they maintain, be inflicted upon those who are guilty. While making their provisional arrangements they have met with much sympathy from persons of local influence. It is the intention of the association to hold similiar other meetings in other towns through out the ironmaking districts. Up to the time when the lock-out commenced, funds were being sent from the Millmen's Association to the members of the society who, by the strike of the puddlers in North Staffordshire, were kept in enforced idleneis. Now, however, that the lock-out has placed all the mem bers upon the same level, relief has been withheld from the North Staffordshire millmen until after the next general meeting, when the precise amount per member will be determined upon. The millmen's deputation to the meeting of the deputies of the London trade societies left South Staffordshire for London yesterday evening. _ _ The pu ddlers':deputation left earlier in the day, after the receipt of a message from London requiring their presence in London sooner than had been pre viously arranged. NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE, Tuesday. Great anxiety prevails throughout the entire dis trict with regard to the result of the conference be tween a deputation from the turned-out iron workers and the Committee of the North of England Lronmasters' Association, to be held in this town this afternoon. At present everything is quiet and orderly, in the hope of an early settlement of the dispute, but if matters become involved and pro tracted, with the great number of men that are out of employment, and others that would speedily be knocked off, the consequences might become serious, especially in some of the districts where the iron workers have not an opportunity of mixing up with a superior class of workmen, who would keep them under some restraint. Meetings of the workmen were held at Spennymoor, Middlesborough, Wilton park, and Jarrow yesterday, when delegates were appointed to wait on the masters' committee. The proceedings were private, but it is understood that the meetings were tolerably unanimous, but moderate in their tone. A meeting of the Scotch masters will be held to-morrow, when the lock-out will be brought under consideration. But the im pression is general here to-day, as yesterday, that the present stagnation in the iron trade and stop page of the works through this lock-out will be of short duration if the north country employers have their way. Of course, all interest is concentrated in the committee appointed by the master's associa tion last week, for upon them devolves the. settle ment of the dispute. The workmen appear to be bent upon consolidating their union. At present there are two sections and two Executives. It is in agitation to hold a delegate meeting of the whole trade at once, with a view of consolidating the cen tral power in Manchester, or some other central part, and not in two sections, but in one power, for the government of the whole trade. The conference of the deputation from the Northern iron-workers with the masters' committee held in this town this afternoon continued two hours and a half. A number of subjects were discussed in an amicable temper. The deputation from the men repeated that they would not support the North Staffordshire strike. The discussion took this practical form at last :—The Northern masters, it was suggested, might send puddled bars into North Staffordshire, and thus re open the mills, the men of all the other districts not to interpose or object. The Gateshead and Brierley hill executives are called upon to give a definite pledge to such arrangement. A meeting-of the North country and Staffordshire ironmasters will be held in York on Friday, delegates from the Gateshead and Brierley-hill Union will attend, when terms of arrangement will be submitted by the latter, and there is great reason to believe they will be accepted by the former, and so end the lock-out in the North. SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.