The Sun. — London, England, 1865-03-27 00:00:00

Her Majesty's Ship Agincourt. At high water, about half-past 10 o'clock this morning, Messrs. Laird Brothers, of the Birkenhead Ironworks, will float from a graving dock in their yard her Majesty's ship Agincourt, an ironclad ram, which they have built for Government. The vessel is a magnificent specimen of naval architecture, and the workmanship throughout is of the very best character. It is expected that she will shortly be ready for the trial trip, and there appears to be little, if any, doubt as to her completely satisfactory behaviour. The annexed information respecting the Agincourt and the other work ,in progress at this yard has been supplied by Messrs. Laird. It is rather more than three years since the works were commenced, and the first plate of the keel was lowered into the dock to its final place on the blocks in June, 1862. The total weight of the ship, armour plating, and machinery as she now lies is more than 8,000 tons. During the course of her construction as many as 1,000 men have been employed upon this one ship, varying according to the different stages of the work. The number is now reduced to about 500, and will become gradually less as the different parts are completed. After being undocked she is to be towed into the new Morpeth Dock, Birkenhead, where her machi nery will be tried, and the various details of intern a l fittings and outfit completed. The dimensions of the ship are :—Length over all, 410 ft. ; length between the perpendiculars, 400 ft. ; breadth (extreme), 59ft. 3iin. ; tonnage, 6,680 tons ; draught of water abaft, 26ft; forward, 25ft. ; height of port tills above water, 10ft. ; number of ports on each side, 26, of which two on each side are suited for 12-ton 300- pounder guns, the remainder for 100-pounder Somerset naval guns or 110-pounder Armstrongs. The armour plating is sfin. of iron bolted on to 10in. of teak, extending from sft. below the water-line to the gunwale, or a total height of about 21ft. The armour plates are rolled, and were made, part by the Mersey Steel and Iron Company, and the re mainder by Messrs. Brown and Co., of Sheffield. For about 30ft. at the extreme ends of the vessel the thickness is slightly reduced, so as to give buoyancy to the vessel ; the thickness at the stem being 3in., and under the counter about 2i-in. The stem is formed in the ram shape, and is a solid forging of enormous strength. This and the stern frame, which weighs upwards of 40 tons, were made by the Mersey Steel and Iron Company. The hull of the vessel is of iron, of very great strength, and divided into numerous watertight compartments by both longitudinal and athwartship bulkheads, and there is also a watertight inner skin, forming a double bottom, to give security against danger of the vessel sinking in case of the bottom being injured by striking on rocks. The upper deck is plated with iron five-eighths of an inch thick, underneath the wooden deck. The whole of the internal fittings are most elaborate and complete, comprising cabins, store-rooms, magazines, shell-rooms, and the vari ous fittings for the accommodation of the crew and the working of the guns. An important addition has been made to the ship since she was laid down, in the shape of a poop and topgallant forecastle. The poop gives ample space for the cabins neces sary for an admiral and staff, thus fitting the ship for a flagship, which the arrangements of the earlier ironclads did not admit of. The forecastle, being plated in front with armour plates, forms a kind of breastwork, to prevent the upper deck being raked by an enemy's fire, and also gives room for two large guns, which can be trained in a line with the keel, and will be most useful as bow chasers. There are to be five masts, all of iron, which are now complete alongside ready for putting on board. The engines are of 1,350-horse power, and were made by Messrs. Maudslay, Sons, and Field, of Lon don. It is expected that they will exert sufficient power to propel the ship more than 14 knots an hour. The whole of the machinery was sent round from the Thames in Government storeships, tran shipped in the Birkenhead docks into lighters,brought into the graving dock alongside the Agincourt, and then lifted on board by means of a travelling crane fitted up for the purpose ; the heavy parts, such as cylinders and boilers, weighing upwards of 25 tons each. The vessel has been constructed in a dock which was altered specially for the purpose, and is now one of the finest graving docks in the country, being about 430 ft. long, with an entrance 75ft. wide and a depth of water on the cill of 24ft. on average spring tides, and as much as 27ft. or 28ft. on high spring tides. The dock is covered by a lofty shed, 80ft. in width, of corrugated iron, supported on iron columns, which also carry a line of rails for two tra velling cranes, which have been constantly used in lifting and putting in place the massive framework and armour-plating of the ship. This shed and the different decks of the ship have been lighted with gas, so as to enable the men to work full hours dur ing the winter months, and without exposure to the inclemency of the weather. The ship also has the ad vantage of having been protected from the injurious effects of wet and damp during the whole course of construction. The appliances have enabled the builders to get the ship nearly ready for sea before sending her away from their own premises, and the machi nery is so far completed that it is intended to make preliminary trial of the engines to-morrow ; in deed, if it had not been for the injury the smoke would do to the shed, steam might have been got up to move the ship from the dock. After this description of the largest vessel that the Messrs. Laird have yet turned out, it will not be out of place to give a short description of the premises, and the amount of general work nOw in hand. The premises have a frontage to theriver of about I,oooft, and a depth of about 600 ft., or equal to an area of about 14 acres. Within this area are comprisedthe usual building slips, shops, and machinery for build ing iron ships, and also five large graving docks, the two largest of which are capable of receiving the largest class of vessels afloat. There are also in the same establishment very extensive shops for making engines and boilers, nearly the whole of the ma chinery for the vessels built on the establishment being made on the premises. We may mention that the total amount of tonnage now on hand invarious stages of progress is about 27,000 tons, and the horse power of engines now being made is about 3,700. The total number of workmen employed at the present time in the various departments is about 3,800, and from appearance we judge there is ample employment for them for some time to come. There have been several important alterations made in these works lately, among others the extensive shed used as the armour-plate shop, which has been spe cially adapted for the heaviest class of armour-plate work, and is complete with hydraulic presses, planing and drilling machines, as well as furnace and cradles for bending the plates while hot, the whole shop being traversed by powerful travelling cranes. A large number of vessels are in progress ; among those most advanced are one screw steamer of 3,300 tons and 475 horse power, for the National Steam Navi gation Company ; one screw steamer of 1,800 tons i 275 horse power ; two steel paddlewheel steamers of 1,100 tons and 260 horse power each ; one ar mour-clad turret ship of 1,100 tons and 300 horse Power ; one sailing ship of 600 tons, for the West Coast trade ; a n d a l so a small steam launch, about 25 tons, with engines on th e d ou bl e screw pr i nc i p l e. The four first named steamers will be complete and ready to launch within the next month, and the engines and boilers are also in a forward state. In one of the large docks is her Majesty's turret ship Wivern, sister ship to the Scorpion (the preliminary trial of which vessel we noticed a few days ago). She is nearly complete, and the masts, which are now alon gs id e, have been made on Cap tain C. P. Coles's tripod principle, this being the first vessel in her Majesty's serv i ce so fitted. In the same dock are two vessels undergoing heavy re pairs. Among other contracts recently entered into is one for the building of an iron screw transport for her Majesty's Government for the India relief service, of 4,173 tons, with engines (which are al so to be made at these works) of 700-horse p ower nominal, but to be capable of working up to 4,250- horse power. This vessel will be laid down imme diately, in the large dock occupied by the Agincourt. There are also contracts in hand for three paddle wheel steamers for river service, and three large screw steamers. The engines and boilers for all these vessels, with one exception, are being made in the works. Naval and Military Intelligence. VALETTA, March 20.