The Sun. — London, England, 1870-01-19 00:00:00

131 5 111 T or THE PUBLT.O ,TODVIALS. Tlae Times in discussing our naval expenditure, observes that it is under the head of necessary repairs, and of the purchase of unnecessary stores, and by the abolition of many of the thousand and one factories of naval stores within - the Dockyards, that the saving of a million in the yearly expenditure, may, with management, be achieved. It may ie made without risk or danger to the efficiency of the Naval Service. Unfortunately, it is only too true that such a necessary retrenchment cannot be made without a large diminution both in the upper and the lower ranks of the men in Dock yard employment. The late Government abolished Deptford Dockyard, and the present Government have abolished Woolwich Dockyard, and, though we feel sure that every precaution has been taken by both Administra tions to soften as much as possible the inevitable suffer ings produced, it is only too notorious that dissatisfaction and complaint have assailed those whose duty it has been to make the reduction. It is unjust to visit the con sequences of the national policy on any particular Administration. The exposures of Admiralty waste and mismanagemment culminated a year and a half ago, and no Government could retain the confidence of the country which did not at once apply a stringent remedy. No one can have read the announcements from day to day in our naval intelligence without observing that the abolition of the higher offices has fully kept pace with the diminution of employment in the lower ranks, that retrenchment has proceeded without favour to one class or another. It is the duty of every man who prefers the national welfare to party advantage to support a Ministry which takes upon itself this odious and thank less task. "Services of this sort," as Edmund Burke declared ninety years ago, " create no attach ments. The individual good felt in a public benefit is comparatively so small, comes round through such an in volved labyrinth of intricate and tedious revolutions, while a present personal detriment is so heavy where it falls, and so instant in its operation, that the cold com mendation of a public advantage never was and never will be a match for the quick sensibility of a private loss." Itis the more incumbent on all who do feel and appreciate the public need of retrenchment to support a Government which is ready to incur the odium. The Post comments upon the Discharged Prisoners' Aid Society at Manchester. In the last three years it has inquired into the cases cf 418 discharged prisoners, and has assisted 321, of whom 205 are known to be doing well, while only thirty have turned out badly. The remaining 80 have left Manchester, and cannot be traced, though some of them are known to have emigrated, and are now presumed to be earning an honest living. We may take it for granted that the success which has been achieved by the Manchester Society may, more or less, be achieved by others, - and it is certainly encouraging to know that the cases of ascertained relapse Lave been less than a tenth of the cases assisted. It is also worth observing that this has. been accomplished at an expenditure almost insignificant. Nothing is clearer than that the power of laws to preserve the moral tone of the masses of the population is limited, and that there lies beyond it a wide field for reform which it cannot touch. This has been made evident by the two great blots of our social system—pauperism and crime ; and it is certain that the moral influence which ought to come into operation where the legal influence fails must be supplied by private zeal. To take the case of our criminals, we may rest assured that as far as capturing them and bringing them to justice is concerned, the legal agency is sufficient. Nor is it one of those official duties which are in danger of being neglected or performed in a perfunctory manner. Unfortunately, however, it is from the moment that we catch and convict our criminals that the difficulty of dealing with them begins. Generally there comes a time when they have a right V: expect their release, and if the discipline they have under gone while in prison has been calculated to develop their better inclinations, all that is needed to give them a chance of practising in the world the virtue they have been aided to cultivate, is that they should be provided with employment. It is at this point that the law oecomes powerless, and that private zeal must stop in and do the work that cannot be done otherwise. The Pall Mall Gazette declares that if, in the absence of any decided action on the part of the Home Secretary, some private member should make up his mind to bring the whole question of the storage of gunpowder and combus tibles, and the regulations affecting them, under the notice of the House ,during the forthcoming session, ho will certainly not want for illustrations of the imperfect working and insufficiency of the present enactments. The practice which appears to prevail in the little town of Brynmawr of keeping three or four hundred pounds of gunpowder in a warehouse at the back of a grocer's shop, and of sending a boy with a lighted candle and a supply of snatches for gunpowder when required, might suggest some comments. It appears to follow quite naturally that there was at least two deaths, and that several per sons were hurt, while damage to the amount of about £3,000 has been sustained. If Mr. Bruce regards this sort of thing as satisfactory, we trust that the House will take a different view of it, and will insist upon the appointment 'of an officer charged with the duty of suggesting amend ments in the present Act, and of taking steps to ensure the observance of whatever regulations it may be deemed pro per to make. At the rate at which explosions have occurred during the past six months, the salary of an inspector would be easily defrayed: We do not know at what price Mr. Bruce would assess the value of the life of a boy and a child, and the injuries sustained by half-a-dozen other persons; but if we leave these items out of the account, there remains a balance of £3,000 for material damage i►: this one explosion, and if the inspection only succeeded in averting one such explosion per annum, the inspector would have more than earned his salary. So that on eco nomical grounds—to say nothing of other considerations — the proposition is one which even Mr. Ayrton might re gard with complacency. The Telegraph records the death of a divine who, although not among the foremost minds of the Church, will long be remembered for his connection with a turning point in the ecclesiastical history of England. On Tues day morning Dr. Rowland Williams died of bronchitis, at Broadchalke, where he was vicar. It was he who con tributed the boldest and most defiant, if not the most memorable, paper to "Essays and Reviews." After Dr. Temple's mild sermon on "The Education of the World" came a review of "Bunsen's Biblical Researches," which ut terly cast aside the idea that the Bible was inspired in a ple nary sense. Dr. Williams criticised Isaiah with as much free dom as he could have reviewed Milton, and absolutely re jected the doctrine that the punishment of the wicked was eternal. For such teaching he and the Rev. Henry Bristow Wilson, Vicar of Great Stoughton, author of the "Essay on the National Church," were prosecuted before the Court of Arches and the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council. By the highest Court of Ecclesiastical Appeal the suit was dismissed; and, in a famous judgment, Lord Westbury pronounced the standards of the English Church to permit a latitude which amazed even Broad Churchmen. Since the trial, little has been heard of Dr. Rowland William's. No other review from his pen startled the English public ; only once, so far as we are aware, did he publicly say a word of self-defence, and that was, more than a year ago, in a remarkable letter to the Daily Telegraph. To the English people he was known only as a contributor to " Essays and Review ; " to students only as a thoughtful scholar. Nothing that he has written will be redeemed from forgetfulness by its intrinsic merits; but his name will live as that of the boldest contributor to a volume which incidentally marks an epoch in the annals of the English Church. The Daily News believes it is very important that the old order of Radicalism, of which Mr. Bright is the =knoll • /edged chief, should be represehted in the Cabinet. Its work is by no means done. But it is not less important that the later type, of which Mr. Forster is among officials the most prominent representative, should have its proper position and influence in the Government. The solutions of the former school are chiefly nega tive, and they go only a little way. The solutions of the latter school are positive, and positi.e solutions are what the age needs. The era of destructive Radicalism is passing away, and that of creative liadic.dism is coining. Possibly it is because Mr. Bright looks with little confi dence on the task of construction, that he seems to plead for delay in the completion of what is properly his own work. He dallies even with such queAlons as the Ballot, and thinks that it, to,7ether with the abolition of ITnivenity Testi, and a scheme of primary ear.