The Sun. — London, England, 1842-09-03 00:00:00

S E. ademy of n relative and other truments, velty was \ h!c go, in the_ vations at , iod of the ask of the linutes ce that of the set nee was of Vi gives to 'th part of inguished es of the ent rays. as to the Arago. lv thrown red visible of Hers light and an incan ible. M. e which he ry having rtul teles- Df the sun, the laws mountain cording to protuber or small that the nountains, [. Arago's pinions as mountain, :ed projec observers, erefore, is of diffrac this point he summit n N.N.W., rd. Teazer, veastl.., for an ru3 into one of the W.—Arrd. ar as p . ro- Ma T, Batavia. for Leith, ,o W.S.W., aner, West 11. off, Col- sh.—Arrd. :io ; British yard bound, Montreal. Rio. of and for nerica, out r Majesty's id Oak, Li- W. ; Eliza !I, Arica to nas Melk r, ar th troops), 41, lon. Liverpool. 43, lon. 42 ; lat. 47, lon. It., lat. 49, , N. 8., 22d ved in the 'hillip, Feb. owne, Lon 'au!, by the nith Wales. , bound to xa, arrived ?inn, April In Luther, rnhopeside, , lat. 17 N., Line, lat. 34, the Downs. lon. 24 W., )s)ne, Bris- John Bell, trrior, 16th, Limerick ."28, by the Newport to ►y the Asia, [p Ely, de- Straits, and ant vessels,. arrived June last. candria, re- August, in ed) not laid RD SHIP• at South plosion took A' the cabin , sion is sup :l was very llington ig imander-in• to ApsleY )rd Fitzroy no visitors of Douro, Wellesley, early in the since left• lth than he should sap ever before r continues as the days sea-breeze alth-inspir ne weather riles to hand e witnessed Ids.—Dover nporary ef xecution ', f death for eceived b 7 is not, cor' hen issued, ;on, where, there is no he extreme morning, regularly re belies! ;oing their t prisoners , for being that town. the Man' ay, where 1, or till a ten cora ng a total ants in the )IMercorg. DALKEITH PALACE. Dalkeith Palace, the seat of his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, stands on a knoll, overlooking the con fluence of the north and south branches of the river Esk, six miles south of Edinburgh. It was built about the beginning of the last century by Anne, Duchess of Buccleuch, widow of the unfortunate James, Duke of Monmouth, natural son of Char)es 11. The approach to it, as well as the banks of the river, are adorned with plantations. The Great Court between the Palace and the park is very spacious, and from the gate of the Court there is an avenue through the park, directly south, of a mile long ; and, round the Palace a terrace, which on the north, where the front of the Palace is 120 feet wide, over looks a precipice to the river as at Windsor. On the east side is a natural amphitheatre, at the bottom of which Is a flower-garden, and round the side evergreen slopes. The estate of Dalkeith has been held by the Buc clench family, ever since the year 1642. The park, which abounds in woods, particularly ancient oaks, consists of about 800 Scotch acres, and is surrounded by a high wall. The rivers North and South Esk run through the Park, and unite . their streams about half a mile below the house. His late Majesty George IV. took up his residence at Dalkeith palace on his visit to Scotland. The entrance to the palace, which her Majesty is now honouring with her visitation, is by a hall paved with stone, to the left of which is the great staircase, supported by pillars of marble. Every step is cu riously inlaid with walnut-tree wood. At the top of the staircase is a noble room, 40 feet long, and 30 high and broad. There is also a great room to the north of the hall. The walls of most of the rooms are adorned with many very valuable family portraits. The offices join the town of Dalkeith, which contains about 6,000 inhabitants.. The noble family of Scott, of which his present Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, is the lineal descend ant, is not only ancient, but has ever been of great importance on the borders. The first of the family ennobled was under the reignof James 111., and wh o assume d th e titl e o f " Domi nus de Buccleuch." Sir Walter Scott, of Branxholm and Buccleuch, 1492, was a brave and powerful ba ron, and Warden of the West Marches of Scotland. This Sir Walter is celebrated by historians for great deeds of valour and magnanimity, during the minority of James V., for an abortive attempt to rescue that monarch from the control of the Earl of Angus, on which Sir Walter Scott has founded " The Lay of the Last Minstrel." Another ancestor of this name, in the reign of James VI., and from whose hands he received the honour of knighthood, was no way infe rior to the bravest of his predecessors in courage and intrepidity. Having carried on a predatory warfare against the English, and boldly rescued one of his attendants, Kin mont Will, from the Castle of Carlisle, he was deli vered up as a hostage upon an adjustment of the feuds between the English and the Scots. During his so journ in England, family tradition states that he was brought into the presence of Queen Elizabeth, who demanded, in her usual arbitrary manner, how he dared to engage in deeds so desperate and presumptuous ? " What is it," said the undaunted chieftain, " what is that a man dares not do ?" Elizabeth struck with this reply, said to a lord in waiting, " With ten thousand such men, our brother of Scotland might shake the firmest throne in Europe." DEATH OF DR. IRELAND, DEAN OF WESTMINSTER. It is our painful duty this day to announce the decease of Dr. Ireland, Dean of Westminster. This melancholy event took place at the residence of the venerable dignitary in the Cloisters of Westminster Abbey, shortly before eight o'clock yesterday morning. The late Dean has been an invalid for the last four years, but his illness was not of a severe nature; it did not prevent him taking daily exercise, until within the last few days. On Wednesday afternoon, however, about four o'clock, Dr. Ireland was seized with rather violent pains. He was imthediately con veyed to his bed, from which he never again rose. The late venerable Dean, who was much respected and beloved by all who had the pleasure of his ac quaintance, had nearly completed his 81st year, having been born on the Bth of September, 1761. MAJOR-GEN. PASLEY'S OPERA TIONS AT SPITHEAD. ENTIRE REMOVAL OF THE WRECK OF TRACY'S LIGHTER, SUNK IN 1783. The operations against the wreck of the Royal George have been (tarried on this season with greater activity than in any former year, but have attracted less notice, in consequence of those great explosions which excited so