-At least two very clever and telling speeches were made on Monday night, and if they never went beyond the shores of this island we should not regret that they had been made. But we do regret that Mr. Forster and Mr. Bright should address themselves, in effect, not so much to the British House of Commons, or to their fellow subjects, as to that part of the population of the United States which Mr. Bright tells us is continu ally augmented from Irish and European discontent. We cannot conceive what patriotic purpose is to be answered by laboured arguments aiming to prove that the British Government, independent British statesmen, and the British Press have shown throughout this American war a systematic and mischievous; partiality to' the Confederate cause, have wilfully mistaken the Federal words and deeds, and have even contributed to lengthen the war and multiply its horrors. As to the British public they are too well informed to take blindfold from these avowed Federal partisans their version of long and complicated histories, their summing up of difficult questions, their judgment upon controversies and characters, and their suspicions, or rather their sentences, for these are Judges who no sooner sus pect than they proceed to denounce, to convict, and to condemn. Mr. Bright begins his story four years ago. Had he begun earlier, he would have had to observe that we lamented the rebellion as much as he could, and that we stigmatized very severely the Mode in which it had been commenced. He prefers, however, to date from May 44, 1861; when, as he says, the former Minister at our Court had declined to undertake anything of importance, and the new Minister got out of bed for the first time in London, and on coming down to breakfast read in the papers, to his surprise and confusion, a Proclama tion of neutrality, acknowledging the belligerent rights of the South. The effect, he says, was to afford great comfort to Richmond, and to grieve all Americans who wished to be at peace with us. 'We will take the liberty of adding some particulars which we conceive to be necessary to the appreciation of this outline. At the date in question, the war was raging with a breadth and intensity which already foreshadowed its terrible course. Of course Sumter had fallen, Mr. Lincoln had called for 140,000 soldiers and 18,000 sailors, besides more ships and more material. Both sides had issued tenders for loans to the amount of a hun dred or two millions of dollars. The blockade had begun at all the Southern ports, and the Federal papers announced that not a Confederate keel would be left afloat. The British public were expressing its astonishment at the gigantic efforts already made by both sides. Various plans of invasions by sea and land were discussed in the American papers, marvellously anticipating what has been actually done. It was already believed that the Federals were purchasing not only material, but ships, in this country. Already there had been negotiation and public discussion on most of the questions that have arisen during the war ; and we had immediately to say what course we meant to take as to the British ships, British subjects, or British goods captured or maltreated by either side in the attempt to enter American ports. At this juncture, not a day too soon for the complexities arising, and at a time when the Confederates were demanding their recognition as an independent State, and when the Federals had already perforce acknowledged their belligerent rights, we did neither more nor less than the Fede rals had done themselves. The Proclamation was an invariable formality. It so happens that the only thing remarkable in this instance wts the emphatic denunciation of the public crime of supplying the belligerents with ships and munitions of war. But the whole proceeding was a matter of course, and a necessity which could not be delayed a day. Then, what has Mr. Bright to say against it ? We ought, it seems, to have waited for the arrival of the new Minister, to have asked his opinion as to the course proper for us to take, and discussed the matter freely with him. Is it possible that Mr. Bright has at tempted to realise such a proceeding ? If Lord Rus sell had but put the question, " Mr. Adams, what do you do with the rebels you make prisoners ?" the answer must have precluded further discussion— that is, if any answer had been given. Mr. Adams, however, it is quite possible, might have replied that he would write to his Government for informa tion on that point, and the correspondence, once begun, might have been kept up in that candid, peaceful, and reasonable style which Mr. Bright so much admires to this day. So, again, in the affair of the Trent. We ought, it seems, to have done no thing whatever but talk to Mr. Adams and write to Washington. But Mr. Bright admits, on his own showing, that the act was not authorised by the United States Government, and that they, were fully aware that they were bound to give up the Confederate Envoys. Why, then, did that Govern ment, which in the meantime had approved the act of Commodere Wilkes, fail to do at once what they ought to do ? Why did they wait till they heard the indignation excited in this country, and the practi cal steps taken to give weight to our demands ? They must have waited a long time with the illegal capture in their hands, if they could at last allege our