- cation, i.k-sy have to be dealt with, not flcxt SCSSiOD, but next session but one. Mr. For, - itcr, who is e.tger to proceed t. , the positive lecislation which, in his vitw, is the special task of the age, would soak° short work in fact ques tions. which are already settled in principle. Ho declares that time will be saved by settling the University Tests Dill next session; that it will be easy to pass both the Irish Land Lill and a measure of popular education this yeas, and that the Ballot, a reform of the licensing system, and the measure promised. by Mr. Bruce on trades unions may be thrown in as make weights. Mr. Forster does not speak with the authority of a Cabinet Minister; but we may hope that his spirit animates the Cabinet. The attitude which he takes, and the temper which he exhibits, aro those which the Government must show if they desire to maintain the ardour and devotion of their folloirfers in Parliament and Out of it. 431ISCELLANEOUS NEws. THE IRISH SEATS. Major Knox has issued a very carefully-Woided address as the Conservative candidate for Mallow. Ile pronounces in favour of such a settlement for the land question as " will give to the tenant a secure interest in the soil, and finally remove the causes which now divide and weaken different classes of Irishmen." He is in favour of a better provincial administration for Ireland, and strongly opposed to the centralising policy which has been carried to such a painful extent, and which has made Irish interests subservient to every other. Major Knox would have perfect freedom of education. He states that his object in Parliament would be to make Ireland his party and her interests his policy, to fur ther her manufacturing and industrial progress, and to contribute his part towards making his country the great and prosperous nation which Providence intended her to be, and which her own sons have it in their power to make her. The address is exceedingly ingenious and attrac tive, well calculated to win " national " votes. and yet not making any very definite promises. Still it would be desirable if Major Knox would explain what Conservatism there is in advocating the release of the Fenian prisoners. Has not the entire party energetically striven against such a procedure ever since the last lot were turned loose ? Mr. Heron is in expectation of summary dealing with Jeremiah. Anticipating that the seat for Tipperary, which is now " filled" by O'Donovan Rossa will speedily become vacant again, he announces that he will once more try his fortune in the county. He believes that the last election went by stealth, and that if his supporters had known the Fenian move was in earnest, they would have secured a very different result. THE LAND CONFERENCE AT DUELENT. The requisition convening the Irish National Con ference on the land question is a very influential one, and wins the admiration of the Freeman's Journal, in which it is published. It is a representative re quisition, says our contemporary, and the conference which it calls will be a representative conference. It is signed by threw peers, twenty members of Parliament, nearly all the mayors in Ireland, forty chairmen of town commissioners, several presidents of farmers' clubs, many chairmen and guardians of p3or-law unions, deputy lieutenants, justices of the peace, landed proprietors, professional men, and clergymen. In fact so strong is the requisition that the Freeman is enthusiastic enough to declare that nothing of the hind has been seen in Ireland before, and sanguine enough to hope that from the conference to the realisation of fixity of tenure will bo but a step. AN ALTERATION IN THE ESTIMATES. The Globe speaks of an important change in the mode of presenting the estimates as likely to be adopted. At present it is the custom for the War Office to charge in the estimates the year's gross cost of the army, and to pay over to the Exchequer all moneys accruing from the sale of stores. Mr. Cardwell and Lord Northbrook have, it is said, both appealed to Mr. Gladstone to allow them to depart from this rule, so far as to strike a balance in the War Office between the charges for the army, and the assets realised by the sale of old stores, so as to reduce the figure in the Es timates to the net cost. The reason given for this reform is that under the present system the country forms an exaggerated idea of the actual cost of the army. TILE REDUCTIONS. Mr. Lowe's pen is still being used in striking out items of expenditure. The most recent of his econo mies is severely criticised. He has refused to fill up the editorship of the Rolls Manuscripts—an office of no little importance at a time when a Royal Commission is engaged in collecting all the old documents they can find. The salary is £4OO a year. The refusal to fill up the vacant judgeship is still persisted in. The Lord Chancellor is said to favour it; and to be contemplating using it as a pretext for raising the whole question of legal judicature. This is good news for the law reformers. The Manchester Guardian states that Lord Hatherley is thinking of making the West minster courts tribunals for appeal, As such, of course, they wonld not need so many judges. The County Court system, or some plan like it, must . be extended. ME. BRIGHT AND THE 'UNIVERSITY DILL. A correspondent complains of the_manner in which Mr. Bright, at Birmingham, has " cold shouldered" the bill for the repeal of University Tests. He says when a leading Cabinet Minister, in the middle of January, begins to make apologies for doing nothing, we may be pretty well sure that nothing is intended to be done. He then enumerates various unnecessary delays that have taken place in the transaction of public business. He admits the truth of Mr. Bright's observation, that you cannot drive six omnibuses abreast through Temple Bar, but' adds that if the directors of the Imperial Omnibus Company (Limited) choose to wait till noon, and then start all their omnibuses at once, it is they who are responsible for the block. The writer rilicules Lord Melbourne's favourite doctrine "Can't you have it alone ?" and considers it will have suffi cient adherents without Mr. Bright becoming its apostle. He quite appreciates the momentary dex terity of putting forward the great Radical of the Cabinet on the eve of the session to throw cold water on Liberalism. He thinks, however, that iu the long run clever tactics are seldom wise policy. MR. AYItTON AND THE FLOWER BEDS. A strong cry is raised against Mr. Ayrton. Two journals, the Pall Mall Gazette and the Telegraph, plead that Mr. Ayrton should continue to provide flower-beds in the metro politan parks, and not be miserly in cutting off this pleasure—a pleasure fir the poor as well as for the rich. The Pall Mall Gazette enters into an elaborate argument on the subject. The Echo of last night, however, stated in a manner which was intended to be official, that the rumours that Mr. Ayrton was about to "reduce" the flowers were premature. " Mr. Ayrton proposes to have the subject of park-gardening investigated by a skilful horticulturist, who is to report on the best means of producing good effects without waste." The Pall Mall Gazette, it may be added, found a difficulty in its argument to which we have several times alluded. The parks are to a great extent local not national "institutions." Why should the State pay forparks for Londoners any more than for the people of Manchester, of Hull, or New castle ? The Pall Mall Gazette, no more than our selves, sees a reason why. Its only reply is that London has no municipality, no real government. Until it has it must rely upon the nation to provide its good things for it. TIIE LEAGUE. The National Education League is working very actively in all parts of the country. At Islington on Monday night Sir C. W. Mike took the chair, and once more held forth on those secular views, of which he is such an uncompromising exponent. The natural result of the compulsory principle, he argues, is unsectarian education. If parents are com pelled to educate their children, they , ought at least to have their own choice in the matter of reliolous teaching. Sir Charles says that clergymen of the Established Church and Noncon formist ministers are rapidly joining the League. • " Ministers of religion, more so than any others, knew the impossibility of insisting, or even of venturing to entertain, the unClenoniinational system in Ireland, if the denominational system was insisted upon in this country." The customary resolutions were passed. At Stock port also there was a large meeting on the same evening ; and a third at Halifax. At the latter town a Unitarian minister, a New Connexion minister, and the Rev. R. W. Dale, chairman of the Congregational Union, advocated League principles. There was yet a fourth meeting at Worcester, where the speaking seems to have been of an eminently provincial type. One gentleman urged as an argument in favour of compulsion that we were environed by compulsion on all sides; compelled to breathe, to eat, and—to vaccinate ! Therefore there could be no harm in compelling us to educate. And if this extension of the compulsory principle will to anything to improve these education speeches, the sooner it is done the better. THE BIRMINGTLAAI UNION. The principles of the Birmingham Educational Union were advocated at a meeting on Monday evening, presided over by one of the town clergy. Several working men took part in the discussion. One said he was the friend of denominational education, though he was of opinion that secular training was better than none. Another said the extension of the present system was all that was needed to supply an excellent scheme of national instruction. A third, more vigo rous still, denounced the plan of unsectarian schools, adding that he would rather go to prison than send any chilid of.' his to such a place. The clergyman who presided affirmed that there mzst be some kind of compulsion for bad parents. His ()pillion was that bne Lest kina of compulsion would be to Introduce a regulation that working men's children, when they attained the working age, would not be allowed to earn a penny unless they could read and write. ENFRANCHISEMENT OF WOMEN. M‘Laren M.P., presided, on Monday, over a strong meeting at Edinburgh in favour of accord ing to women the right of voting at parlia mentary elections. Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P., urged that it was unjust to make sex a dis qualification, whilst ownership or occupancy of houses or lands was the basis of the franchise. Pro fessor Mason also spoke in favour of the change. Pro fessor Playfair asked what inherent superiority was there in man. that while MISS Burdett ffIE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY --EVENING, JANUARY 19, 1870. Uoutts's tootman might have a vote, that lady of large sympathies and practical benevolence was ex cluded ? The educational, political, and social en franchisement of women would double our liberties, but social equality could never be the fruit of poli tical inequality. Sir DavidWedderburn, M.P., pledged the meeting in favour of a bill to be introduced next session. distinctive principles of the Uhurch of the present." It had one object in view, which would be divided into three heads—the elevation of man's moral, intel lectual, and religious character. The definite mission of the Church was to bring in all intellectual wan derers, if such a thing were possible. There would be a Lord's Supper once in six months, but the members could observe it or not, as they chose • there would be no dogmatism. As to bap tism, AIL Duncan added, if any one considered the sprinkling of water to be the proper mode then for them that should be done; or if any pre ferred immersion, their wishes should be consulted. He did not intend to give up his own views on religious matters. He would hold by the Baptist doctrine, and give three lectures and one sermon in the month. Everyone would be at liberty to pass the plate at the door; they could contribute to the cause just as they felt inclined. inberg sent an address to the Minister, to ask him what course he should pursue in the critical condition of the Empire. To this Count Beust replied that he wished for the main'tenance of the Constitution and the just influence of the German powers, and he was willing to make all possible concessions, in order that there might be unity among the different countries placed under the sceptre of the Emperor. TILE ROYAL COLONIAL SOCIETY. The first meeting of this society, for the present year, has been held, under the presidency of the Marquis of Normanby. Colonel Synge read a paper on " The Practical Communication with the Red River District, British Central America." The object of the lecturer was to prove that the means of obtaining that completion of communication, which was so desirable and necessary, were placed absolutely in our hands, and could not be disregarded without fault. Having described the physical features of the route through which a railway should be formed, from Ottawa to Red River, he argued that the promotion of Emi gration was the promotion of civilisation. The Red River territory was a most splendid one, and he ex pressed a hope that it would be yet one of the orna ments of the British Crown. THE. NEW ASSESSED LICENCES. It is complained that the Board of Inland Revenue have returned ambiguous, if not conflicting answers to inquiries respecting the working of the new system of licenses for assessed taxes. Mr. M elhuish,of Holsworthy, put a question as to the liability of persons who are employed partially in agriculture and partially in gar dening to be assessed for a licence. " I apprehend, in my own instance, as a gentleman, I should be liable, although I do not keep a professional gardener, but only employ one of my day labourers partially in the garden and pleasure ground. But would a mere farmer be liable if he sends his farm labourer, or one of his farm servants living in the house, partially to cultivate the garden which has neither wall nor glass?" To which the Board of Inland. Revenue returned the reply :—" As regards the employment of a farm labourer, partly as a. gardener or groom, the case would come within the terms of the Act requirin,,,, ,, payment of licence duty." !Jr. Braund, of Holsworthy, then put the question whether a farm labourer employed to cultivate the small gardens of that town, which grow vegetables and require about six days' labour in the year, would be liable to the duty of 15s. The Board said he would not. Lastly, Mr. Linnington Ash put the following query : " A.r pays for a licence for a man who acts as a general servant, whose work is to look after " A."s horse and car riage, to work in " A."a garden, and to cut up wood, &c., for "A"s house. One day in each week "A." employs a labourer to assist in the garden. Is " A." liable for an additional licence for the labourer so employed in the garden ? In reply, the Board said " that a person is not liable for licence duty in respect of a labourer only occa sionally employed in his garden by the day." These llolsworthy gentlemen declare themselves to be in great perplexity as to where the licence liability begins and where it ends. THE EDMUNDS SCANDAL. A Treasury minute has been published, reviewing the award of the arbitrators in the case known as the Edmunds scandal. By that award it appears that Mr. Leonard Edmunds stands indebted to the public in no less a sum than £8,544 18s. Od., and their lordships direct that the necessary steps be taken for the recovery of that amount, less £1,402 bs. Od., which the arbitrators suggested should be allowed in respect of the parchment account. The minute adds that their lordships consider it their duty to express their pain and surprise at the perse vering efforts of Mr. Edmunds to vilify and misrepre sent the motives and conduct of their solicitor, Mr. Greenwood. They declare that all such imputations are groundless and unwarrantable. EMIGRATION. Sir C. E. Trevelyan writes to the Times on the subject of emigration. He refers to the experience acquired in 1852-3 in a more limited attempt to relieve distress by similar means, and quotes the report of an emigration society then formed, under the patronage ° of the Prince Consort. The object of that society was to assist emigration in the Highlands and islands of Scotland: It was con ducted as much as possible by entire families, and in accordance with the rules of the Colonial Land and Emigration Commissioners. Passages to Australia were provided by the Commissioners from colonial funds for able-bodied men and women of good character and a specified age. A. certain proportion of children were allowed on production of sufficient clothin g ; and on payment of to on adults and 10s. for children. The society advanced the stun necessary to make good an insufficient outfit. The owners or trustees of the properties from which the emigrants departed paid. one-third of the sum disbursed to the society. The emigrant% repaid. to the society the whole of the sums advanced, and they were applied in the same manner as the original sum. The result, says the writer, was that Up to October 1853, 380 families, consisting of 2,605 per sons of both sexes, from infancy to old age, including 500 marriageable young women, were assisted to go to Australia. He leaves those who aro engaged in the benevolent work to judge how far this plan is applicable to their object. Mr. Geschen, M.P., has written to a member of the Committee of the British and Colonial Emigra tion fund, offering to subscribe 10s. a head towards the expenses of each emigrant sent out by the company this year up to the number of 2,000 emigrants. He expresses a hope that a friend to whom he has spoken will sub scribe 10s. a head for a further 2,000. He suggests that the society should exert itself to obtain further subscriptions on similar terms. CO-OPERATION IN EMIGRATION. The Daily .21retes asks, Why is not the principle of co-operation applied to emigration ? It says when our first parents went out with the world all before them, and the scantiest of out fits for their pioneering expedition, they went out leaning on each other. If Ad am delved, Eve spun ; and the whole community thus divided between them the cares of the journey. Having shown that all the earlier migrations of people were probably conducted on the same associative principle, and