much public interest and curiosity, and attracted thousands of spectators, having become unnecessary in the present state of the wreck, the re mains of which are now buried in a shoal of mud only a few feet higher than the adjacent anchorage, so that Major-General Pasley has directed that no charges exceeding 2001 b. of powder shall be used. On the 4th of May Lieut. Hutchinson, the able and zealous officer who was employed the whole of last year as the executive engineer at Spithead, set out from Chatham at half-past four o'clock in the morning with a detachment of Royal Sappers and Miners, and all the necessary stores, and the whole were embarked on board the Success frigate hulk at Spithead the same evening, having gone from Chat ham to Gravesend by Edwards's vans, thence to London-bridge, and afterwards to Vauxhall by steam boats, and thence to Gosport by the South Western Railway. Such are the modern facilities of travel-' ling; but only a few yeqrs ago a detachment of sol • diers could not have made the same journey without a harassing march of nearly a week, involving much greater expense to the Government. On the sth of May the pensioners who had been employed last year were engaged, but a gale of wind prevented the operations being commenced before the 7th of that month, When only four divers were employed, which number was increased to five on the 13th of May, and to six on the 3d of June, and the same number has constantly been employed since. All the divers are soldiers, either of the Royal or of the East India Company's Sappers and Miners, the former being generally the same who worked last year, the latter volunteers, who, by approbation of the Court of Directors, will take out that important art to India, as well as the use of the voltaic battery for sub marine explosions in its most improved application ; and in the meantime they are very useful at Spit.. head, which, from the depth of water, the strength of the tides, and the present state of the wreck, covered with stiff mud, and embarrassed by iron and shingle ballast, staves of casks, firewood, &c., affords the best school of instruction in helmet diving that could have been found. It was the intention of Major-General Pasley to have employed six or seven divers from the first, but the stores of last year having been found in bad order, especially the air-pipes, he was obliged to wait till new were supplied, and there fore the wreck of the small vessel sunk about 50 fathoms south of the Royal George was not attacked until the Ist of June, when he directed that Corporal Harris should take charge of the removal of it. The Corporal had previously cone down to examine it, and reported that it was about 60 feet in length, and that the timbers could be traced all round, rising five or six feet above a small shoal on which it was partially imbedded, the upper part of the timber being worm eaten and decayed, This report, was verified by Lieutenant Hutchinson himself, who went down to the same spot. It was soon found that there was not room for a second diver to work conveniently in the removal of this little wreck, so that Corporal Harris was exclusively employed about it. Not being able at first to ascertain the name of this little vessel, it was called the Perdita, but afterwards its history was discovered by consulting the letter books in the Master-Attendant's office in Portsmouth dockyard, and it proved to be a mooring lighter, em ployed by Mr. Tracy, in 1703, in his unsuccessful attempt to weigh the Royal George , and was sunk in that operation. The then Master-Attendants of Portsmouth dockyard, who evinced throughout a dis position ordered, reported to assist him, p as ut th ob ey sta w cl e e r s ed in th M e r 2 . 0 1:r h ac o y f 's A w r a . y i, theth a than N a o v y Board, by letter date. f l a 7 il B e 4 d , ; th a a n t dthtehyathathdoutrgihedittowwaisngpeliethti_si lighter, but to recover her bye mplon w o r o e u r e d a en n y . a P n d vesse in a second attempt, for the cordage that would be expended in the opera tion.ot even pay her value re moved fifty-nine years after she sank_,_ C3f_t f . l She was therefore left at the bottool, be ra t of her of the Royal Sappers and Miners. N but p not without g s keel, having been successively got up : now left, the flooretimbers, kelson, o l p a a n r kin , and expending about 7501 h, of powder, In charges Active from time to time by the same iotuiligt3;# . fl fte , ofthe laced diver , of which the largest was 1801 b.—no others exee.e4ed 70Ib. feet, or 61 loads The demolition and removal of the wreck of the Royal George has been going on with p zeal and ac re l o five, and now sl,lc ac tivity, never fewer than fou r or d. divers, being constantly June, 3,066 4,43 employe of° n the 20th of timber, had rat the latter of iron ballast, from the Royal of these been removed from the ' weighing, at 3 cwt, each, 32 tons two wrecks, besides 219 pigs 0 the 30th sent up 19 pigs, or nearly 3 tons, sale ln Lance-Corporal Jones, one.nof oiwt best divers, or of June, the quantity of timber stacked r THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY MORNING, SEPTEMIIER - 3, 1842. SAFE ARRIVAL --OF• THE QUEEN IN SCOTLAND. {From an Express Edition of the Caledonian Mercury.) HER MAJESTY LN THE FORTH. THURSDAY MORNING--TwO o ' Clock, A.M.—We have just learned that her Alajesty, with the Royal Squadron, passed Dunbar last night (Wednesday), about ten - o'clock. A battery placed at Dunbar har bour, for the express" purpose, fired a Royal salute, Which vas acknowledged by several rockets from the Royal ssnairon. -- ARRIVAL OF THE ROYAL SQUADRON IN THE ROADS. _ . GOD SAVE THE QUEEN ! Three o'Clock, A.M.