—Prince Arthur arrived on Friday in the Royal Enchantress, having visite d Naples, Messina, Catania, Syracuse, Tunis, and Girgenti. As his Royal Highness is travelling incognito, there were none of the usual salutes. He, however, witnessed a review of the troops in garri son on the Floriama parade-ground, and also the spectacle of all the batteries opening fire to resist a feint naval attack. He was entertained at dinner by Sir Henry Storks, who invited the principal civil naval, and military authorities to meet him. The Enchantress left on the following day with Prince Arthur for Jaffa. Her Majesty's ship Magicienne, 16, Capt. W. Armytage, arrived on Monday evening from Corfu, where she left the Cossack, 20, Lieut. Borlase (in charge), on the 11th inst. She visited Antivari to communicate with the British consul there. She brings no news of interest of importance. The Psyche, 2, despatch-vessel, Lieut. Commander R. Sterne, returned on T u esd a y n ight from Naples with the Bishop of Gibraltar and Archdeacon Cleugh. The Revenge, 93 (bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral H. R. Yelverton, C. 8.), Captain the Hon. F. A. C. Foley, arrived on Saturday from Naples, having remained there a day or two later than was intended to do honour to the birthday of the Sovereign and Crown Prince of Italy on the 14th inst. She had on board as passengers Sub-Lieut. Sherbrook, R.N., and Mr. W. C. P. Medlycott. The ship is to proceed in a few days to England to be put out of commission, and it is generally understood that Rear-Admiral Yelverton will shift his flag to the Caledonia, ironclad frigate, for the Mediterranean. Here the birthday of Victor Emmanuel and Prince Humbert were observed by the ships of war in port dressing with flags (the Italian flag at the main), and, together with the garrison, firing a royal salute at noon. The Italian ship Eurydice, 18, and Vala roso, 8, fired royal salutes at 8 o'clock, at noon, and at sunset, in accordance with the Italian custom. These vessels have since left for Corfu. The Liffey, 35, Capt. G. Parker, was to leave Gibraltar on the 13th inst., for Colon, in the Isthmus of Panama, to transfer supernumeraries to the Pacific station, to a ship which would await them on the other side of the isthmus. The Phoebe, 35, Capt. T. D. A. For tescue, came in to-day, 19 days from Alexandretta, and 7 from Candia. The Chanticleer, 17, Com mander J. E. F. Risk, was at Alexandretta bylthe last accounts, when the Orlando, 46, Capt. G. G. Randolph, had not arrived. '.The Meeanee, 60, Capt. G. Wodehouse, and the Assurance, 4, Commander M. C. Seymour, left for that port on Saturday. Owing to alarming news having been received yes terday from Athens, her Majesty's ship Gibraltar, 81, Capt. R. Coote, has been order to proceed im mediately to the Piraeus, and left this afternoon. She will be followed, should affairs become more threatening, by other ships of the squadron. The Enterprise, 4, Commander Rowley, is under orders to leave on Tuesday, to take back to Tripoli Capt. Herman, the British Consul-General, who together with Mrs. Herman, is returning from England. Lieut. H. H. Washington, R.N., arrived on Tues day night from leave to rejoin the Cossack. Surg. J. Dunwoodie, R.N., lately of the Royal Naval Hospital, Malta, left on Monday to join the Eury alus, flagship of the Commander-in-Chief in China. The 4th Battalion Rifle Brigade, now at Gibraltar, have received their orders for Canada, and are to embark about the end of May. The 2d Battalion 7th Royal Fusiliers will leave Malta for Canada about the same time, and be relieved by the 84th Regiment from England. On her passage from Holyhead to Plymouth last week the ironcased cupola ship Scorpion, 4, was under the command of Captain Paynter, of the Coastguard ship Donegal, 81, at Liverpool. The Scorpion averaged 9i knots under steam only, and 10i- knots under steam and canvas. In her present trim she is considered well adapted for sea purposes. When her guns, ammunition, and additional fuel are on board, she will draw, it is calculated a foot more, and that will probably lessen her speed. She left Holyhead on Wednesday at noon, and arrived in the Sound on Thursday at 9 p.m. At 340 a.m. on that day, when about 37 miles south of the Smalls, the night being very dark, she came into a collision with a merchan ship, name un known. The vessel was on the port tack and exhi bited one red light; she struck the Scorpion's fore bow, and stove it in to the extent of considerable tonnage, pursued her course. The Scorpion stoped her, enyines, furled sails, and burnt alarm lights to no purpose. She was going at a rate of more than 10 knots. It is supposed that the other vessel is not much injured. The Himalaya, screw troopship, Capt. E. Lacy, sails this morning from Portsmouth for Dover, to embark the 24th Regiment from Shorneliffe Camp for con veyance to Dublin. From Dublin the Himalaya conveys the 84th Regiment from the Curragh to Malta, next conveying a regiment from Malta to Canada, and returning thence to Spithead with the 17th Regt. of Infantry. We regret to hear that the Admiralty are again sending the Himalaya to sea without the very necessary and really inexpensive application of a " governor" to her engines, to con trol their racing propensities when the long and famously efficient trooper is running before a heavy sea. The destruction of her crank-shaft, and the ship's consequent forced inaction of four months in Portsmouth harbour since her last voyage, were simply owing to the want of a " governor" to regu late the admission of steam to her engines when running before a sea. The Industry, screw stores*, Master-Comman der Edward C. T. Youell, arrived at Spithead yes terday morning, with naval stores and a few super numeraries, from Rio de Janeiro. She will proceed round to Woolwich. Col. Thackwell,Deputy-As - sist.-Adjt.-Gen. of the West Military District, will be succeeded in the duties of his office on the expiry of his term of ser vice by Col. Alison. The head-quarters of the 52d regiment (Oxford shire Light Infantry), under the command of the Hon. Major E. G. Curzon, consisting of 10 officers, 254 men, 12 women, and 29 children, disembarked from the sailing transport Alumbagh, on return from service in India, at Dover, on Saturday, and arrived at Portsmouth the same evening. The regi ment will be quartered in Portsmouth garrison for the present ; and the left wing on their arrival from India in the Nile sailing transport, will join head quarters from the Alumbagh in the Cambridge barracks. Th e reg i men t a l d epot was i nspecte d at Portsmouth on Friday last by Major-Gen. Lord W. Paulet, C. 8., Lieut.-Governor of Portsmouth, and Commander-in. -Chief of the South-West Mili tary District. The following appointments have been made at the Admiralty :—William H. Drysdale, master, to the Duke of Wellington ; William D. Morish, mid shipman, to the Geyser ; William Redmond, assist. -surgeon, to the Asia ; W. H. Stewart, acting assist.-surgeon, to the Royal Adelaide; John M e Ci ath e' ead, c hief engineer, to the Achilles ; and J . J . Gr c hief engineer, to the Cumberl an d , for the flood. " And then he drew a dial from his poke, And looking on it with lack lustre eye, Says very wisely, ' It is ten o'clock : Thus we may see,' quoth he, how the world wags. " SIIAKSPEARE Benson's Pocket Dials are artistic, accurate time markers,•made in every size, suitable for everybody, and are sent to every part of the kingdom, safe by post, at 5,6, 7,8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and 35 guineas in gold cases; and at 2,3, 4,5, 6,7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19,.20, 21, 22, 23, 24, and 25 guineas in silver cases. A descriptive pamphlet post free for two stamps. -J. W. Benson, Ludgate-hill, watch and clock maker to H.R.H. the Prince of Wales. ADTERTISEMENT.3-110110Way'S Pills.