that there have been instances where modern colonists have acted on the same system with success, the writer observes that it is difficult to understand why something of this c o-operative system should not be adopted with English emigration. The advantages, he contends, are manifold. It gives friends facilities to follow, and might begin on the very preparations for the journey; in the outfit of the families that formed the expedi tion, in the method of their convey a ice, in the pur chase of land, in the erection of temporary homes, and in the future operations of the little community. In such an expedition, he adds. there would be no looking for work on arrival. PAUPERISM. The return of the number of paupers receiving relief in the month of November, 1869, compares unfavourably with the corresponding month of 1868. In nearly every district there is an increase. In Yorkshire pauperism has augmented four per cent. ; in the metropolis, about three ; in the south-west, but a small fraction; in the south east, from three and a half to four ; and in the north west, about ten and a half. There is a decrease of one per cent. in the west midland district, and of about two per cent in the eastern. The total num ber of paupers in England and Wales for the last week of November 1869 is given at 977,472. For the corresponding week of 1868 it was 968,747. AUSTRALIAN MEAT. By command of the Queen, Sir Thomas Biddulph kas written an encouraging letter to Mr. Tallerman, the manager of the Australian meat agency in London. It says : "It will be very gratifying to Her Majesty if the colonists of Australia are enabled to furnish a supply of wholesome animal food at a price within the reach of the poorer classes of this country, and Her Majesty will watch with interest the progress of such an undertaking." The penny dinner movement seems to be meeting with greater favour. Large numbers of customers, not wholly of the labouring class, regularly frequent the " head centre" in Norton-Folgate, UNITY. Some not unnatural questions are being raised by the attitude of our primates and prelates to the Greek Church and its representative, Archbishop Lycurgus, now in Liverpool. If their lordships send representatives to the consecration of a church of the Eastern Communion, which uses so many rites and ceremonies entirely foreign to the constitution of tin English Church, what relation ought they to take towards churches—or sects as they would perhaps call them—nearer home, much more in sympathy with the creed of the Prayer-book ? A Liverpool Presbyterian Minister is much grieved with what the Archbishop of Canterbury and: York, and the Bishop of Chester have done. They sent repro smtatives to the. Greek Church. Would they allow a clergyman in either of their dioceses to preach in a Presbyterian Church ? He thinks not ; but ho will try. He has written to the Vicar of St. Silas, Liverpool, proposing to allow him his pulpit in exchange for that of the parish church, each minister to preach on the unity of Christianity. It may be pointed out, how ever, that the Archbishop of Syra is not asked to preach in the English churches. The fraternisa tion ends before the divers " teachings " begin. A NEW RELIGIOUS SECT. The .North British Daily Mail says a new sect has been started in Glasgow, under the denomination of "The Church of the Present." Mr. George Duncan. f spiritualistic notoriety, is the founder of this new body, and officiated at the inaugural meeting. Praise and prayer having been vnzav,ed in, Mr. Duncan discoursed on ‘' The THE NEW CAB LAW. The London public have not unnaturally grown impa tient under the delays which have attended the long promised improvement in the cab system. It will bo a consolation, however, to know that the autho rities have not been idle, and that there is now some probability of a speedy exchange of the miserable service which has so long disgraced the Metropolis, for a more respectable and efficient one. It is understood that the intention is to apply a higher standard in the inspection of licensed cabs with as little delay as may be compatible with some degree of consideration for the capital, invested in the present carriages. Under the new regime the loitering cabs, or " crawlers," will be done away with by the increase of stands and the stringency of the new regulations, while the raising of the inspection standard will remove that monopoly of " respectability " in which railway companies have so long revelled. THE COUNCIL AT ROME. The Times' correspondent continues to prophecy evil things of the (Ecumenical Council. The Council itself neither can nor will do the work of clearing off the theological accumulations of three centuries. " Sitting in splendid vestments, in the largest building in the world, and hearing long Latin speeches, of which few can catch even a word of meaning, is not work but mere suffering. It is only work in the sense that some of our Sunday inflictions at home aro ; nay, not even in that sense. The Fathers are anxious to be released. There are 50 or 70 requests for leave of absence, and now a much larger number are getting up a peti tion for a month's holiday, in which some, it is said, propose a tour in the Holy Land. The idea itself would be preposterous if the Fathers thought they were doing actual work here." But, on the other hand, all the four committees have been elected under Jesuit management, and all that has to be done will be in their safe and strong hands. The com mittees, and not the Council, will have the control of all questions, except those of supreme importance. And yet this Times' correspondent, with whom is associated another not less fierce, declares that there will be no declaration of Infallibility. It is likely that the civil Powers will prevent such an extreme result —though they will have, no objection, to anything like a vote of confidence in the Pope. Unfortunately the world has been " done" on one or two important matters by the Times' correspondent, and it is now g3tting cautious of him. FOREIGN NOTES. PIRACY IN THE CHINESE SEAS. A merchant has sent to the Times an extract from a Hong Kong letter, which states that another shocking piracy has just occurred. The British bark Crofton sprung a leak while near Macao, and the ship must after wards have been taken by pirates, who carried the captain and remainder of the crew to the Island of Montamba, close by Macao, near the Tyfea, where they beheaded the prisoners, and burnt the bodies on the beach. Information was given at Macao by some fishermen, and investigation set on foot by the Prussian corvette Medusa, English gunvessel Midge, and Portuguese gunboat Camoes. Dis tinct traces of the tragedy were discovered, with many of the Crofton's papers. The Crofton herself has not been found, and has probably sunk. Piracy is rapidly increasing again because, says the merchant, the English authorities have left its suppression to the care of Chinese gunboats, and restrained the action of English cruisers in Chinese waters. Foreigners in those parts find their position daily becoming more critical, and look forward to a war as a means of extrication from their difficulties. NEW YEAR'S DAY IN VIRGINIA The American journals state that New Year's day in Richmond was kept as it never has been kept before. General Canby and the Governor and Mayor gave public receptions, which were well attended. The Coloured Society celebrated the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, and called • on Governor Walker, who mule them a speech. He adverted to the occasion Vaich they celebrated, arid told them they were his p:;ers before the law, and were vested with the samerights aml privileges, and he, as Governor, would see that these rights and privileges were secured to them. lie appealed t) them to shew by their action that the experiment which hal been tried among the coloured people had been a suc cessful one. General Imboden spoke in a similar strain to the assembly. TIIE RED RIVER SETTLEMENT. The New York Tribune states that the United States Government has been informed that the Canadian adhe rents in the Red River settlements have incited the Sioux Indians to a raid on Pembina and St. Joseph, as a revenge for the aid afforded to the Red rebellion by American citizens. The Government is asked to provide protection for American residents at Pembina. There appears to be no idea of giving up the cause among the people in the settlement, who will go in for annexation to the United States before they will submit to Canada. Governor 11I'Dougall has started for home. When the spring comes there will be great excitement, as it has been announced that there will be invading armies in the country. The New York Tribune will not readily believe the Sioux story. It trusts that the Canadians will be equally slow to credit the charge that the Americans encourage attacks on their Dominion. " The act of the Red River insurgents bears their own original signmanual, and, according to Governor llPDougall himself, was mainly dictated by causes with which Ameri cans have nothing to do. If the neighbourhood of pros perous and populous States is to he suspected as something in the nature of conspiracy, we do not know what will help the Canadians except to turn