—Our reporter, who went down in the Monarch to meet the Royal squadron, has just arrived,- and we learn that this fine vessel, belonging to the General Steam Navigation Company, when off St. Abb's Head, was the first to descry the Royal squadron. The Monarch then proceeded on her course, and met the Royal fleet off Eyemouth. At that time the wind was N.W., and the Royal George yacht was towed by two steamers—the Black Eagle and the Shearwater. Immedi ately behind was the Rhadamanthus and the Trinity yacht steamer Vesta. The Royal George, in order to steady her, had her jib, flying-jib, forestaysail, and driver set, the wind blowing on the larboard bow. The Monarch then put round, and in excellent style delivered a Royal salute (21 guns) ; afterwards this vessel took her position at a respectful distance alongside the Royal yacht. A cry then succeeded to man the yards, and to stand by, to give three cheers with a will. These were given with a hearty and enthusiastic effect. At this timi it was ebserved that her Majesty was reclining on a couch between the main and mizenmast, while his Royal Highness Prince Albert was pacing the deck close by. The cheering must have been distinctly heard on boOrd the Royal George yacht, as her Majesty was observed to rise and graciously acknowledge the loyal demonstrations by repeated acknowledg ments: Prince Albert was standing at the foot of the couch, and immediately behind the couch was a naval officer, whom we supposed to be Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, the Commander of the Royal yacht, Her Majesty wore a tartan shawl and pink bonnet. About this time the Trident steamer, belonging to the General Steam Navigation Company, came up from Granton ; the Monarch and Trident then drop ped astern, and fell into the wake of the Royal squad ron. In this manner they proceeded for some time, when it was proposed on board the Monarch to get up a Scottish reel. Shortly after this active and national festivity commenced, we could distinctly ob serve Prince Albert drawing the attention of her Majesty to the gay scene, in which the Royal party seemed to be greatly interested. Night was now drawing on, and lights were hoisted at the foremast, topmast, mizenmast, mizen peak, and a brilliant one below the main-cap. The Monarch, about ten miles to the eastward of Inch keith, left the Royal squadron, which was now hug ging the southern shore, with the apparent intention of taking the inner passage. At half-past one o'clock the Monarch arrived off Granton, and it was then supposed the Royal squadron had anchored in Aberlady Bay. At all events it is now certain that the landing will take place this forenoon. We have heard that the Town Council are summoned to meet at half-past ten o'clock this day. At half- past one his Grace the Duke of Buccleuch, accompanied by his brother, Lord John Scott, rode down to Granton Pier, and were anxiously looking out for tidings of the Royal squadron at the time the Monarch arrived and fired her signal gun. His Grace was still on the pier when we were obliged to leave, at half-past two o'clock. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. At twelve o'clock on Wednesday night the Royal George yacht, in which was her Majesty, cast anchor off Portobello, to the south of the port of Leith . , about six miles below Granton Pier, amidst the blaze of bonfires from all parts of the adjacent country. ARRIVAL OF HER MAJESTY AT EDINBURGH. By the following notice from a Correspondent at Berwick-on-Tweed, we may safely conclude that the Royal Squadron reached its destination early on Thursday morning. The weather had been very thick and hazy on Tuesday : BERWICK-ON-TWEED, Ana. 31. WEDNESDAY, SIX O'CIA)Cit P.m.—The Royal Squadron is now passing. Wind N.N.W., very fine weather. • W. S. QU EEN'S VISIT TO SCOTLAND. EDINBURGH, WEDNESDAY NIGHT.—It would be difficult to give you anything like an adequate idea of the excitement that has prevailed here the whole of the day. As regards business, the day has been all but a dies non. The few shops open might as well have been closed, as almost the entire of the popula tion turned out of doors in their holiday dress imme diately after breakfast, and kept promenading the streets through which the Royal procession was ex pected to pass till the evening was far advanced. Those who had secured seats, in many instances took Possession of them at an early hour, and exhibited the utmost patience while any hope remained of her Majesty's arrival. The following notice, which was posted up in the course of the day, gave considerable satisfaction, as putting an end to the uncertainty and doubt, and to repoits of an at:verse nature, which have prevailed for the last two or three days : " The Lord Provost, Magistrates, and Town Coun cil are happy to announce to their fellow citizens, that a deputation of their number have this moment arrived from Dalkeith Palace, after having had an in terview with the Duke of luccleuch, the Earl of Aberdeen, and Sir Robert Pe e l, w h o assure d th em that h er ajesty would be prepared to adopt any ar rangements as to her progress through the city that would be most gratifying to the inhabitants of Edin burgh. If her Majesty should not have power to land before five o'clock, her entry and progress through the city will be delayed until to-morrow, when she will enter the city by the Barrier-gate, at Brandon street, as formerly announced. (Signed) " JAMES FORREST, " Lord Provost." This announcement gave unmixed satisfaction, for an impression had gone abroad that her Majesty was averse to any public entry, and would most likely, upon landing, drive in a close carriage to Dalkeith Palace. The opinion entertained at present is, that her Ma- Ray will not reach Granton till an early hour to morrow morning,. The General Steam Navigation company's ship the Trident, arrived here about twelve o'clock to-day, and the Captain (Sharp) reports that_ he sailed with the Royal squadron on Monday morn ing, and that he continued in company till , off Har wich, where the ships had arrived about six in the evening. The Royal George was then in tow of the steam -ships Black Eagle and Shearwater, accom panied by the M on k e y an d Rhadamanthus. A thigh fog: ' 3 ,11'. was at that ti me com i ng on , w hen the Trident shot ahead, and continued her voyage to Granton. ,„ he Royal squadron was then sailing at the rate of 6 to 7 miles an hour. The wind was blowing from the north-west, and none of the frigates 'were in sight. I had a conversation with a gentleman 'ho came passenger in the Trident confirmatory . of the above. He also stated that the Trident, during the fog, had frequently to throw off steam and slacken her Way. It is obvious, therefore, that her Majesty cannot arrive at Granton till some time to-morrow in ? Vg. Come when she may, she is sure of re celviak a most enthusiastic welcome. The weather still continues fine. GRANTOR PIER, WEDNESDAY.