—Nervous De bility.—Persons who feel weak, low, and nervous may rest assured some serious aliment is looming in the distance, against which instant action should be taken. Holloway's Pills present the ready means of exciting energetic action on the liver, liberating accumulating bile, and lifting at °thneeLadlyoa.d from the spirits, an d expe lli ng a po i son f rom This simple and natural method of remedying the first tendency to disease, gives instant cam, and en sures future safety. The pallid, and all those who are losing flesh, should try these pills, which are especially useful when the digestive and other functions are im perfectly performed, and demand immediate cotTection, or in after years neither mind nor body will be well developed. he Loelt-out in the Iron Trade. - ♦- WOLVERHAMPTON, Saturday. Late last night a preliminary meeting of the Com mittee of the Trades Unions and others of Birming ham was held in that town. Mr. George Potter, of London, attended the meeting, accompanied by the President of the Brierly-hill Executive, who had just returned from attending the Trades Union meetings in London. They report that liberal promises of help were madd to them, and that the £lOO promised by the glassmakers of Stourbridge was to be increased by another £lOO from the funds of the Birmingham Society, and the whole handed over in instalments of £lO weekly. The President also states that such is the sympathy displayed in London towards the North Staffordshire men that a union of one of the branches of the building trades promised them £5OO. But the Executive entertain . hopes that no portion of these moneys may be required. They make especial reference to the fact that, so soon as the letter of Mr. Roden, the chairman of the masters in North Staffordshire, appeared in the Times, offering to piece before the Association to which he belonged any offer from the North Staffordshire workmen, in the spirit of the remarks of the North Stafford shire delegate at the London meeting on Wednes day, Mr. Potter sent the following telegram from London : " To W. H. Roden, Esq., Etruria-hall, Hanley, Stafford shire. From George Potter, London.—As chairman of the London Trades' meeting, held on Wednesday evening last, I am instructed by Mr. Baker (one of tho North Stafford shire delegates) to inform you that the men of North Staf fordshire are prepared to carry out the statement which he made at the meeting, which is reported in your letter in the Times of to-day. Mr. Baker will be at Tunstall early to morrow (Saturday) morning." Mr. Baker's offer, it will be remembered, was that if the masterswould open their works the men would consent to leave the question of wages to arbitration. It will also be remembered that, about the time that this offer was being made, the Committee of the South Staffordshire Ironmasters Association were also arranging a plan of arbitration, suggesting that the North Staffordshire men should meet a deputa- tion of their own masters from South Stafford shire and the North of England, and with the Earl of Lichfield presiding. This afternoon the opinions of the representative men in North Staffordshire have been taken upon the masters' proposal ; and the men have expressed a wish to meet their own masters only, in their own district, and not at Stafford. Their wishes will of course be complied with, and the meeting will pro bably take place on Tuesday. The preference which the men show for meeting their own employers only may well be regarded as a favourable omen ; and it removes much of the suspicion which had been previously expressed to the effect that such was their feeling towards their masters that it would be necessary for masters at a distance to be present in order that the two might be brought together. Such a course may yet, however, have to be pursued. The Earl of Lichfield met the men and the mas ters at Newcastle, both separately. His lordship was accompanied by Mr. Jones, of the Trindle, Dudley, the business secretary of the Ironumsters' Association of South Staffordshire. Before his lord ship's arrival in North Staffordshire the men held a meeting at Tunstall, where theremarks of Mr. Peter Baker, one of their representatives at the London meetings, were fully discussed. The men denied that he had any authority to make the offer that if the masters would open their works then that the North Staffordshire men would go in and submit the question of wages to arbitration. They do not express themselves prepared to take this step, and said that Mr. Baker had mistaken their wishes. These, they said, were that the masters should allow them to resume work on this occasion, and then they would submit all future disputes to arbitration. When, afterwards, a deputation of the men met Lord Lich field, they informed his Jordship of what had taken place at the meeting in the morning ; but, never theless, expressed their readiness to meet their own masters in their own district in the presence of the Lord-Lieutenant ; and they consented to meet mas ters from other districts with their own, also in the presence of his lordship, if after the interview with their own alone such a further meeting should be found necessary. Lord Lichfield afterwards saw the North Stafford shire masters, who consented to meet their men in his lordship'samesence, and they hoped something amicable might be brought about ; but it was feared that the prospect looked scarcely so favourable as it appeared by the light of Mr. Baker's remarks in London. Meanwhile the South Staffordshire men are pre paring to act as if the lock-out had every prospect of being continued over a lengthened period. On Wednesday next ten men, who are described as among the most skilful and the most thrifty of the paddlers in the Gold's-green district, will leave this country for Toronto, via New York, in the steamship Edinburgh. Their passage to New York will cost £5 10s. per man ; but each emigrant will receive £7, with which to defray that and other expenses. There is only one ironwork at Toronto, and it is thought that the emigrants may, on arriving in the States, remain there ; but they must go out as emigrants to British America, in order to comply with the spirit of the delegate meeting, by which an emigrant scheme was authorised. From all the districts applications to be sent out are still being received by the Executive ; most of the applicants desire to be sent to the State. From Bilston there are 12 applications. The Executive having discovered how strong the feeling of the members who desire to be sent out is in favour of the States contemplate suggesting to the various districts that they should recon sider the decision of the delegate meeting, and de termine whether or not it would not be well to send out a member to the States by whom applications should be sent home for men as often as vacancies are found for them. To-day the Council has been occupied several hours in discussing a plan of emigration to Auck land and other parts of New Zealand, submitted to them by an emigration agent who had come down from London for the purpose. The agent brought with him large maps of the country, and offered to send out members on reduced terms. But it is thought, now that the views of the districts have been obtained, that only a small proportion of men are prepared to leave their own avocation, and they are tempted to go to the States by the representa tions of men who have been there, and say they arc waiting only the termination of the war to return. By these it is announced that 6 dollars is paid in America for puddling the same description of iron for which 9s. 6d. is paid in this country and that while provisions and other expenses may be dearer than here, yet at the end of the year the steady puddler is much better off in America than in Eng land—at the same time that he enjoys political pri vileges which he cannot secure with so much free dom at home. These representationA are proving of great weight with the men who wish to leave this country. It is designed to keep up the emigration movement even after the lock-out is over. Much distress continues to be apparent among men who ar e ou t o f th e un i on. T o -d ay 169 men were in the stone-yard of the workhouse ready to sreak stones for relief, and, although accommoda tion could not be f oun d for them, yet they were