conspirators, and ploi for annexation." THE CUBAN iNstratEcnor. The Epoca, a Madrid paper, confirms the n ews of the failure of the Cuban insurrection. The political situation in the island is, it says, becoming more favour able to the Spanish cause. Official communi cations lately received announce that several chiefs and a large number of insurgents in the east of the island have submitted to the Spanish authori ties, laying down their arms. The sanitary state of the country was improving. The troops were being dis tributed among the encampments, and the whole con dition of affairs was more auspicious. PAPAL INFALLIBILITY. The Unita Cattolica publishes the text of the resolution respecting the Infallibility of the Pope, as it has been proposed in the Council, and will probably be adopted. It is as follows : " To the Sacred (Ecumenical Council of the Vatican : The undersigned Fathers humbly and urgently entreat the sacred Synod of the Vatican to declare in express terms, which remove all doubt that, the authority of the Roman Pontiff is exempt from error when it decides questions of morals, and when it declares what should be believed by all the faithful and what should be rejectbd and con demned." THE ELECTIONS IN SPAIN. The committee of the Junta of the Progressist Demo crats of Oviedo have issued an address to the members of their party in that province with respect to the approach ing elections of deputies to the Cortes. This address com ments upon the great importance of the coming elections and recommends as candidates, Senores Perez do la Sala and San Miguel, as the most advantageous for the interests of the Liberal party. The address concludes with these significant words; "We need not impress on our friends the necessity of employing all our efforts in favour of these candidates, as the best for the interests of our party. We are secure that, moved by a noble sentiment of chivalry and patriotism, they have de cided to support the party whose doctrines are most con trary to ours if the Liberal Union persist in the purpose it announces, of presenting as its candidate in the two circumscriptions the unpopular pretey dr.- - , 0 44,* - iio Maria de Orleans, Duke of Montpensier." PRUSSIA AND AUSTRIA According to Berlin correspondence, the Archduke Louis-Victor, brother of the Emperor of Austria, will shortly visit that city. It is said that no political im portance must be attached to this visit, as it is simply one of courtesy. The Prussian journals are commenting on the state of the nationalities of Austria. The Correspondence of Berlin refers to a pamphlet of the Russian General Fadujef, which is directed against Austria and the German nationalities, and congratulates itself that the policy of the cabinet of St. Petersburg is so different from that defined by the General. The Official Gazette of Vienna has not published the Imperial decree with respect to the resig nation of the three Ministers of the minority; it will not be announced until after the vote has been taken in the Chamber of Deputies. The attitude which has been assumed by the Chancellor of the Empire in the midst of the constitutional crisis has given rise to many remarks. Count Beust took advantage of the first opportunity - which presented itself to explain his opinions on the political situation. The electors of Reich- RUSSIA AND PERSIA. The progress which Russia has made in Western Asia, especially on the borders of Lake Aral and the Caspian Sea, has long rendered her desirous of obtaining free access for her ships to the ports of these interior waters. The Caspian Sea is bordered by Persian territory, and the Government of Teheran has hitherto obstinately re fused to permit the Russian marine to enter its ports. A telegram from St. Petersburg now announces that the Shah has removed the interdict This last triumph of Muscovite diplomacy will materially strengthen the position of Russia in Central Asia. THE DUBLIN FREEMEN'S COMMISSION. The sittings of the Dublin Freemen Election Commission were resumed on Monday. Sir Edward Grogan Bart., who was member for Dublin from 1841 to 1865, was examined. He said had no accounts of the expenses of 1859, but the gross sum he contributed was £350. He did not hear of any other money being expended on his behalf, and thought at the time that the public mind was disabused of the charge of bribery attaching to the electors. In 1841 his expenses were about £3,000 ;in 1847 £2,550; and in 1857 £1,555. He never thought the freemen were accessible to bribery. He always had been and still was of opinion that they were an honest set of fellows. Mr. William Gibson, Conservative agent, said the expenses connected with the Conservative candidate in 1852 were £3,200—a much higher sum than was expended on either of the two subsequent elections, which he attributed to the fact that there was a longer time to prepare, and they employed an enormous staff of clerks. in order to ascertain the resi dence of every voter. LAW AND POLICE. TEE SALE OF INVENTIONS.-11l the Court of Queen's Bench, on Tuesday an important point was decided in the matter of a demurrer to a plea in an action in respect of the sale of a patent. The plaintiff, a Mr. Smith, had "provisionally registered" an invention - "an improved composition for rendering composition to be employed in waterproofing or rendering woollen fabrics impervious to moisture. He sold his inventions to the defendant, a Mr. Buckingham. In the contract it was stipulated that the plaintiff should be employed at a regular salary in the manufacture of the composition. The defendant however had failed to fulfil the condition of his agree ment, and pleaded, amongst other things, in answer to the action, "that the plaintiff ' had not invented or improved any composition which could be used in the production of fabrics impervious to wet." The plaintiff demurred that the plea was bad. So also thought the Lord Chief Justice. If a man supposed him self to have invented something, which was the subject matter of a patent, and another man, under the same belief as the seller, agreed to buy the supposed invention, and take his chance of its being a patentable invention, it would not do for the buyer, wren the invention would not produce the expected effect, to repudiate his bargain. It would be different, however, where no invention at all existed, except in the imagination of the seller. In such a case the man who paid would not be bound by his agreement. There must be a distinct something, but if that was purchased without any warrantry or stipulation that it should accomplish the object for which it was intended, and it only fulfilled that purpose imperfectly, the buyer could not decline to carry out the arrangement he had made with the vendor. TILE BODMIN ELECTION.—A case has come before the Bail Court which had been removed from the Bodmin County Court by judge's order. Mr. Dymond, the plaintiff is a colour-sergeant in the Cornish Militia, and has a vote for the borough. He claimed £35 from Mr. Wyld, the un successful candidate at the late, contest, for services in getting up evidence in support of the petition against the return of Mr. Gower. The court decided against the peti tion, and Mr. Wyld refused to pay the plaintiff. The case was not concluded. THE CHARGE OF " SWEATING " GOLD COlN.—James Clifford, his wife Eliza, and his daughter Ellen, aged 12, who are charged with " sweating " gold coin, that is to say with lightening and diminishing the value of sovereigns, have been re-examined at Worship-street. Mr. Coleridge prosecuted on behalf of the Treasury, and withdrew the charge against Mrs. Clifford, as it was pro bable that she acted under the control of her husband. The daughter is charged with uttering the lightened coin, and, with her father, was remanded. DE6PERATB ATTEMPT TO MURDER A Lov attempt to murder has been investigated at the Margie bone Police-court. The prisoner was a telegraph clerk, named Cox, who attempted to cut the threat of Helen Hughes, a young woman wl:o lived as servant in a house in St. John's Wood. It appeared that they had been lovers, but they had quarrelled, and the girl refused to be reconciled. Cox went to the house and rang the bell; the young woman opened the door, and he spoke to her for a felir minutes, asking her if she would come to the theatre with him She refused, and turned to go into the house, when he caught her, and tried to cut her throat. Her screams brought assistance, but she was severely, wounded. Cox was remanded. AN ENCOUNTER went A BURGLAU,--J:MCS IZiCherSoll said to be a cook, has been charged at the Hampstead Police Court with burglary and assault at the house of the Rev. W. Perkins, at Hendon. On Sunday evening, while the family were at Church, tho ser vant heard a noise at the drawing-room window, She called the gardener, who found the prisoner outside, and a struggle ensued, after which the prisoner was secured. Several articles were found upon him. He said, when questioned, that he had a house of his own, and be could not think what made him act so. He refused his address, that his family might not be disgraced. He was remanded. CHARGE OF MURDER.