—Throughout the (jay thousands have resorted to this neighbourhood, i n expectation of witnessing the landing of her Majesty and her Royal Consort. The Duke of Buccleuch arrived at half-past one ere front Dalkeith, a n d many o f th e no bility an d ge ntry opresent in their carr i ages ; among w hom were ~:erred Lord Frederick Fit zc l arence • Countess of 'T emyss and M arc h an d L a di es Charteris, Viscount Alelville, Lord Elcho, Earl of Rosebery, Marquis of Breadalbane, Duke and Duchess of Roxburgh, &c. The Frith of Forth presented an exceedingly mi litated appearance, from the number of craft on its broad surface, dressed with signal and our national fl ags, in additi on t o severa l fi ne s t eamers , lik ew ise ado rne d with their variegated colours. Yhe R oya l stud and carriages came from Dalkeith this morning, in order to be in waiting for the re mtion of the Queen and the members of the Royal household i n attendance on her Majesty an d P r i nce A lbert- They are now to remain at Granton for to night. DALKEITH PALACE, WEDNESDAY.—There was some disappointment experienced among the inhabit ants of Dalkeith and the surrounding villages this afte 'noon by the non-arrival of the Queen and Prince Albert, for it was a general holiday, and hundreds had collected at the King's entrance to the demesne of the Duke of Buccleuch, and along the Leith-read. In addi t i on to the Earl of Aberdeen and Sir Robert r eel, Lord and Lady John Scott, Lady Caroline Thynne, Mr. Edward Drummond, and the Earl and Countess of Cawdor have arrived. The above select circle was to have formed the dinner party this evening, in addition to the suite in attendance on the Queen. The dinner to-morrow was to have received a large accession, covers for 40 were to be laid; but owing to the Queen and Prince Albert not landing to-day, the arrangements will, no doubt, be somewhat altered. the dockyard, amounted to 6,804 cubic feet, or 136 tons, from the Royal George, and 2,187 cubic feet, or 444 loads, from Tracy's lighter. An additional quan tity of iron ballast, &c. was also recovered. Major- General Pasley was anxious that the whole of the timber got up this year should remain till the end of the season, but there literally was not room for it, without inconvenience to the service of the dockyard, and therefore the portion above-mentioned was sold as a matter of necessity. The only serious accident that occurred was to pri vate Williams, of the Royal Sappers and Miners; whose air pipe burst whilst he was at the bottom. The fracture took place above water, and as soon as a loud hissing noise drew attention to it, he was hauled up by his breast-line, and sent immediately to Haslar Hospital, where he was skilfully treated and came out of hospital in 25 days,, and immediately re commenced diving again, neither he -nor. the other divers being disheartened by this accident, which was owing to iron wire having been used internally to stiffen the air-pipe, which corroded into a mass of rust; a circumstance not to have been foreseen till expe rience drew attention to it, because salt water does not penetrate into the air-pipes whilst being used. The same accident happened last year to private Ca meron, who was also disabled for some time, but is now one of the most active divers. Williams, how ever, was soon obliged to leave off, having renewed this laborious occupation at too early a period of his convalescence. A large block in No. 4 lighter broke, and in falling struck against Mr. Clewitt, the fore man of rigging, and grazed two other men also, but luckily without injuring them severely. Corporal Harris was twice annoyed, and Corporal Jones once, by a dead body—probably drowned less than a year ago--in a state of - decomposition, but not abso lutely a skeleton, having clothes upon it, which came in contact with them, having drifted with the tide into a sort of basin made by the removal of the lower part of Tracy's wreck ; but though they came up in a state of agitation on first meeting with it, they soon went down again, and finally it was got up by Corporal Harris, and towed out of the way by a boat and sunk after attaching a pig of ballast to it. From the wreck of the Royal George much fewer remains of the unfortunate crew have been brought up than might have been expected, only one perfect skull hav ing been found this season. An 18-pounder iron gun was got up by Private Cleghorn on Saturday, the 27th ultimo, being the first recovered this season, but if the accounts furnished by the Ordnance-office at the commencement of these operations are correct, there ought still to remain twenty brass guns at the bottom. More than 4,0001 b. of gunpowder have been fired against the wreck of the Itoyal George this season, chiefly in small explosions, not usually exceeding 701 b. • but whenever charges of about 2001 b. were to be fired, red flags were hoisted on the Success frigate hulk, as well as on the mooring lighter, some hours before, as a signal. All persons or families who wish to see the divers go down and send up timbers, &c., are received on board the lighters on asking permis sion of the officer superintending, who is present the whole of each tide. More than 100 men are con stantly at work, for whom the divers find ample em ployment. LITERATURE. RUSSIA AND THE RUSSIANS IN 1842. Vol. I. Colburn, London, 1842. We have read many descriptions of St. Peters burgh within the last four years, but none so copious and circumstantial as those contained in this volume, which is the production of M. Kohl, and forms the first portion of an elaborate work on the present social and political condition of Russia. The author, who resided for a considerable time in that conntry, appears—so far as we can venture to form an opinion —to have discussed his subject in a spirit of perfect impartiality, and is certainly anything but superficial in his accounts. He describes, not merely the exter nal aspects of St. Petersburgh—its streets, palaces, quays, shops, promenades, &c. ; but gives us an insight into the domestic habits and manners of its inha bitants, such as could only have been gained by one who had been admitted, as it were, behind the scenes. As regards the site of the Russian capital, he tells us that not a city in the world stands on more dangerous ground, for if a violent west wind should take place in the spring, simultaneously with the highest tides and the breaking of the ice, all its fortresses and palaces would be demolished, and the entire capital perish in the floods. This reflection, he adds, wrings the heart of many an inhabitant of St. Petersburgh, their only hope resting on the improbability that those three requisites for the certain accomplishment of their destruction—the breaking up of the ice, high tides, and a violent west wind—will ever occur con jointly. As for partial inundations, these, it seems, are of frequent