indignation as a reason for waiting still longer, and resisting justice more obstinately. Had the mat ter been left to the issue of an argument on inter national law carried on across the Atlantic, and had fever, or some such accident as that which befell the Florida, overtaken the unhappy envoys as they pined in gaol, Mr. Bright himself :must have felt a touch of that repenting which he ascribes to the British Legislature upon the present turn of Ameri can affairs. We have left ourselves but little room for our own case withthese gentlemen. Mr. Forster, we are sorry to tell so amiable a gentleman, has committed a double inaccuracy. He charges us with asserting positively that, on the restoration of peace, Federals and Confederates will join to invade Canada, and with wishing that the war may last. We neither made the assertion nor expressed the wish. We should doubt if there be one single person in this island who does wish the war to last a day longer than can be helped. Before Mr. Forster rises again in Parlia ment for the purpose of describing to the American public the opinions and sentiments of his own fellow-subjects: as to this war—before he contri butes more fuel to those angry feelings which he admits to exist there, and which he proclaims to be dangerous, let him qualify himself for the odious task by a lesson or two in the exactness of speech. We do not assert, and never have asserted, that the two belligerents will unite to invade Canada. We only state as truly as we can the apparent intention, and just inference, in the numerous documents, speeches, and articles in the files of American papers before us. Mr. Bright says, indeed, that the population of New York is nothing, and the newspapers of largest cir culation there are nothing. We wish we could think so, but we cannot. There is a continual threat ; we cannot shut our eyes and stop our ears to such a threat, nor can we ignore it in these columns. Mr. Bright tells us that the English Press was mistaken on American affairs, and is trying to back out of its mistakes. We admit that we have been mistaken about American affairs, but it has been in a sense exactly the contrary to that which he imputes to us. We certainly have greatly under-estimated the re sources the courage, and the tenacity of the South. When the war began .we did not expect the South would be able to offer so determined a resistance to its opponents ; we thought that the immense forces which the North was able to bring into the field must necessarily break through the weaker line of their opponents. We could not appreciate—and we are not ashamed of having been deceived—the long series of bloody battles which have compelled such a succession of Northern Generals and armies to yield to the prowess of a weak and despised enemy. We thought that the Southern line would have been speedily broken through ; that the principal cities of the Confederacy would probably fall into the hands of the invaders, and that Northern armies would have been able to traverse almost at will the terri tories which supply the materials of rebellion. These things are now beginning to come to pass, only they have come to pass much later and in a much less de gree than we had anticipated; but then we thought, and still think, that the real dangers and difficulties of the contest will begin. These territories are too vast to be occupied, and the elements of rebellion they conia'm are too rife to be left to themselves. They may be penetrated in every direction, but we do not see how they are to be held or subdued. It remains to be seen whether we are wrong in these anticipations. When we are shown to be so, it will be time to taunt us with our mistakes, and, considering the confi dent assurances of immediate victory which have been uttered by the so-called friends of the North ever since the beginning of a war which has already lasted four years, we do not see who is to cast the first stone at us. At any rate, we are not yet con vinced of our error, and need something more than Mr. Bright's oracular assertion to prove it. POST.