-At Southwark police-court, a cobbler, named Clegg, was committed for trial for attemp ing to murder a widow. The prisoner was intoxicated, and stabbed her with a table-knife, causing a dangerous wound in the face. DISPUTED VESTRY CH.LnuEs.—A gentleman at Ham mersmith was summoned for his share of the estimated cost of repairing the mews in the rear of his house. He said that £2l was an extravagant sum to pay. The magis trate having examined the case, stated that the money must be paid. THE CROYDON RODDERY.—Charles Rowland, who stands charged with being concerned in the jewel robbery at Croydon in last September, has been committed for trial after his fourth eiamination before the Croydon magis trates. He reserved his defence. A SECRETARY OF STATE IN A COUNTY COURT.—A curious case has been heard in the Canterbury County Court, the defendant betng no other than the Secretary of State for War. The magistrates' clerk attempted to re cover the sum of 14s. Gd. from the Secretary, the charge being for fees for reporting to the War-office a case of alleged desertion, heard before the justices of Canterbury. The secretary wished for the judge's opinion on the legality of such charges, as similar cases were constantly occurring. The judge said he was unable to give an opinion with reference to the charge, because no similar case had ever come before him. Ile had great doubt if an action would lie against a Minister of the Crown, but to give the plaintiff an opportunity of bring ing another action, if this could be dune, he should direct a nonsuit. CHARGES OF MIIRDEIL—At the Huddersfield Police court, William Hough was charged with the murder of his wife. It appeared that he came honle intoxicated and struck his wife on the head, she went to bed and was found dead the next mornin g . A post-mortem examination showed that death had resulted from fracture of the skull. The prisoner was com mitted for trial for manslaughter.—An inquest was held by the Stockport district coroner on the body of Daniel Shaw, a railway gateman, who was murdered by his wife. The prisoner admitted that she killed her hus band. She was committed to Chester Assizes on a charge of wilful murder.—The two men charged with being im plicated in the murder of a gamekeeper on the estate of the Maharajah Dhuleop Singh have been committed for trial, 10,000 PRESLNTS, from 2s. Cd. to £5, at Parkins and Gotto's. Portrait albums, writing cases, dressing cases, travel ling bags, with dressing and writing materials, envelope cases, despatch boxes, blotting hooks, ink stands, desks, stationery, cabinets, book slides, work boxes, tea-caddies, hand bags and reticules, card cases, purses, scent-bottles, cigar cases, card baskets, pocket books, electrc-gilt and elegantly mounted g ods ; ornamental articles for mantel shelf and table; bagatelle boards, che3s and draught boards, cud men, and evening games of every kind. Bibles, pr.:3'er bookP, and church services, in every typo —Parkins and Gotto, 24, 25, 27, and 28, Oxford-street, London. PORTRAIT ALBUMS are now an established article of interest whether in the palace or cottage, and are to be found on almost every sitting room table. No article is more welcome as a gift. When first introduced they wore badly made, but are now got up in the most perfect style and strongly bound, so that they will last for years, and at extra ordinary low prices, by Parkins and (lotto, 27 and 28, Oxford-street, London, W. REPORT OF COMMISSIONER D. A. WELLS. The most condensed, elaborate, and valuable of all the re ports made by Mr. David A. Wells, the Revenue Commis sioner, is that sent into Congress by the Secretary of the Treasury on Monday, Dec. 20, 1869. Before giving an abstract of it, however, we may as well remind our readers that this is the last regular report to be made by Mr. Wells. unless his office is continued by now legislation, since it ceases by limitation on the 30th of J une next Of his for mer reports and his whole series of investigations, com menced under the Revenue Commission in 1865 and con tinued uninterruptedly till now, it is strictly true to assert that lie has faithfully and conscientiously discharged the duties of his office, and thus greatly promoted the best in terests of the country. Time, experience, and free discus sion will confirm the correctness of his general conclusions and vindicate his position, as they have already done in part. Tbus, in the case of distilled spirits, a'though the impalicy and waste of the two-dollar tax was demonstrated by him in 1865, and its abatement earnestly recommended, the proposition found few supporters in either branch of Congress, and Mr. Wells was accused of having been in fluenced in his statements and • ecommendations by corrupt and unworthy motives. A like disfavour alSo attended many of his other recommendations; for example, the re peal of the tax upon raw cotton and crude petroleum; the cumulative and onerous taxes on all manufacturing indus try ; the proposition to collect the revenue from fermented liquors by means of stamps, and from tobacco by the joint application of the stamp and package system; the appoint ment of supervisors ; the uniform tax upon cigars, and the like; and yet the adoption of all these measures has been subsequently found necessary through experience, and has resulted in great and permanent Lenofit to Government and people. This Mr. Wells modestly states at the close of his report, and it will be confirmed by the verdict of years to come. He has rendered a service surpassed by few in the statistical labours of his office, and he has un derstood how to present his statistics so as to command the attention and ultimately secure the assent of candid men to his arguments and recommendations, lie has not been infallible, but in the main he has been correct, and Congress will be compelled, whether willing or unwilling, to consider the questions that ho raises. He goes much farther than Mr. Boutwell has ventured in his recent re port, and in some respects is at variance with the opinions of his chief, we suspect. COST OF THE WAR. The report, without its appendix, makes 131 printed pages. It begins with a review of the national progress for the year 1869 and for the whole period since 1860, and declares that " the experience of another year re affirms the principle before announced, and the progress and growth of the country, through its elements of vitality, viz., great national resources and an inherent spirit of energy and enterprise in the people, is in a great degree independent of legislation, and of the impoverish ment and disorder which th• occurrence of a long war has necessarily occasioned." - To state exactly what this im poverishment has been, Mr. Wells gives figures showing that the total expenditures of the Government from April 1, 1861, - to June 30, 1869, were nearly 5,000 millions of dollars; from which he deducts 825 millions as the ex pense if there had been naval - , and thus estimates the cost of the war to the GaverAthent, up to last July, as $471,014,498. In order to get at the further cost to the people, he estimates the present value of the pensions due as $200,000,000, the increased state debts $123,000,000, the municipal war debts as $200,000,000, and the cash ex penditures of states and municipalities as $600,000,000; making a total of nearly $5,300,000,000 as a direct cost to the nation and the loyal states. The direct cost and loss of property in the rebel states he calls $2,700,000,000, and the loss to the loyal states from diversion of industry, &c., $1,200,000,000 ; making an aggregate of more than nine thousand millions of dollars which the rebellion has cost the country. Of this sum about half is from actual figures, the rest an estimate. OUR NATIONAL WEALTH. Ile then shows that in the five years following the war we received a million and a half of immigrants, and that our population is increasing at the rate of 1,100,000 a year ; that 5,000 miles of railway have been built in the country this year, and 13,000 since 1864 ; that our telegraphic sys tem has extended in 1869 by 7,000 miles of wire, and that the crops have been good. lie estimates the cotton at 2,700,000 bales, worth $303,000,000; the corn crop is worth $450,000,000,the wheat $373,000,000, the hay $`250,000,000; the meat $400,000,000, the dairy products $400,000,000 ; and the total agricultural production of 1869,53,283,000,000. The railway service he calls $360,000,000 ; the product of the fisheries $100,000,000: the leather manufactures $222,600,000: and the cotton and woollen manufactures $137,500,000; the iron production $119,950,000; and the total annual product of the country he sets down as $6,825,000,000. for 1869. Our present valuation in cur rency he reckons as $23,400,000,000; and increase since 1860 of nearly 66 per cent. The annual increase of active capital, from excess of production over expendi ture he sets as low, however, as $516,000,000, and adds —" if this estimate of the annual surplus of national productions over national consumption, available as active capital for reproduction, should appear too small and dis proportionate, it should be borno in mind that while the aggregate of the.natiunal product is proved by incontro vertiVe statistics to ba very great, there is also no other fact better proved by comparison and observation than that the per capita