occurrence in the capital, and in many parts are so frequent and sudden, that companies, on breaking up at night, if the wind has meanwhile shifted, find the streets overflowed, and are unable, in consequence, to return to their homes. We subjoin :tome interesting particulars respecting the great flood which took place in November, 1824 : The water rose quite gently and-innocently, as it does in all inundations at Petersburgh, since they cannot pro ceed from accidents ; and many people in remote parts of the city, not hearing the alarm-guns, and suspecting no harm, wondered to see the bright water glistening in the streets. Thousands did not suspend their occupa tions on account of it, but drove and waded through ; and hundreds forfeited their lives for their simplicity. Pro pelled by a most furious west wind, the water continued to rise, and at length rushed through the streets with such force as to carry away carts and equipages, pour ing through doors and, windows into the ground floors of houses, and rising in thick columns through the open ings of drains. The distress was greatest in Basilius Island, and the Petersburgh side, on which latter island many people of the lower class live in small and by no means solid houses. Many a wooden building was lifted gently and without injury from the ground by . the water, and floated about in th e s t ree t s with a ll its inha bitants. Carriages, whose passengers and drivers had climbed to elevations above the reach of the water, and the poor horses of which, unable to move freely on ac count of the harness, mostly perished miserably, col lected by dozens in the courtyards. All the trees in the public places were as full of people as they are at other times of sparrows. Towards night the water had risen so high and the wind become so violent, that there was reason to fear every moment that the men of war might be driven from their moorings and dash in among the houses. The evil was more mischievous, because no body apprehended much harm, as the water had not as saulted the city with rage and fury, but stolen upon it with mild and friendly physiognomy. Worst of all were its at first invisible effects, and the bad consequences which followed. Great numbers of houses fell on the following day, after the waters had returned to their bed. Few could get rid of the damp. The inhabitants were thrown upon a sick bed, and for weeks afterwards fatal diseases raged in many parts of the city. The night was particularly awful, as the water continued to rise till towards evening, and the intense darkness seemed to cut off all hope of escape in case it should get higher. Thousands of families, whose members were dispersed perhaps in different parts of the city, passed the night in the most painful anxiety. The scenes of horror among the 500,000 sufferers in that fearful night were no doubt sufficiently diversified and interesting. Thousands of comic as well as mournful anecdotes concerning that eventful day are still current in Petersburgh. A gardener told me that, being in a tree which he was pruning, he had not at first observed the rapid rise of the water, and was then obliged to mount for safety upon the roof of a small garden-house. But so pro digious was the number of rats and mice which gradually joined him in this retreat, that he was afraid of being devoured by them. Luckily, a- dog and a cat also sought refuge there, and with their aid he'saved himself from so appalling a death. RECREATIONS OF CHRISTOPHER NORTH. Vol. 11., Blichwood, Edinburgh and L0nd0n.1842.._ In this . volume we find some of the most beautiful descriptions of Highland scenery ever penned by poet or enthusiast. Christopher North's heart is evi dently in his task; he feels what he pourtra3:s ; hence the magic of his elOquence. We cannot imagine a more acceptable companion on an excursion through the Scottish Highlands, than this animated volume, for its numerous scenic sketches all bear the appearance of a perfect local accuracy, and are richly coloured with the bright and varying hues of a buoyant and most pro lific fancy. How exquisite is the description of the "Highland Snow Storm !" and how appropriate the reflections which it suggests to the author's mind ! We remember reading this glowing sketch many years ago in Blackwood's Magazine, where it first appeared; and on perusing it a second time, find that it still reads off as freshly and pleasantly as ever. But, per haps, the m:,st valuable essay in the volume is the one on " Sacred Poetry," wherein the sentiments are ex pressed with a fervor and eloquence worthy even of Jeremy Taylor. • RED GAUNTLET. Cade g. Thio Volume makes the eighteenth of the Waver ley re.issue in the pimp geeeparnedative octavo form. The size and perspicuous type of this series both recommend it to those who have a library in course of formation, as well as to the ordinary reader, HO2IIETVARD BOUND, Bentley. This very spirited sea-tale, from the pen of Mr. Cooper, forms a re-publication, at the 'reduced and accessible price of &le Standard Novels, of which It ranks as one. It is embellished with two very excel too pii t s; ,411 4 139th the print and binding are equally good. ENVIRONS of LONDON. Blackwood, London, 1842. The present * Number forms the Fifth Part of this entertaining work ] P 4 contains delineations of up wards of tvventv-three of the more rural villag es on the outskirts of the Metropolis. Cooper's Hill, re nowned by the pen of Denham, is pleasingly noticed, a fpvy pages apart, the pastoral dreams con nected with this seat of the Muses ar sllpprnfig4 by of Paddington and Stoke Pogi ,s each Clever, n9voitilgiessi in its wal, The woPd - cuts interspersed r throughout the pages, are, for the most part, daintily executed, and the sketches of churches and other I buildings given, are many of them architectural gems. PICTORIAL SZI A A ..n K ig r t, E IB R 4 E 2. L . Part XL In this Part the biographical memoir of Shak spere is continued, and throughout it, Mr. Knight displays great research and indefatigable diligence. The digressions, which are numerous, are all of an appropriate character, and the Part is embellished with-several choice thgtavings.