—The bill which has been introduCed into Parliament by the Home Secretary for the regula tion of convict discipline has not made its appearance a moment too early. That some systematised at tempts must be made to deal with the subject the public was convinced long ago, and is only anxious that whatever steps are taken in the matter should be such as it will not be necessary to retrace. To retrace all the details of the various codes of regula tions now in force would be alike useless and weari some. The grand fact is patent that prison discip line should be uniform and regular if it is to answer its two great ends of punishment and of reformation, and that in England at present it is neither the one nor the other. We are probably speaking within tfie mark when we assert that in no three prisons are the rules laid down for the guidance of the governor identically the same, and that, even then, consider able latitude in their interpretation is allowed them selves by the visiting justices. The diet, the labour, the hours, the punishments for infraction of rules and for insubordination, are all varied. • There are many gaols the constituted authorities of which will only order corporal punishment under circumstances which amount to the practical discontinuance of that wholesome punishment altogether. There are some few in which the last is too readily applied. It is natural that the criminal classes, always keenly alive to any stratagem for avoiding the terrors of the law, should speedily discover the anomaly, and use their discovery, as they must unquestionably do, to secure for themselves comparative impunity from the consequences of their lawless pursuits. There is another consideration also which has to be taken into account, and that is the steady in crease which we must expect to take place in the number of those. with whom we shall have hence forth to deal. We have long ceased to hang our dangerous classes in batches. We are about to dis continue the practice of " shooting our rubbish " elsewhere. In other words, unless we make up our minds to face all the horrors of a purely penal set tlement, we must be prepared to provide for the re ception of a far larger number of the worst ruffians than'we have hitherto been called upon to accom modate, and to know also that the great proportion of them will have, at the expiration of their several sentences, to be absorbed in the rest of the com munity. There is, accordingly, a double incentive to see that we make a prison life, in the first place, 'as repulsive an idea as we possibly can to the criminal classes outside its walls ; and in the second place, as far as is practicable, of a reformatory character for those who are once inside them. That this can never be done without adequate accommodation, as well as adequate supervision, ought to be obvious to the merest tyro in the art of felon-taming. Such a gaol, for instance, as Coldbath-fields Prison, reflects, in spite of all the exertions of an able, active, and intelligent head, indelible disgrace upon the county of Middlesex, in which it acts, in many respects, as a simple nursery of crime. What possible effectual superintendence can be given to between two and three hundred scoundrels, grouped in one large dor mitory, by a couple of officers, compelled to breathe the fetid air of such a chamber for eight hours at a time, seated on high stools, constructed so as to counteract, as far as possible, the irrepressible ten dency to sleep under such circumstances ? How is communication to be cut off, or contaminating in fluences to be avoided, if one labour-yard is to re ceive its hundreds, one dining-room its fifties, one workshop its scores, at a time ? The simple truth is, that order, discipline, and classification, such as ought to exist in our prisons, are impossible under such conditions ; and that the failure of the system rests, not upon those hard-worked officials who do their best under the drawbacks with which they are surrounded, but upon those who permit such cir cumstances to remain unchanged. We are quite sure that, in the case of the Middlesex County Prison, the executive themselves are not altogether free from blame, and that prisoners are not unfrequently to be found there who ought to have been transferred at an earlier period to a Government establishment. But we have taken only what is perhaps the strongest instance of an anomaly which is unhap pily prevalent, that we may show what consequences may result from the want of such provisions as the new bill proposes to enact. In round numbers, We must reckon to have to deal in the county pris.c.e of England with an average of something nit? twenty thousand offenders, and ought, perhaps, lu order to be prepared for emergencies, to be able to house about five thousand more, if required. Eal of these prisoners ought to have a separate place (); confinement, if a trison is to be really a place 0 ' punishment for the present, and of but refor mation for the future. Not only so, but those whe, are sentenced to be kept to hard labour s he ' ll" know at once what their sentence means, and , ee experience proves, should be made aware that they, will have to undergo, as a rule, a very different! kind of penalty under this head from that WitU which too many of them have hitherto been familiar' Both of these points