consumption cf the people of the United States is larger than that of the people of any other civilized nation. The habits of economy and frugality which necessity has forced upon the masses of the people in other countries, are, in general, neither known nor practised in the United States; and all foreigners whe visit the United States for the purpose of studying its social economy are particularly impressed with what, judging from their home stand-point of view, seems an enormous waste both in domestic living and domestic manufacturing." HINDRANCES TO NATIONAL DETELOPMENT. Notwithstanding these largo figures, Mr. Wells believes that the present accumulation of capital is at a much slower rate than it ought to be; and he proceeds to con sider what the existing hindrances are. The first men tioned is the unfavourable condition of our foreign trade, in consequence of our excessive imports, and the fact that more than two-thirds of our trade is now carried on in foreign vessels. The adverse balance of trade, after de ducting the excess of specie exports for the last financial year, he calls $78,666,738; and to this adds $80,000,000 for interest paid abroad, $24,000,000 for excess of freights carried in foreign vessels, and $25,000,000 for expendi tures of Americans in foreigr countries; making a total adverse balance of annual indebtedness of nearly $210,000,000, which we aro settling at present by sending our bonds to Europe. Mr. Wells estimates the amount of Government Securities now held abroad as $1,000,000,000 ; State securities, $100,000,000 ; railway bonds and shares, $243,000,000 ; other forms of foreign indebtedness, $122,000,000 ; making a total of £1,465,500,000, which, as a people, we now owe to foreigners; which has mainly accumulated within six years, and on which we pay, as above stated, about eighty millions of interest annually. This pregnant fact is afterwards used in the discussion of how we may best contract our redundant currency. Other hindrances are the withdrawal of many persons from productive industry, the discontent and demoraliza tion of labour in many places and pursuits, the unequal distribution of the annual products of labour and capital, and the great increase, since the war began, of the amount of capital necessary for the prosecution and development of industry. All these matters are copiously treated, and the latter is illustrated by an incident which shows foreiby enough why the cost and requirements of capital are so much increased. "In a block of stores now erecting in one of the leading seaboard cities the expense of the glass (imported) used in the same is $29,000 (currency). An analysis of this expenditure shows that one-fourth of it, $7,250, represents simply depreciation of the currency ; one-third of the remaining cost, or $7,250, represents the duties imposed on its import; leaving $14,500 as the fo reign cost of the material, plus the expenses of transpor tation, profits, &c. Now, without discussing the propriety of levying a tax upon this article to meet the necessities of the Government, it unquestionably remains true that the whole of this increase of price, amounting to one hun dred per cent., will remain, so long as these stores stand, a tax on all the industry to which they are made subser vient, and also indirectly upon other industries, by dimi nishing the general supply of capital available in the country, and hence increasing its cost." In summing up this part of his argument, Mr. Wells declares that in many respects the United States does not use the advantages it possesses in the best possible manner, and that if we annually increase in national wealth, it is rather by reason of our great natural resources, than from the intelligent direction, through legislation, of our national economy. THE POOR. GROWING POORER. In regard to his often quoted statement in a former Report, that "the rich are growing richer and the poor poorer," an explanation is made, which will perhaps make that proposition more acceptable than it has been to a large number of Mr. Wells's readers. He says : " Some of the difficulties which may seem to stand in the way of the acceptance of the assertion heretofore made, and which the Commissioner now repeats and again asserts—viz., that the poor of the United States, under and in consequence of the existing system of taxation and currency condition combined, tend to grow poorer, may possibly be cleared away by remembering that the poor of this country are not, and never have been, the same as a class as the poor of Great Britain and continental Europe. H er e poverty, as a general thing, means deprivation of comforts, luxuries ; there, on the (Ater hand, poverty reaches a lower depth and implies the deprivation of necessities and the possibility of starvation. Now the ex pression "the poor of the United States under tLe existing system tend to grow poorer," in its widest signification, means this: that the great majori y of profcFsional men, of clerks, shopmen and accountants, of whole classes of mechanics, whose products, the results of constant em ployment, would naturally tend to be in excess of a con sumption limited by legislation to au exclusively domestic market, and even there restricted by price, such as shoe makers, tailors, hatters, and miners, and at the present time papermakers, and wool and cotton •-•Hnuers and weavers; all females who earn a livelihood in ts.:tories, in shoe-binding and stitching, and in ordinary sewing; an d, finally, all those who have only unskilled labour in its rudest forms to sell—it means that all of these, who con- ~..~--~ stitute a large proportion of the population, find their ex penses for rent, fuel, food, and clothing maintaining a greater ratio to their receipts than formerly. As an in evitable result, accumulation is impaired and comfort diminished. Appearances, however, are maintained ; hence the illusion of apparently undiminished prosperity. Yet there is no escaping the conclusions before arrived at, if we pay regard to the weight of evidence.". TARIFF AND CURRENCY. Coming now to a discussion of the "agencies which disturb the equitable distribution of national wealth," the commissioner again lays great stress on our redundant paper currency. how this operates against the farmer, both in selling and buying his supplies, is well described, while, at the came time, the effect of our high tariff is pointed out in the following passage : " The value of the surplus for exportation is much less than it would be wore the currency brought to a specie standard and taxation reduced and equalised, and to this extent the American agriculturist is placed at a disadvan tage with his foreign competitor •from the very outset. Let us explain. It cannot be doubted that the cost of transportation; elevating, storing, and manag ng is at least ten per cent. greater than it would be under a normal con dition of currency and taxation. It is also certain that the exporter of the grain will not give at the time of his purchase an exact equivalent in currency to the gold price at the place of sale in Europe, less commissions, transpor tation and profits, inasmuch as it is always doubtful whe ther the gold received GO or 90 days hence will then ex change for as much currency as it would at the time the grain was first purchased. The exporter therefore of ne cessity insures himself to the extent of one, two, or four per cent., as the case may be. But whatever these charges may amount to, and, differ as we may in reference to par ticulars, it must be agreed that they are considerable ; they are all reflected back and borne by the producer, and not charged to the foreign consumer, for the latter can at all ordinary times buy wheat from the Baltic or the Crimea which is not subject to such charges ; and this loss, fur thermore, is not limited merely to the surplus available for export, but, in accordance with the law above ex plained, is multiplied by the whole product, and dimi nishes the price for which every bushel is sold, whether the same be intended for domestic or foreign consumption. "We have thus stated the position of the American agriculturist in respect to what he has to sell. Let us next consider his position in regard to what he wishes to buy. And here it is necessary to bear in mind that what the grower of food and other agricultural products wants is not money, but that which money will buy. We will there fore assume that the farmer has turned say 100 bushels of wheat into 100 specie dollars, and next endeavour to trace this sum of money through its course in procuring for Its possessor the satisfaction of the wants under the stimulus of which he has performed the labour of guiding the powers of nature to the production of the wheat. He has need of salt, and he finds that Ile can purchase it in Liver pool or Cadiz and lay it down in the United States at from 15 to 20 cents per bushel ; but the Government, through its currency and its tariff, has imposed such a tax upon it as to make it better for him to pay from 40 to 45 cents per bushel for American salt ; or, in other words, to take less than half the quantity for the acme money; the Government, at the same time, receiving but little revenue—the ostensible ob ject for which a tax on