- ABBOTSFORD EDITION OF THE WAVER LEY NOVELS. Part X. The admirable tale of " duiiiannering," one of the earliest and best of the Waverley series, is conclu ded, with the exception of a ehapter or two, in this number. The illustrative plates represent several of the localities alluded to in the tale; but the most striking and highly finished of' them all, is the sketch of the attack on " Portanferry,'! which is replete with spirit and and animation. The Abbotsford is, beyond all comparison, the completest and handsomest edition that has yet appeared of the Waverley novels. COMPARATIVE LIVES OF GEN TLEMEN, TRADESMEN, and MLCHANICS. (FROM OFFICIAL RETURNS.) The following calculations of the comparative chances of life to different classes of the community in towns and rural districts, drawn up from return made to the Se cre t ary o f the Poor-law Commissions furnish some facts for curious consideration on this subject.: One of the first returns is froM Dr. Barham, the sum of which was as follows : TRURO. No. of Average age Deaths. of Deceased. 33 Professional persons or gentry and their families 4O years. - 138 Persons engaged in trade, or simi larly circumstanced, and their families 447 Labourers, arti sans , an d others, 33 „ similarly circumstanced, and their families 28 ~ In Derby the proportions appear to be as exhibited in the following table : DERBY. No. of Average Age Deaths. of Deceased. 10 Professional Persons or Gentry 49 years. 125 Tradesmen 3B „ 752 Labourers and a rti sans 2l „ On looking at th e su b sequent returns, i t i s to be borne in mind that wages are nearly double in Man • chester to the average of wages in Rutlandshire, though rents are higher in Manchester. Some allow ance must also be made for the very high average age in Rutlandshire, from the circumstance that many of the children or young people migrate from thence to manufacturing neighbourhoods for employment, which would have passed the age at which the greatest mor tality takes place among children, but still it might be expected that their migration, as it is constant, might to some extent increase the average age of death or apparent duration of life in Rutlandshire, though not very materially; on the other hand, there is, perhaps, a larger proportion of children in Man chester. The return is as follows : Average age of Death in Manchester. Rutlandshire. Years. Years. Professional persons and gentry and their families 38 52 Tradesmen and their fami lies (in Rutlandshire, farmers and graziers are included with shop keepers) •• 20 41 Mechanics, labourers, and their families In the Union, comprehending the adjacent numu facturing districts of Bolton, the proportions of deaths in the several classes as returned by the Superin tendents, registrar were as follows in the year 1839 : BARTHOLOMEW FAIR. The Lord Mayor, in compliance with the resolu t►ons passed at the commencement of last July by the Markets' Committee, and referred to by Mr. Hicks, the Chairman of the Committee at the Mansion House, issued orders on the subject of Bartholomew fair yesterday. His Lordship intimated to the public that he should proclaim the fair on Saturday, at twelve o'clock, without the customary state ceremonies: He will walk in plain clothes, accompanied by a few of the members of the household, to that part of Smithfield which is called Cloth-fair, and, as there will not be a single show, or wild-beast exhibition; or roundabout, or swing, it is expected that there will be a very shy assemblage of people to hail his appearance. The Markets' Committee having sent round to the owners of booths with the intelligence of the deter mination to check this nuisance altogether, and having inclosed to them copies of their resolutions to that effect, no applications were made to them for ground, except in a few instances, and these instances were confined to gingerbread stall-keepers, who rashly undertake the hazard, and will, in the opinion of the Corporation, be losers by the enterprise. The fair is to close on Tuesday night, at eleven o'clock, when all the public-houses will be cleared. The respectable publicans of the neighbourhood are, we are given to understand, very much gratified with the course adopted by the Committee to abolish the nuisance, according to the advice and opinion of the City Solicitor some time ago in that gentleman's Report, elaborately given in the proceedings of the Court of Common Council. INIPORTANT TO STEAM-BOAT PASSENGERS. A case of much interest to steam-boat passengers was decided yesterday before the Lord Mayor. The following is an abstract of the evidence. William Newton, captain of the Vesta, Gravesend steam vessel, was summoned under the following circumstances : William Nicholl, a shoemaker, accompanied by thirteen other mechanics, appeared to complain of the conduct of the captain. The witness said that he and a friend went on Sunday last on board the Med way steamer to go to Gravesend, and paid a shilling each at the Old Shades Pier, for which sum, as the tickets they received intimated, they were to be brought hack from that place to London. The s , )ecified time for the departure of the vessel from Gravesend was six o'clock in the evening, and he and his friend, determined to be punctual, repaired to the spot at half-past five, but to their surprise they were prevented by some men, who were evidently employed by the owners of the steamer, from going on board, and even from setting a foot upon the pier. The touters, however, told them that they would go on board the Vesta, which be longed to the same Company, and would convey them to London, according to the terms on the printed bill, handing them at the same time copies of the Vesta's bill, which stated that the fare for the fore cabin was ninepence. They, along with a great many other persons, got on board the Vesta, in the firm expectation of being conveyed to town without fur ther charge, but when they approached London the captain demanded of them a shilling each, and they, together with a multitude oF other passengers, were actually detained on board from nine o'clock kthaet alarm till half-past eight the next morning. As the rain and thunder and lightning was very severe, and inconvenience experienced, especially by the women and children, was be and description. One poor woman fainted, and another was obliged to con vert her flannel-petticoat into a blanket for her infant. Here the witness produced the bills in corroboration of his statement. Captain Newton—They were distinctly told that they must pay a shillinc , each, and there is a placard in the vessel giving thaCinformation. The LORD MAYOR—But why did you prevent the poor people from going on board the Medway ? This is a most palpable and cruel deception upon the public. Captain Newton said that the persons who were said to have handed