paid in proportion to their children, who for wilo numbered iO , t h to e r bemen d deferred d a applying ;i ce y could be relief, but in_ their n a 1 cases s3s h a ves A ti d g di at t e io d n b a y , men therelie .e vin b g ein o g ffic t e hwn officers. out of work . daily. Messrs. Grazebrook and Aston, blast furnace and colliery proprietors, have given their workpeo ple notice that they will blow out both their blast furnaces at Netherton next Saturday ; and M r . Grazebrook informs us that already his firm has 800 colliers unemployed in consequence of the lock-out. Mr. Doyle, inspector for this district to the Poor Law Board, is very kindly using all his influence to bring about a settlement of the dispute, and he is now visiting both divisions of Staffordshire for that purpose, and is obtaining interviews with both mas ters and men. Mr. Doyle is familiar with the Con tinental practice in such cases, and he hopes to be able to make such suggestions as will ultimately lead to a somewhat similar course being pursued in this case, and also in any future disputes in the iron trade of this country. NEWASTLE-ON-TYNE, Saturday Night. The workmen at Walker, Jarrow, Spennymoor, Consett, and most of the other districts have met, and come to the determination that— "ln consequence of a want of harmony being manifest in the action of the South Executive in not responding to the request of the Northern Council to attend the meeting held at York on Friday, March 17, and so refusing to com ply have caused a continuance of The present lock-out, which, according to tho master's statement, might easily have been settled if they had been present, we demand of the Gateshead Executive to sever their connection with the Brierley-hill Council from this date." A total disconnection of both masters and men from the Staffordshire complications willprobably form the basis of negotiations at the proposed interview be tween the masters and the delegates from the north country workmen, which is proposed to be held at Darlington on Monday. The strongest hopes are entertained that everything will be amicably settled at that interview, and that a better understanding be tween the employeis and the employed will be a con sequence of it. From some cause or other, the men still adhere to the emigration scheme. It is much discussed even under the present altered circum stances of the lock-out, and many families seem likely to try their fortunes in America, even suppos ing the ironworks should be immediately opened. The prospects of American emigration have, how ever, received a timely check from a letter sent home by a Durham miner, John Watson, formerly of Wrenkenton, who has been out in Jefferson County, Ohio, eight years. Watson, writing from America, and addressing the working men of the North, says : "Employers and capitalists, and others interested in get ting cheap labour, have sent agents and commissioners among you, who by advertisements in newspapers and pub lications, would make the English minor and English work ing man believe that America is at the present time little short of a terrestrial paradise; that here, if the millennium has not already arrived, it certainly is close at hand. Now, the motive of employers and capitalists in sending agents among you is plain. It is to overstock the labour market, and thereby reduce wages. They may tell you that we are making very high wages, which some of us may do, but they don't tell you that all things we have to buy are high also. I worked over 20 years in the coal mines of Durham and Northumberland, therefore I am well acquainted with all the evils you have to contend with. I have worked eight years in the coal mines in this country, so I think I may claim to be able to judge of a minor's life hero and in England. In England you have a house and fuel for next to nothing— about 13s. a year ; you have medical assistance gratis in case of accidents, and at some places ss. per week; you have besides, what no amount of money can buy, your friends and relations living about you, and very likely you have a snug little reading room where you can spend your leisure hours pleasantly and profitably. On the other hand, here I have paid the last year over $OO for house rent, and about $4O for coal ; here is no medical attendance, except you pay for it; hero is no smart money, here are no reading rooms where you might pass away an hour if you had it to spare, which you might not after you have worked 12 or 14 hours a day, if you are so lucky as to get work." A communication from Middlesborough states : " The lock-out is now beginning to tell seriously upon the circumstances of the ironworkers. more especially upon the improvident class of puddlers and millmen, and upon the underhands and labourers, who when times are good only obtain very low wages. The labourers thrown out by the strike amount to some hundreds in Middlesborough alone. When in full work their wages are scarcely ever more than 20s. per week, and in many instances not so much, so that it will readily be seen they, have little oppor tunity for laying by for such a calamity which is at present pressing upon them." lIANLEY, March 25. Lord Lichfield, at Manley, to-day met a deputa from the puddlers of the district at the Working Men's Club. He advised a conference between the North Staffordshire masters and the men. The deputation promised to call a general meeting , of puddlers on Monday, and recommended the con ference. The North Staffordshire men will not go to Staf ford, nor meet the South Staffordshire masters. The masters will, no doubt, insist that the men, as a first step, shall go in at a reduction.. The Robberies in the City. REPLY TO COLONEL FRASER'S REPORT Mr. John Walker, whose premises were lately robbed to so great an extent, has written the fol lowing reply to Colonel Fraser's report in vindica tion of the City police in connection with this and other recent burglaries in the City. Mr. 'Walker's reply is in the form of a letter to the Lord Mayor and the Court of Aldermen :- 68, Cornhill, E.C., 25th March, 1865• My Lord and Gentlemen, —Having read the report pre sented by Alderman Sir F. G. Moon from the General Purposes Committee appointed by, your honourable Court, on the subject of the recent burglaries in the City, I beg respectfully to submit the following comments thereon. I deny, emphatically, that Mr. Lund made use of the lan guage attributed to him in that report ; this in itself clearly establishes the evil of private inquiries into matters concern ing the public interest and welfare, and which, I need hardly say, are contrary to the spirit of the age in which we live, and to the true character of municipal institutions of which we so frequently and loudly boast. With regard to your quoting a resolution which was passed at a meeting of the Ward of Cheap, viz. : " That it is most undesirable that large masses of valuable I property should be left in the City without resident protec tion, such a course acting as an encouragement to skilful and daring thieves, and casting thereby a most onerous and difficult duty on the police force, by withdrawing their attention from other and equally important duties." I would, in reply, call your attention to the very different views expressed by members of the Court at the time of the proposed amalgamation of the Metropolitan and • City police forces, and as one example will suffice for the present, I quote the following passage from a speech delivered by Mr. Alderman Rose (then Lord Mayor), and whose name is ap pended to your report, at the Mansion House, on the 21st of April, 1863 (vide the Times, 22d April, 1863) : "And after business hours, when wealthy merchants and bankers betook themselves to their houses in the West-end of the town or the suburbs, millions worth of property was left to the sole care of the police in the dead hours of night." If this was the opinion then deliberately expressed by the chief magistrate of the City of London, what has induced such a change in your ideas of the duties of the police under your control ; and if the vigilant guarding of the property of the citizens left at night is not a part of the duty of the city police, where, then, is the necessity of so largo a force being employed in so small an area ? You state, " the Commissioner of City Police furnished your committee with the most ample returns in relation to