salt, through the medium of the tariff, was in the first instance imposed. "Or, perhaps, he lives in Maine, and wants coal, and could get twenty tons from Nova Scotia for his hundred dollars. But the Government having imposed a tax of one dollar and 25 . cents per ton of two thousand pounds, in gold, upon its importation. he finds it better for him to expend one dollar and a half per ton more for transpor tation of coal from Pennsylvania. Thus 30 dollars' worth of unnecessary transportation has been performed, the Government has no more revenue, and he has less coal. "Or perhaps he wishes to carpet his rooms. In Lon don the specie dollar received for a bushel of his wheat would purchase of tapestry Brussels' a yard and a third; but in New York he would find that Government, through its currency and tariff, had so taxed carpets, that his specie dollar, even converted into currency, will purchase only about four-sixths of a yard of the same style and quality. If, however, his means do not allow of th.e purchase of tapestry Brussels, and he should endeavour to satisfy his wants with a coarse drugget or hocking, he would find that the price of his grain would purchase less compara tively than of even the more expensive and costly article. If ho wishes to invest the proceeds of his wheat in Wan kete, he will find that one hundred bushels sold in Liver pool will buy him over seven hundred pounds of this article; but if sold in New York, at present prices, it will not bring him an excess of three hundred and fifty pounds. If he should endeavour to console himself with the refleo- tion that the Treasury gains to the extent that he loses, and that through his sacrifices the period for the extin guishment of the national debt is shortened, he will find the receipts from the duties on blankets under the tariff to have been as follows :-1862, $612,283; 1866, $485,978; 1867, $207,598; 1868, $25,288. In fact, in almost any direction in which he attempts to expend his one hundred dollars in specie —or, in other words, for whatever article he attempts to exchange his one hundred bushels of wheat —he finds that the Government has interposed, and has dictated to him that at this present time he must either buy what he might not havo chosen, or take less than what he might otherwise obtain." OVIt CURREYCY EXCESSIVE. The excess of the present currency is proved by the fact that the amount of currency in circulation has been arbitrarily increased during the past eight years consider ably more than twofold, although the increase of popula tion, production, and accumulated wealth during the same time has been by general agreement in very much smaller proportion, and although at the former date the amount of currency in circulation was not limited by any serious restrictions upon the creation of banks or the issue of paper really or nominally redeemable in specie. Fur thermore, the tendency of all commercial nations is to ward economy in the use of currency. The . givulating medium never advances in the same ratio with the ex changes which it serves to carry on. In the State of New York, in the ten years from 1850 to 1860, the capital of banks increased one hundred and ten per cent., deposits one hundred and thirteen per cent., end specie ono hun dred and forty-one per cent., while the circulation only increased fifteen per cent. The explanation of this phe nomenon was that bank deposits and other economical expedients had largely taken the place of bank notes in domestic exchanges. It has been urged, that by allowing the present volume of currency to remain unaltered, the increase in business and the development of the country would gradually dimi nish and finally remove all yedundancy. To this it may be replied, that the retaining of the present amount of cur rency in circulation tends to increase no business but what is speculative, and to check the very development which is expected to prove remedial. In the twenty-five years which elapsed from 1833 to 1860 the paper circula tion of the country, left free and untrammelled to expand itself, increased from one hundred and three millions to two hundred and seven millions, or at the rate of 4.36 per cent. per annum. Now should the future demand continue to in crease in the same ratio, it would require the lapse of 40 years from 1860, or until the year 1900, to bring the wants of the country up to tee present supply. (To be continued.) ',ADVERTISEMENT. I —Holloway's Ointment and Pills. — Constant Success.—No diseases are more trying to the temper and more exhausting to the constitution than the pains in muscles and joints, caused by exposure to wet or cold. Wherever the seat of suffering it will only be necessary to foment the affected part with warm water, dry thoroughly, and immediately rub in Holloway's ines timable Ointment to obtain ease. Gout, rheumatism, neuralgia, and tic-doloreux are soon relieved and ulti mately cured by this unequalled unguent, aided by Hol loway's purifying and operative Fills. Under this judi cious treatment, the afflicted parts soon cease to ache, and shortly regain their natural feelings and appearance. ,These remedies are invaluable for spinal affections and nervous diseases. (ADVERTISEMENT.)—Avoid Medicines they always aggravate chronic complaints: but Du Barry's delicious health-restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, which yields three times the nourish ment of the best meat, saves 50 times its cost in other remedies, and invariably restores perfect digestion, strong nerves, sound lungs, healthy liver, pure blood, refreshing sleep, functional re gularity, tine energy to the most disordered or enfeebled. We ex tract a few out of the 68,000 cures:—" The Pope's health restored by Du Barry's Food. Cure No. 68,413. "Rome, July 21, 1866. —The health of the Holy Father is excellent, especially since abandoning all other remedies, he has confined himself entirely to Du Barry's Revalenta, Arabica Food, of which he consumes a plateful at every meal. It has produced a s ur p r i s i ng l y b en e tidal effect on his health, and his Holiness cannot praise this excel lent food too highly. From the "Gazette du Midi, July 25 Cure No. 58,216, of the Marchioness de Brehan, of seven years' liver complaint, wasting away, debility, nervousness, with a nervous palpitation all over, bad digestion, constant sleeplessness, and the most intolerable nervous agitation.." Cure No. 1,771; Lord Stuart de Decies, Lord Lieutenant of Waterfolt,foi many years' dyspepsia. No 49,832: " Fifty years' indescribable agory front dyspepsia, nervousness, asthma, cough, constipation, flatulency, spasms, sickness, and vomiting.—Maria Joly."—Cure No 46,270: Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley, Surrey, of 30 years diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deafness. Important Caution.—Beware of the many unsavoury and more than sloppy imitations to which, without authority, Baron Liebie's name is most audaciously attached. In tins, 4tino s _ s, at Is d; Ilb 2s 4 1d; 2lb 4 5 6 d; s lb lls ; 12 lb 225; ANo 'u BARBy's RUNALENTA A RABICA CROCOLATIC POWDER is packed in tin canisters: for 12 cups at 2s, for 24 cups at Is Cd, for 48 cups at Cs, for 2,8 cups at 30s, for 676 cups at 550 —being about one penny per cup. The 30s and :5s tins are sent free of carriage in England on receipt of Post Office Order.— BAitay Du Many and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London; and all Grocers and Chemists. ~3IRTfIS, Loris—Ou the I.t.h inst., the wife of Henry C. Lopes, Af t (4 , lt . l 3l on .P ;li ' e cif l a au7tahignis'ttt..,"the Hon. Mrs. Mure, of Cald well, of a sou and heir, KIRTLEY—NODES-0a the 18th inst., at Bayswater, fly. Kiriley, Esq., Alf , ed Villa, Yarrow-road, \V., to Sarah, your gest daughter of John Node; Esq., of 9, St. Mary's square, Paddington. SopEx—LActloix -Cn the 17,h inst., at St. Paul's, Brampton, John Soden, Esq., of 9, Cranloy-placo, to Madame Josephine Lacroix (nc'e d'Atunont). DEATHS. - - DLAcx---On the 18th inst., at 216, Camden-road, John Black, Eq., aged 79. DALE- On the 18th inst., at 13, Chiswell-street, Finsbury, John Dale, E , q., aged 73. GORDON— On the 17th inst., at Upper Edmonton, Alexan der Gordon, Esq., aged 79. London : Printed and Pithlished by WILLIAII ANDREWS, of No. 12, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Ocoee, AO. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County a Aliddlesex.-. Wednesday, January 10, 1870. I( I A 0 Terve t T Th s cele Pr ,“ kedB. Skqd in i the Agents M"Ti 14, RIIS kDvAwci old or Le ble r. eekl - orTne fre( VSTA . The re fessional weekly p: biped wit eetablishr This es nixed by and it is Ley La Caroline All inl ten er SubsCr Treasure .-rHE 1 JE receive A and DU NIAla, 1 The F manual A pub When tt messed. other paAppli4 TH' The Fire Re The me Bonne value I render ; leave is thirty d x'9 Upw this Ho The enable 1 numerc helpl ns lank street ; NA' Coder t whereb. Girls of the king The o ish edu and lau wise in sultablf The( antirel3 11° PUNT F Thi establi free. Ba t street, See.. Mew ates s lane E. 0., Purc Offic Wat( Oftleq L° proves CO: Idessr Mond Troare Liver r I- Pr( Treat DC solid expel at W SE Natß Th from lion Qt Gov( desti and pros ] stitu end( 8,88i6 Si Ink its r T 136 - C1 fo ,