the bills of the Vesta to the pas sengers were not employed by the proprietors of that vessel to supply the information. The LORD MAYou—How ridiculous it is to en deavour to make me believe that these men would take the trouble to tout for the Vesta, without being employed to do so. Captain Newton—lf these complainants were put to inconvenience, it was their own fault. The witness said he would put it to the common sense of any man, whether it was probable that a number of people would willingly stay on board all night. When they were permitted to go ashore, they were obliged to pay a waterman for landing them. Captain Newton said that the occurrence com plained of was an every night's occurrence, and that such persons as the complainants were always at work to get their passage for nothing. Numbers of persons paid the low fare to Nicholson's boats, which were in the habit of taking passengers for a shil ling each to and from Gravesend, and they after wards tried to get to town in the Vesta, under pre tence that it belonged to the same Company, whereas they knew there was no connexion between the boats in question. The LORD MAYOR—Depend upon it I shall not allow this matter to drop here. It shall be tho roughly investigated. Who is the managing director of the Vesta ? Captain Newton—Mr. Howard. The LORD MAYOR —Perhaps you act under orders from that gentleman. I must see him, and hear his explanation. Mr. Howard accordingly appeared before his Lord ship yesterday, and Mr. Hobler having read over the evidence given on the former day, said, in reply, that Mr. Birnie knew and - transacted the business of the Vesta for him, and could explain. The LORD MAYOR—Putting out of the question the unfairness of the transaction in which the poor people were called upon to go into the Vesta instead of re turning by the Medway to London, your bill states that 9d. is the price of a passage for every day except Sunday. Mr.-Howard said that the confusion was occasioned by the mistake of his printer, who had received in structions to insert the price of the passage at a shil ling a head, as the large placard represented.. Mr. Birnie stated that the tickets got by some means or other mixed and confounded together, and that the cheap boats caused indescribable and intoler able anoyance and trouble. He had frequently been obliged to take passengers to the station-house for having refused to pay, and he uniformly found that the addresses given were false, so that there was not only trouble but loss. The LORD MAYOR—It is quite impossible that you can get over this mode of distributing your bills at Gravesend. The deception is quite evident, and my advice to you is, that you will enter into an ar rangement with these poor people, by which you may make amends to them for their loss of time, and for the hardship to which they were subjected. Mr. Howard conserted ; and the passengers, of whom there were thirteen or fourteen, ex pressed ' themselves satisfied, and grateful to the Lord Mayor for his prompt and effective interposition. THE WEATHER.---The very clear atmosphere with which we have recently been favoured seems to have been peculiarly conducive to the excellence in Photographic miniatures. Among a thousand portraits of the nobility and gentry taken at Beard's establishments during the last month, there has been scarcely a temporary failure. as extraordinary like expression of ap or and iyitprAvements n T e h s e s e e s x h c a el v l e e n c m e o o r f e t t h h a e n s e onoo portraits wo n u Af delineation a be a uty a n d hpraoyveal added; but t s t u i l i ) e s i c> r q a u p e e n n t r a d v i c o veri es peffection in their finish equal to line engraving, and which can scarcely fail to stamp them as first-rate speci mens of art, Tn COPINTY VPIEns.--rThe Reform Act requires that in objecting to county voters a notice must be served, on or before the 25th of August, on the person Objected to, or left at his place of Mode t RA described in the list of voters, or personally delivered to his tenant in occupation of the premises described in such list. The list of objections will be fixed on the church and chapel doors of the parish where the prop e rt y , is situtttp., , on ittnday nev, the 4th Inpfmiti and ou the folloivitig Sun day, and may be see n at the house o f an overseer ten days previous to the 15th of September. Persons, there fore, who reside at a distance from the property for Or they arp 01 0 11 11 1, rPflupst their' tenants to orward any ndtice left with them, as, except in places where there is an agent ernl 3l °Yec l , they have no other means of receiving the inforniati i on. Th e t i me at w hi c h the Barrister visits the Yari°F ` l l 2 trict§, )yhich {nest be betlyeen the 15th of s o tbinber dna 'tfl . 6 25th of October. is made known by advertisement in the principal papers pireulating in the color- . ;1 I a ,Ctil(pf; 19i110 ~Aifcr BOLTON UNION. No. of Average age Deaths of Deceased. 103 Gentlemen and porsorrs-engaged in professions and their families 43 years 381 Tradesmen and their families 23 „ 2,232 Mechanics, servants, labourers, and their families In the district of Bethnal-green, the average age of deaths in the year 1839, was as follows, in the several classes, from a population of 62,018 : BETHNAL GREEN. No. of Average age Deaths. of deceased. 101 Gentlemen and persons engaged in professions, and their families... 45 years. 273 Tradesmen and their families .... 26 „ 1,258 Mechanics, servants, and labourers and their families..... The mean chances of life amongst the several classes in Leeds appear, from the returns of the Registrar- General, for the most part to correspond with the anti cipations raised by the descriptions given of the con dition of the labouring population : No. of Deaths. Average age of deceased. LEEDS BOROUGH. 79 Gentlemen and persons engaged in professions, and their families... 44 years. 824 Tradesmen, farmers, and their families ... . . 27 3,395 Operatives, labourers, and their families But in Liverpool, which is a'commercial and not a manufacturing town, where, however, the condition of the dwellings are reported to be the worst, and where, according to the report of Dr. Duncan, 40,000 of the population live in cellars, where also 1 in 25 of the population are annually attacked with fever— there the mean chances of life appear from the re turns of the Registrar-General to be still lower than in Manchester, Leeds, or amongst the silk-weavers of Bethnal-green. During the year 1840, the deaths, distinguishable in classes, were as follow : LIVERPOOL, 1840. No. of Deaths. Average age of deceased. 