the matters under our investigation, and gave the fullest in formation on every point connected with them." Now, as these returns might prove both useful and in structive to your memorialists and the citizens generally, perhaps you will have no objection to making those returns public, and thereby - enabling them to form their own opinion as to the value of the data upon which you have come to such a conclusion. You state, " after very full inquiries we consider that the allegations of the memorialists have not been supported by evidence, nor has anything transpired to substantiate the charges contained in the letter of Mr. Walker as to the general inefficiency of the City police force. Your commit tee,therefore,can discover nothing calculated to weaken the confidence which has hitherto been felt in the management and efficiency of the force." The allegations of the memorialists and the charges con tained in my letter, as to the general inefficiency of the po lice, certainly have not, as you state, been supported by evidence, and why ? Because we decline, in a matter of such public importance, to become parties to a private in quiry ; but those allegations I am prepared to prove before a public court. And the mere fact of your committee not being able to discover anything to weaken the confidence which has hitherto been felt in the management and effi ciency of the police, does not prove that the citizens gene rally have not just cause for their complaints, and their want of confidence which has been so strongly expressed has, I regret to say, not been restored by the numerous burglaries which have unfortunately taken place since mine. I again respectfully demand a public investigation into the organisation and working of the City police force, before which Col. Fraser shall, if necessary, be called upon to give evidence ; and I challenge a contradiction of my.assertion, that more men have left the force during the last eighteen months than during a previous period of three years,which has been the cause of changing what was at one time a really valuable police, both for the prevention and detection of crime, into ono that is almost useless, as far as these purposes are concerned. In this statement lam fully borne out by the result, which can be proved by the police books, that more burglaries have taken place during tho past 18 months than during a previous period of three years ; and I also have to add, that the detection of the late burglaries in the City has been mainly effected by the me tropolitan police. Believing that such a state of things cannot really be satisfactory to you, and that you are actuated by a desire to assist the citizens in obtaining a truly effective police force —a police force worthy of this groat commercial city—and thereby rendering an amalgamation with the metropolitan police totally unnecessary, I trust you will at once accede to my request, and grant a free and full public inquiry into the organisation and working of the City police force, the result of which I have no doubt will have the effect of ma torially weakening that confidence which at the present time you express to feel in its management and efficiency.— I have, &c., JOHN WALKER. P.S. A notice from the Commissioner of City Police hay ing been'recently circulated among the citizens, detailing what aro the true functions of the police with respect to the guardianship of house property, may I respectfully ask your, lordship and brother aldermen whether the director ship of a public company is ono of the proper duties of a Chief Commissioner of Police ? SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. - THE " SATURDAY REVIEW" ON THE FUTURE PRE MIER.— Mr. Gladstone's speeches are scanned just now with,a peculiar interest beyond that which his official position would naturally command. They are as important in the eyes of political speculators as the performances at Newmarket are to those who have books upon the Derby. The great Premier stakes are to be run for very soon ii Nobody knows exactly when the race will come off, but it cannot be far distant now. Of course, the nearer - it comes, the more absorbing is the interest with which the prospects of the various competitors are compared. The peculiarity of the race is that, supposing power to remain in the hands of the party which now pos sesses it, there is no decided favourite. If the for tune of war were to turn the other way, Lord Derby would, of course, hold the office as long as his health and the Division List permitted him to do so. But if it falls to the Liberals to select a Prime Minister after the retirement of Lord Palmerston, their choice will not be an easy one. Lord Russell is doubtless of opinion that nature herself has assigned the leadership of the Liberal party to some scion of the House of Russell, and that it would be profanity, if not blasphemy, to resist her decrees. But then it is a sufficient reply to his claim that he is in the House of Lords, and that the difficulty of his party is the leadership of the Commons. His hopeful son is not old enough for the purpose, though he bears the holy name; and it is clear that he must execute several more summersaults in the mud before he has learnt the impossibility of leaning two ways at once. - Lord Hartington is in the Commons, and is distinguished by that surly and tedious mediocrity which, conjoined to high rank, is looked . upon as a valuable qualifica tion for office in this country; But it may be doubted whether, at the close of a long and exciting debate, his persuasive voice would materially influ ence a division. There remains only Mr. Gladstone, who has the advantage of far surpassing all the others in talent, and of possessing already a position only sracond to the leadership in the House of Com mons. His_course, therefore, is anxiously watched, to see whether he displays the qualities necessary for a leader in the House of Commons. Of his marvel lous eloquence there can be no doubt. But elo quence is a power which impresses those who hear it for the first time, or have heard it rarely, more than those whose vocation forces them to listen to it constantly. The judge in a criminal court listens with provoking indifference to the flowing perora tion which is moving the jury to rapture. Members of the House of Commons are rather in the position of the judge than the jury, in regard to eloquence. On the other hand, they have weaknesses of their own which it is necessary to humour. Most of them have paid so much to gain the seats they occupy, that they value the grandeur of them very' highly, and in dulge in a corporate dignity of incredible sensitiveness. The house may be led by the nose, but the feat can only be performed by a show of exceeding deference. It must be treated as firmly and as humbly as Christospher Sly was treated by those who found him drunk. This is the point in which Mr. Glad stone is likely to fail. His temper is far too uncon trollable to suffer him to play out the play with his Christopher Sly. He cannot even prevail on him self to treat the House of Commons with ordinary civility. His announcement to the house upon Tuesday night that, except in certain specified cases, the Government were not, in his judgment, bound to treat the resolutions of the house with any great consideration, was decidedly the most imper tinent speech that any Minister of the Crown has made to the House of Commons since the Revolu tion. It must have been made ill a pure fit of temper, for there was no good purpose it could pos sibly be expected to serve ; and it certainly, as the event proved, was not the way to secure a favour able division. The only other occasion on :which he committed a similar mistake was upon the third reading of the bill for repealing the Paper Duty. He then defended himself against an opposition which especially irritated him by telling the House of Commons that they had no right to refuse any remission of taxation which was proposed to them by the Ministers of the Crown. The upshot on that occasion was not so disastrous, but the remark was nearly as unfavourable in its operation. The Ministry obtained a majority ; but it was only a majority of nine, for a Bill of which the previouS stage had been carried by a majority of fifty-three. These ac cidents only happen when Mr. Gladstone is, or is in danger of being, in a minority. As long as the water is