are dealt with satisfactorilii enough in the bill of the Home Secretary ; an d ' t it passes in its present shape through Parliameli.; little will have been left to be wished for i n respect. There will probably be more difficulty With regard to diet. The recommendations which weir`,, e ' circulated upon this head about a year ago b y tu Home-office, excellent as the suggestions were thee-, retically, are understood not to have been re ceive with favour. They threw an enormous, and ab le an overwhelming amount of responsibility upon ". shoulders of the prison surgeon, whose certificate was necessary for the due classification of the prisones. They materially complicated the internal arrangel ments, and would have rendered indispensable a co:, siderable increase in the staff of each prison ; a n us they were therefore generallyunacceptable to vario, 'boards of visiting justices. There is according ,1; little chance of the general adoption of the scale "J the courts of quarter session, as the Home Seere: tary seems to wish and hope. We think, therefor', that this portion of the bill will probably require modification, and that some simpler and l es s cclio 3 ; plicated machinery must be substituted for that which has been recommended by the piet a authorities who were empowered to report upon h is system. This is, however, the only blot Now ne t likely to be hit in a scheme which, even if it does _t recommend itself in all its bearings to the judginei,u of every individual prison reformer, ought to hailed by him as a step made in advance towarbuie the establishment of uniformity of system. Va-lu a de d as local self-government is, it is always atten, D g with the drawback of diversity of opinions resin in diversity of action. This was comparatively 1.111,1 limportant while we had an easy method of gettingtr; of our criminals, but becomes a very serious Inn 3 when such facilities no longer exist. It is ili f l ce d case in which individual fancies must be sacr for a common good, and that good can only be.,, ° s t tamed by the mutual concessions which must tirl ll the bottom of all comprehensive measures. It eri o be something if a question which so nearly cone ch the welfare of all can be settled in a sessi on W elts promises to be singularly bare of political res properly so called. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVE. At to-day's market R there was a POOL—TUESDAY f a i r attendanc.o o,,fath° to town and country trade, and more disposition 0 1 . 13 % ad .. buy. Wheat met with a good demand, and sold at acre in vance of 1d to 2d per 100 lb. on the week. No ell' Is flour to note. Oats and oatmeal a limited ii deteoi'e N or barley, beans, and peas there was no chang e in Suiu demand to note. Indian corn in request, and fine found buyers at 26s 6d to 26s 9d per 4801 b. MELTON MOWBRAY.—TuBsDAS• toe. White wheat, 41s to 44s ; red, 36s to 40 s per 36 2 4 p er Barley for malting, 31s to 35s per qr ; feed , 26$ to to Osi 30 stone. Oats a shade higher. Beans, old, 41s new, 36s to 38s per qr. SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY. i nocle ra" 3 The show of wheat by sample was large, and a ~, ivit .quantity was set down in the bulk. Trade, bewa—'wero slow, and there was no alteration in price. 'Seed oatSrices, in active demand, and the best samples made highq price Beans and barley sold slowly at late prices, and the ' of flour remains the same. leo ! Red wheat, per load of 3 imp. Dushels 153 Od to s , od White do do Vs 01 .; 00 oa New red do do ...JOB Od. iv tid New white do do l6s ( 1 l os 6c l Beans do do Os td 420 0 , 1 Peas, per qr. Grinding Mr ley, per qr 30s Od 4s d Malting barley, . o 32s Od "; stl Oats, do 2lB Od 2 ` F10ur....1s 5d to 13 9d per 141 b. LEEDS—TUESDAY. • 91 6°11 The arrivals this week are not large, but quite su hnt Of for the demand. We make no change in price , " - e oliAt e millers seem careless about buying except for inIT cit tit. use. Fine barley sold well ; other sorts very baa .° Oats and beans firm. ..., a were ' The average prices for the week ending March u • atS, a o Wheat, 38s 51d per qr. ; barley, 29s 11 3 d ; al l 21s 6id. i , MONMOUTHSHIRE—MONDAY. b 114.. At the local markets there has been a considerable and , ness transacted during the past six or seven &Ist, si e large quantity of corn has changed bands. rior quality commands last week's prices, .while re:001 descriptions are less inquired for. There is a fair Ogl , Wheat c ) .' r el ief for malting barley and miller's as well. The late + 50 rise in oats is maintained. ilibes., .I The following are the average. quotations :- 1, 2 2L. 5s to 5s 5d per bushel ; barley, 3s 3d to 3s 7d.; oats, to 2s 7d. . ___........ Foreign Mail Packet Lis • .gar• 5 . Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton..• • . osr , 1 Ditto, via Marseilles ........................... ril6. Brazil and Cape Verde, by British packe t ....... • ..... 2 1 ' Ditto, by British packet . ....... .3110 , Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Ilelena.••.. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Sou hamptOn• . ;" 10 .1 0 Ditto, via Marseilles .................... • ... 11 . Falkland Islands ................................ opt. Gibraltar, via Southampton .......... India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampto n " 3 f• sr. ... 14. Ditto, via Marseilles ....... • - ... * W. India (Bombay), via Southampton.. ............... Ditto, via Marseilles .. . Mauritius, via Southampton .A• P P Ditto, via Marseil .......................•••..00,1 Newfoundland .................................... -...••• Portugal •••• - Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon.. ............. 5 United States and British North America , b Y nr ...3W. i tish packet ................................. .• • Ditto. by United States packet, via Southatar ten 1 1 • Ditto, via Ccrk ................. .. ......... :s ilok ,/ Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londonderri• . . A pr West Ccast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe . .... Cus, 1 6, . West Indies and Pacific (except Bahamas , 3ap•• and Mexico ........ ..,01 4 rer- THE BOA CONSTRICTORS AT PARI S ' -- pr °C : has appeared in Paris on the diseases Wh ic plan t t ' . I most fatal to boa constrictors at the Jardin O s n 11"," ' It would appear that croup is formidable an e-e (liP' the race of reptiles as to human beings . Net Witlis i t : ftt : its ravages, however, several specimens 11; apt' tamed a considerable age. A tri e bele b3 ; c 6e ,, pent, brought over in 1842, is alivrna°rcivPer t 0 01y0 tit" Australia in 1846, is in perfect health ; ° L'iS° t a d frog, or rainette, which came over at tbo sAolliiceaslll, Eight pythons, born in the gardens, wh lcil ba l(t) from 45 to 50 centimetres on leavin ' the egg'„, tre‘ t°i t 3 ained a length varying from 2 metrges 0 - e i . 5' ,, t3 metres 30 centimetres, and one f these PY,l'5Ol"l years old. A South American crocodile , o vtl,ic': olv t in 1851, and then measured 30 centim e tres , ' n , i - p lj ej .4 metre 30 centimetres in length, and one , - ,:d 3 d, - , 11 of his of the caiman family, who h 5 the ,' " --1' Pl e ' * France were but 25 centimtaes lown when O h l I vis i ii t°r° from head to tail. The menu . of these g egr ee , a : e k Ol , - O ill consists chiefly of rats and mice, which 1110" Y, {12001;1 the gardens, and hunting them forms the cb .e- 5 , 11 0 9 ", • tion of a staff of boys who assist the keepe r 5 * ,bi 11 -fo some and catch a considerable number aliire, ' rye ' c o ts, - 0 carefully preserved as a bonne &ruche for the s A e ,,:atY ai ° t whose palate a live mouse is as enjoy able P ' l eoO r 't,, e; perdreau truffe from Wvours is to j a Y 1 1111°11 0 ,1 ' c lelec.4 Rabbits and guinea-pigs are bred for the sP eel ~,.. tion of the boa constrictors.—Paris letter. ___,-.---- tge' Births. 000 44 ...4 DUFEERDT.—On the 14th inst., at 8 , Gr°Wir 00 9.- Lady Dufferin, of a daughter. ;co Of , 0 l e DEN E.—On the 13th inst., at Hythe, the w if e OP" Denne, of a daughter. na ltei l 0 0 the ‘'"-f GARRETT.—On the 12th inst., at Or• Carlton-road, Kentish-town, the wif e 19- 0 1. Garrett, of a daughter. g the Lusx.—On the 12th inst., at Woodside, well Lusk, of a daughter. lei dugVirii ii- Faux, ofMary N e wport'ir il Basingstoke,atorr:iaagellen, FAIJX—ALABONE.—On the 11th inst., at Yte,l hteer ' 9l the late Francis Alabone, Esq., a .).' Wight. ,Age, Pd , 3,fortl-01 of TAYLER—COOPER.—On the 14th inst, 1 „ 1 ,',. , i . Eldrily" Henry Tayler, of Belgrave-street, to P - ,., 3 . „a - ' , P'' Come, only daughter of John Cooper, -"' -. Villa, Mortlake. 1 1,' BEAUFORD.— On the 12th at a c e Deaths. inst, 14213.n ri s un Gq.E. : s s o. , —On Hants,st .fl:oerrTmßhe roclialyivafilr. It : il v i L fi g osc e droc l io, o o,ll ,: i ie e ; HARVEY.—On the 9th inst., Lady Fustece'..,sea V . ' 4 Hm te T r o o N f ._ th o e n la t t h e e Adm ut ir h al . Si: Eliab lier e) ' • O ile. Green' 5s t. 78. fon t, Hilton, Esq., of Lords, ninesar"Faavteßnlivaeiltereeel'ea:,iliPY" TURNER.—On the 10th inst. at Curzon-stre" oil,' Thomas Turner, Esa M.D ' , aged 93. n oel WALTEBS.—On th 11th inst., at 3, Broil: 1 0 °44 , James Walters, Esq., aged 80. il'O' ---- .. r1 .11) ,4 0 0 " ii i i Loudon : Printed and Published by WILLI-4'7;00, '" o tt ° of No. 112, Strand, Punter, at Tit.o So/ O 0 in the Strand, in the Precinct of the SaYoh Middlesex.—Wednesday, m arch 15, 180'