smooth be is courteous, and even be nignant in his phraseology. But unluckily it is just in moments of doubtful fortune that the skill of . a clever leader is required. Any one can lead well so long as he has a firm and loyal majority at his back. Mr. Gladstone is a 'Pilot who weathers a calm admirably ; but in a storm it is better to send him to bed. Much cannot be said for the motion which was the occasion of Mr. Gladstone's humiliation on Tuesday last. Taxing fire insurances. is a bad prac tice undoubtedly, but taking bits out of our financial system without the slightest regard to the balance of the rest is very much worse. If the House votes away each tax .. in . succession without having the balance of income and .expenditure before it, the public service must. necessarily suffer. A number of taxes will continue to exist marked for the axe, and consequently will be paid reluctantly, and exposed to so much agitatiOn that:no Minister can long up hold them. The inevitable result musty .be that many more taxes will be taken off than. the Ex chequer can spare i . and - the • deficiency will be made good by stinting the expenditure of some of the most indispensable branches of the service. The un policy of the vote is so obvious that it is exceedingly improbable that the House Would have adohtel it, unless it had been acting on some secondary motive. The conduct of Mr. Crawford and Mr. Goschen; whose constituency probably suffers more from the tax than any other, shows that the pressure of con ttituencies cannot have been very severe. The de ire of doing something that was unpleasant to Mr. Gladstone was probably far more widely operatiVe. No doubt it is impossible to defend the patriotism of an assembly that comes to a decision upon so im portant a subject from mere feelings of irritation, even though they knew perfectly well that their vote would be wholly without effect. But it shows still more strikingly Mr. Gladstone's unfitness to lead in such an assembly. The humours of the House may be unreasonable, but the man who has so strong a tendency to - affront them is not fitted to persuade it. The fact that you have the gout may indicate your intemperance of living, but you do not on that account like to have a friend who is perpetually treading on your toes. How deeply Mr. Gladstone takes these defeats to heart was betrayed by his conduct to Mr. Sheridan last year. He went out his way to mar an admirable speech by includ ing it in an attack upon the commercial honesty of Mr. Sheridan, in matters connected with a Life Assurance Society, for which he was able to furnish no valid grounds whatever ; and there was no. mo tive could be assigned for so gratuitous an imputa tion, except the fact that Mr. Sheridan had been the leader in the yearly attack upon. Fire Insurance. His extreme intolerance of opposition, and his ten dency to supply the want of votes by increased bit terness of language, are fatal disqualifications for the position of leader of hiS party in the House of Commons. But it is difficult to suppose that he will suffer it, without a struggle, to pass into other hands. 'He is not a man who can afford to take up an independent position for the time in order to baffle a rival among his own colleagues. If he rested upon his own influence alone, without the aid of any recognised position, either as Minister or as leader of Opposition, he would be almo s t w ith ou t a following in the house. His religious and political views, secreted at different periods of his life, and borrowed therefore from two different schools of opinion out of the many through which his mazy course has lain, set against him different kinds of antagonists. The Conservatives detest his political views; the Radicals cannot abide his Church views ; and the Whigs will not comfortably follow a man whose family was unacquainted both with Lord Somers and Mr. Fox. The struggles of so powerful a wrestler, whether he succeed or fail, will, shake the arena on which they take place ; and we may therefore anticipate lively times whenever the long deferred day for the adjudication of Lord Palmer ston's succession arrives. THE " SPECTATOR" ON THE APPANAGE OF THE PRINCE OF WALES.—The Prince of Wales is going to strike for wages. At least journals which are supposed to know all political secrets, and which really do know much political tittle-tattle, affirm that an application is to be made to Parliament this session for an increase to his allowances. The Prince is not in debt, as his friends are careful to affirm, and not extravagant, witness his circular to his tradesmen about servants' per ceutages, but he wishes to k eep up a state as the chief of English society, of which his income, as at present settled, does not conveniently . admit. He will therefore, it is stated, apply to Parliament for an increase, the amount of which var i es i n every report from £20,000 a year to £50,000, but which will, if his advisers are wise, be large enough to preclude any chance of a future application. The demand, whatever it is, is pretty certain to be conceded without much resistance by the House of Commons. No leader of any party ever cares to quarrel with the Court upon any question not of deep national interest, and least of all upon one of money, Princes in these days being nearly as tenacious, not to say unreason able, upon that point as English bishops, or Indian officers, or workmen everywhere. William IV. is said to have refused to dissolve Parliament because it had voted his wife so much money, and one great cause of the zeal with which German Princes object to mediatization is their fear of losing control of the immense Crown estates. Private members are not much more likely to get up an opposition than their leaders. The House as a body is very rich—its in come, though not its property, being probably greater than of the Peers—it contains a great many men who know quite well that £lOO,OOO a year will not do everything, and it is very impatient at all times of much talk upon things which it does not quite like, but which it knows have to be done. There is very little pressure either from the constituencies. There may be exclamations and interrogations on nomination-day, but the Prince is personally popular, in London very decid edly so, and the voters, with light taxation, a large surplus and no very extraordinary amount of distress, will probably feel that they' need not resist the in clination to heaviness which almost all Englishmen feel. The only real difficulty to be surmounted will, we suspect, be that impatience of dotations, of great direct grants to members of the Royal House, which Parliament has almost always expressed. English men who will waste half a million in purposeless dockyard experiments with perfect complacency, would get very angry if asked for the same sum to construct what is really wanted, a regal reception hall, and thex vote a " compensation" salary of £9,000 a year without half the ill-feeling excited by a similar demand for the dower of a princess. Why they so much dislike paying for the trappings of royalty while they all adore royalty itself might have tasked Mr. Hallam to explain, but they do so, and it is to this latent feeling, this dislike of dota tions as a sort of superfluity 'of waste, that the Ministry, if there is any opposition at all, will have to address ther.nselves. Fortunately their task will be smoothed by the extreme pecuniary carefulness which has marked the present reign, and by the existence of a new argument which the House will acknowledge, though the country at large may not. A hundred thousand a year is ceasing to be a for tune of the very first class, and the Prince has barely a hundred thousand a year. Lord Palmer ston's statement when introducing the subject two years ago only brought the income up to that sum, and of this £60,000 is derived from the revenues of the Duchy of Cornwall. These belong to the nation, it is true, but still they were almost created by the businesslike capacity and strict management of' the late Prince Consort, and have been assigned to the Heir-Apparent from a very remote period. If they were handed over to the Treasury they would probably disappear under departmental ma nagement, the leases, like those of Crown lands, being made very "easy" whenever there was a chance' of endangering any important support. The actual payment through the Treasury is only £40,000 per annum, very much less than any Prince of Wales has of late years received, for we object altogether to add the Princess's income to the gross amount. That certainly was not granted to pay 'butchers' bills. Of course to ordinary men, the income looks ample, or even magnificent, and it might no doubt, and if Larliamentso decrees it probably will, be made amply'sufficient for the maintenance of the Prince's rank. But the Prince, besides performing the duties of his hereditary place in the empire, has for the nonce to perform many of those which usually fall to the Crown, and the real question the country has to ask itself is what kind of court it prefers. Does it at heart desire a chejtp monarchy, a court of the Louis-Philippe kind, very respectable and slightly bourgeois, a Prince living simply and unostentatiously among equals? or does it wish for a court with the colour, and movement, and splen dour, and visible magnificence which royalty, if well paid, can secure? Does it wish for regal ceremonial or not ? This is the true point to be decided. Ninety thousand a year will keep a Prince very well, even though he happens to live in London, and to be heir to a great monarchy, but it will not keep a great court, or a brilliant court, or a court living even on the scale maintained by first-class Eng lish nobles. THE "LONDON REVIEW" ON CAFES VERSUS GIN PALACES.—London is the city of gin palaces; Paris the city of cafes ; and in this respect Paris has the advantage of London. However high the rent, every corner house in our streets is eagerly pounced upon as a homestead of sensuality, a resort of all who are most degraded, a reservoir of liquid fire. Brightly burns the gas, and the notes of harp and viol mingle merrily, but it is a vision of sin. Fair hands with smiling faces deal out the poisonous draught ; but there is a grim skeleton clattering his ghastly bones among the revellers, and pressing the cup of Circe to their lips. The young and the old are met to hob and nob with Death. The night is drizzly without, but strong waters are good for withered lips. Noggin after noggin loosens th e i r tongue, and they trol carelessly their tavern catch as they stand around the bar. There is no comfort in that noisy drinking hall, no refinement. None are seated, none read, not a newspaper is to be seen. Excitement is all that is asked, and that of the most unhealthy kind—excitement not of the mind, but of the corruptible body. Drug the memory, stimulate the passions —that is the order of the day. Mean while the wives sit at home in rags and teats, and the children, waking from uneasy slumbers, cry for bread. The' tide or civilisation is doubtless flowing on, but the advancing wave has many a recoil.' There is a counter -current in the mighty stream, which gets broader and deeper, and that counter current is—gin. It-threatens society with tremend ous evil, because it comes from below. In the Lon don Directory we find the names of about six thou sand publicans ; and the British spirit charged with home duty, most of which is either gin or whisky, has varied from twenty or twenty-six million gal lons annually in the last few years. Besides this, an enormous quantity of Geneva and Hollands is imported. Country squires no longer lie under the table. No Master of the Horse now reels in the presence of Majesty, nor does the heir to the Throne celebrate Bacchanalian orgies amid "the roar of his drunkards." But did the sport of huntsmen and county members ever work half the misery and de solation produced by gin ? If a beggar accosts you in your walks, or besets your carriage, he is asking perhaps neither for food nor clothing, but for gin. He has a morbid thirst for that elixir of death, and would forego all else for it. Or if, indeed, he wants the necessaries of life, what has brought him to beggary ? Gin ! Trace his wretchedness to its source, and you will probably find that, directly or indirectly, that " cup of devils" is the cause of it all. That haggard mother who sits on your door-step, with an infant clinging to her exhausted breast and other children to her trembling knee S—what but her husband's intemperance has driven her from her home ? What brought Atkinson to the scaffold the other day at Durham? What excited him to beat his wife for upwards of an hour with murderous vio lence ? Gin ! While he flogged her, the Furies of drink were lashing him. It is gin that fills the streets of our opulent capital with mendicants, more numerous though more scattered than in the cities on the Continent. , It chokes our workhouses, peo ples our prisons, and degrades our national charac ter, while it prepares the lower classes for some fearful explosion at a future day. Thus Nature's best gifts are abused. Thus the Kpi XevOv, the pure grain that waves so gracefully in the warm wind, is destined to stifle the conscience and over cloud the senses with heady fumes. The berries of the juniper and the oil of turpentine will be added to make the - fiery potion piquant. Sugar—for sweet b in is in favour iu the metropolis-- w ill mas k some adulterating substance that facilitates dilution with water ; and strong poisons —creosote, sulphate of zinc, caustic potash, and sulphuric acid—will be mixed sometimes even with English gin. Of all adultered gin, that which is sold retail is most dele terious. And is there no remedy for this growing evil ? Is not the drunkard an enemy of society and a disgrace to his country ? Shall the fruitful cause of his crime become cheaper and cheaper, and the haunts of midnight revellers multiply without check ? Will not our rulers some time be com pelled to make intoxication a more serious offence against the law, and to chastise it as it deserves ? Such a return to Puritan legislation would, indeed, be deplored by every man of sense ; but may it not become inevitable in spite of ourselves ? May not civil discipline sometime or other require it, as mili tary discipline does even now ? Will one Father Mathew in a century suffice to stay the plague? Will sermons and tracts have weight with intellects already besotted ? • In Paris a different scene pre sents itself from that which we see here. Instead of gin-palaces elegant and airy cafés ope n w id e th e i r doors in every street and boulevard. The walls are glittering with mirrors and gilded mouldings, the tables covered with the news of the world. An intellectual repast is spread, not indeed of the highest order, but certainly a most useful and en taming one. The refreshments are good, and moderate in price ; and their chief merit is that they do refresh without stimulating and undermining the moral and physical strength of man. Friends meet friends without brawling ; the - weary find repose ; the moody are cheered ; the joyous give vent to their gladness. There the bachelor eats his breakfast in comfort, instead of being ill-served in dull and lonely lodgings ; there, too, when the business of the day is done, he finds chess, dominos, conversation and picket. There the noble and the bourgeois, the foreigner and native, meet side by side ; for a café on the boulevards is not for a class, but for all. Elsewhere, indeed, there are cafés essentially plebeian, but formed ou the same model, and far above any gin-palace in the scale of civilisation. Enter one of them. It is filled by men in blouses, but they are orderly and sober. ' Some read, some talk, and many play billiards ; but none are intoxicated, nor will be, even though they should stay till midnight. Why is the café system unknown in London? Why are wretched coffee houses, frequented chiefly by cabmen, their only representatives here? Why are foreigners obliged to prowl about long before they can, in the neighbour hood of Leicester-square, light upon what they have been accustomed to find within a stone's throw in every continental town ? Why are Englishmen, who have learned in travelling the advantage and com fort of cafes, deprived of the innocent recreation they afford the moment they set foot on the shores of their native land ? Hotels and clubs are no adequate substitute for this important desideratum. They exist in Paris as in London. The first are frightfully expensive ; and the club to which one belongs, though in itself an invaluable luxury, is not always at hand. Clubs, again, are exclusive and capricious, as we have seen very lately ; and in a general way they are accessible only to' persons of a certain status in society. A café is unique in its adaptation to various purposes and conditions—it is a caravansera where every pilgrim is welcomed and well entertained. Frightful Accident at Croydon.—Six Men Killed and Wounded. Yesterday morning a frightfulaccident occurred at Croy don. Tho Brighton Railway Company are about connect ing the Balham and Victoria line of railway with West Croydon, by means of a short loop lino between Gloucester road-bridge and tho main Balham line at Dugnall's-park. The Gloucester-road-bridge is the third from West Croydon, and is about being replaced by a wider and more comma modious one; and in order to expedite this work and ac complish the removal without stopping the traffic, Sunday morning, when few trains run, was fixed on for the work. At half-past 8 o'clock a locomoiive with a chain attached • was employed to pull down tho brickwork, which consisted of two small arches used as abutments to the centre arch, which was also brickwork. Preparations for a grand haul had been made, and a number of men were employed in weak ening the supports of the bridge, on the supposition that the power of the locomotive was insufficient for its destruction. On a sudden, without any warning, the whole fabric gate way, and six poor fellows were buried under the mass of brickwork. Two were as soon as possible taken out, quite dead ; one of them, George Mills, literally smashed to a pulp, The other man's name was William Edwards. Four others were extricated alive, and three of them were con veyed to Guy's Hospital, where we understand one of them, named Higley, has since died. Dr. Coles, of Dingwall-road, was quickly on the spot, but his services wore of little aTail, as two of the men were dead, and the others gone to the hospital. ' Mr. Rigby, the company's superintendent, was soon at the scene of the accident, and under his direction a large staff of labourers cleared the lino, so that no interruption of the traffic occurred. The bodies of the two unfortunate men were removed to the Earl Russell public-house, adjoining, where an inquiry before the coroner will bo held. Shocking Accident at Dover. -- -4. THE BELGIAN AGENT KILLED BY AN EXPRESS TRAIN. A very lamentable accident occurred at the Dover Har bour station of the London, Chatham, and Dover Rail way on Friday night, resulting in the death of M. Sochaczewski, the agent for the Belgian Government, and mail packet service at Dover. Upon the arrival of the 10.3 0 p.m. express train, M. Sochaczewski was running along the down platform, when he came in contact with a post, which supports the temporary roof of the station. The concussion threw him backward, and he fell powerless over the side of the platform. The train coming at this moment the engine and tender passed over the unfortunate man ; and his aryl and one leg were completely cut off, while his body was also frightfully mutilated. Life not being extinct when lkt Sochaczewski was taken to the platform he was removed t° one of the waiting rooms, and Dr. Gill was immediately il l attendance, but he died in about an hour, during which time, however, he was sufficiently conscious to acknowledge that it was purely an accident, and that no fault could 10 0 attributed to any one. The deceased was a middle-aged man and much respected. COUNTRY MARKETS NORWICH-SATURDAY. There was a better supply of wheat at this market to day, and prices must be reported about is per qr. dearer than on Saturday last. Tho supply of barley was fair for the time of the season, and there wero buyers for all good malting qualities at full rates. Not much doing in other articles. White wheat (weighing 631 b to 641 b), 44s to 45s ; red ditto (weighing 631 b to 641 b), 36s to 38s ; best malting barley (weighing 551 b to 561 b), 30s to 33s ; runs ditto (weighing 541 b to 551 b), 28s to 30s ; distilling ditto (weigh ing 521 b to ,531 b), 24s to 26s ; oats, 24s to 26s ; beans, 37 0 to 395; peas (maple), 36s to 38s per qr; flour, 25s to 25$ 6d per sack. averages :—Wheat, 2,541 qrs, 378 8d 7 • barley, 1,585 qro., 28s lld ; oats, qrs, —s Od. YORK-SATURDAY. At our Market to-day there was a thin attendance. There was an active inquiry for;wheat at an advance of is per qr. Barley was scarce and is to 2s per qr. advance was ob tained. Beans were fully as dear. Oats were 20s per 22 stone. Flour was quoted 27s per sack of 2801 b. New white wheat, 40s. to 458 ; new red, 36s to 38S,Pe r 36 stone. Barley, for maltin g , 28 s t o 30s p er q r ; grindi n g' 268 to 27s per3o stone. Oats, new, 20s to 22s per 24 stone. Beans, 38s to 40s per 38 stone. Malt, 58s ; rye, 280 per qr. , Flour, 28s per sack of 2801 b. - NO T T INGHAM—SATURDAY. The show of wheat at this corn exchange to-day 3 c 39 moderate, there being A somewhat thin sprinkling of whit e and red descriptions. There was a good demand to-daYI and an advance of is per qr. was readily made. Old wilt ) sorts moved off at 41s to 45s ; o ld re d, 38 s t o 41s L 11° ,"., white, 40s to 45s ; new r e d, 37 s t o 40 s per 36 stone. The'''. was not much barley at market, and the demand was AT, two. The best sorts 1s per qr. dear, other kinds at fu rates. Oats were firm, bing required for seed pUTPOSOS' LEICESTER—SATURDAY. Old white wheat, 41s to 448 ; old red, 38s to 410; 11°W white, 40s to 43s ; new red, 36s to 39s per 36 stone. Bio ley, malting, 31s to 33s per qr. ; grinding, 27s to 29s per stone. Oats, old, 24s to 27s ; new, 22s to 24s per 24 stone' Beans, old, 39s to 418; new, 36s to 38s per 38 stone. DUBLIN. FRIDAY. Currencies :—White wheat, 22s 6d to 24s 6d ; red d i a t , 20s 6d. to 22s Od; grinding barley, 12s Od to 13s Od; ma ing do., 13s to 14s 6d; white oats, 118 to 128; black do• lOs Od to 11s Oil. Foreign Mail Packet List. Australia and New Zealand, via Southampton Apr-- it IS. Ditto, via Marseilles April 12. Brazil and Cape Verde, by British pao • et April (3 ' Ditto, by British packet . mar. 2 3 * Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.— April 23 . China, Penang, and Singapore, via Sou:hampton April * Ditto, via Marseilles Mar. 29 ' Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton..., April 4 ,., Ditto, via Marseilles India (Bumbay), via,Southampton man = 9 ' Ditto, via il anti :les .. ...mar. 2 3 : Mauritius, via Southampton Ditto, via Marseil a+,.. , Apr 5. Newfoundland April 12. Portugal Ditto, by private ship to Lisbon United States and British North America, by Bri- tish packet Ditto, by United States packet, via Southamp ttn . ...... .... Ditto, via CJrk Mar 31. Ditto, by Canadian packet, via Londo n d e rry. • ----, i g, West Ccast of Africa, Madeira, and Teneriffe . APr" West Indies and Pacific (except Baha:nas, Cuba, and Mexico Mar. 34s1' Bahamas, via New 1 ork. AO' t 2, Bermuda, ditto April 1' Diaz 31 ' Cuba and Mexico Births. ool' COLMAN.—On the 24th inst., at Chiswick, Mrs. F. '-' man, of a daughter. w;{° ECCLES.—On the 24th inst., at 105, Eaton-square, t he of Captain Eccles, of a daughter. w ife HOLLAND.-011 the 22d inst., at 25, Rutland-gate, tho of H. T. Holland, Esq., of a son. ton' ~a OAXES.—On the 20th inst., at Rutland Lodge, (. 31151 ' - ' the wife of W. Oakes, Esq., of a son. Marriages. N ipiteV BRIGGS—LEWIS.—On the 25th inst., at Hackney , „,,,,) -- ;afh villa Briggs, youngest son of th late Thomas Pri,,'FA., Esq., to Emily, fourth daughter of Thomas Lelvi' s7 "- of Hackney. the BAYLEY—MAXWELL—On the 21st inst., at Kingstmlidot Rev. Henry Bayley, of Kingston, to Susan Mary, °car, daughter of Wm. Maxwell, Esq., of Palace-road/ biton. Deaths. iv alicso‘' - BISADNELL.—On the 21st inst., at Tottenham, John Beadnell, Esq., aged 51. jerseP DICKINSON.—On the 22d inst. , at St. "(elide', Douglas John Dickinson, aged 47. g attar 6 FITZGERALD.—On ho 13th inst., at 29, Merri cl-- Sir Edward Fitz gera ld. vote' , " FOSTER.—On the 23d i ns t., a t London, Joseph Esq., surgeo n , l a t e o f Heywood, Lancashire. v s q., WooLNEn.—On the 24th inst , G eo rge A. Wooluer,vlo4 late of he Baltic and Walnut Tree Hous e, St" aged 42. London : Printed and Published by WILLIA3i ANU S ' ' 1 1Z, of No. 112, Strand, n inter, at THE SUN rjO 01 Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in Middlenex.—Monday, March 27, .1866. the Callow hni lane doe, J • They at 3, la . fsci tl Th e host *ithc rck .orsl Al t 0,,, TAE StM, LOA MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 27, 1P65.