137 Gentry,and professional persons, &c. 35 years. 1,738 Tradesmen and their families .... 22 „ 5,597 Labourers, mechanics, servants, &c. 15 , Of the deaths which occurred amongst the labouring classes, it appears that no less than 62 per cent. of the total number were deaths under 5 years of age. In the Whitechapel Union the numbers were as follow in the year 1838 : WIIITECIIAPEL UNION. No. of Average age Deaths. of deceased. 37 Gentlemen and persons engaged in professions, and their families... 45 years 387 Tradesmen and their families ..... 27 ~ 1,762 Mechanics, servants, and labourers, and their families..... 22 ~ The following permits a fair judgment of the com parative mortality amongst the average of a town population : STRAND UNION. No. of Average age Deaths. of deceased. 86 Gentry and persons engaged in pro fessions, and their families .... 43 years 221 Tradesmen and their families.... 33 „ 674 Mechanics, labourers, servants, and their families .. 24 „ KENSINGTON UNION. No. of Average age Deaths. of Deceased. 331 Gentlemen and persons engaged in professions, and their families .. 44 years 348 Tradesmen and their families .... 29 „ 1,258 Labourers, artisans, &c., and their families The average periods of death among an agricultu ral population appears in the following estimate made from all the Unions in the county ofWilts during 1840. In this examination the registries of deaths in the towns were excluded, and only those of persons in cluded who were described as agricultural labourers, or as farmers and graziers, or as gentry and profes sional persons resident in the rural districts. The results were as follow : No. of Deaths. UNIONS IN THE COUNTY OF WILTS. Average Age of Deceased. 119 Gentlemen and persons engaged in professions, and their families 5O years 218 Farmers and their families .....•• • • 4 8 ,1 2,061 Agricultural labourers and their fa milies The following table exhibits the mortality preva lent amongst the different classes, partly mining and manufacturing, and partly agricultural, returned by the Clerk of the Kendal Union : KENDAL UNION. No. of Deaths. Average Age of Deceased. 52 Gentlemen and persons engaged in profession:, and their families 45 138 Tradesmen and their families 413 Operatives, labourers, servants, and their families The following remarks of Mr: Chadwick Jones will appropriately close the consideration of this subject. Very dangerous errors,"-be-observes, "arise from statistical returns and insurance tables of the mean chances of life, made up froth gross retur n s o f th e mortality prevalent amongst large . classes, who differ widely in their circumstances. Thus we find on in quiry into the sanitary condition of the population of different districts, that the average chances of the lifts of the people of one class in one street, will he 13 years, and of another class in a street adjoining, 60 years. In one district of the same town it is found, on exa mination of the registries, that the mortality is only one out of every 57 of the population, and in another district one out of every 28 diM annually. A return of the average, or the maim of the chances. of life, or the proportiuns of death in either instance, \Mold and does lead to very dangerous errorA And, amongst others, to serious misapprehensions as to the condition of the inferior distrlets, and to false infe rences as to the proper rates of insurance." STRIKE IN THE WEST OF FIFA,-44 Whille col liers in this district and almost Ail tradesmen, have now struck work • 41.1 they were on M o nd a y last johied G the shipbuilders, founders, and quarriers in Inverkeithing and the neighbourhood. Our corrm..Qa. dent visited several places where the §tvilie is general, and found those men with whoa be conversed anxious to resume wprii, but were prevented only by the f e ar of • personal . injury. The quarriers near Inverkeit h ing, numbering 100 men, resisted the entreatie,s made upon them to strike, and after they _OM Still() they were ashamed of tr w i r punduct, arid resolved to return to their WArk next daY. From inquiries we have made, it is ex • pected that by this time the greater part of wen will have resumed labour, and that owle wi Ido ao by the end of the week.,:k r ,oo2.4ati, .i44HRLIRGII, AUG. 18.—It is a singular fact, that only a few days ago flames were discerned on digging among the rubbish in the neighboni'llood of fit. Peter's Church, thouoll threp . nwpths. 4s t ye elajsed sin ce t h e CM filt ration —A4tona IVcrczig. THE STADE DUTIES. IThe following document, drawn up by an able Ger man diplomatist, and intended to defend the claims of the King of Hanover to the right of exacting " the Stade Duties," has reached our hands. " It is at a place called Brunshausen, near Stade, in the duchy of Bremen, where the offices for the toll are established. ! " The duchy of Bremen was formerly an Arch bishopric, which had been erected in the year 787, by the Emperor Charles the Great. Already at that period Stade belonged to the Bishopric of Bremen. Even in the heathen times this place of ancient origin, affording the greatest convenience for crossing the river Elbe, had been considered as a remarkably fit spot for settling at, in preference to the other locali ties, and in particular to that o f H am b urg h . " It was Charles the Great who first established ship-passage duties (tolls) at the mouth of the Elbe, and the then frequented harbour of Stade could not be overlooked by the Emperor for that purpose. " The laws of Franconia, and the capitularia of the German kings and emperors, contain several regula tions respecting these ship-duties, as, according to the constitution of the empire, duties of this kind belong to the imperial privilege. " The Emperor Louis the Pious gave the river duties in particular to the churches. The Archbishop of Bremen obtained the Stade duties for his church, and it can be proved, by an official document, that these duties were considered as a sea-duty for all ships and merchandise passing up the river from the sea to wards Hamburgh, and that this was the only toll that existed between the sea and Hamburgh. " The town of Hamburgh, the most violent oppo nent to the Stade duties, has herself afforded since the twelfth century the most striking proof of the legality of the said duties, by her constant claim of the privilege of the Emperor Friedrich 1., dated 7th May, 1188. This privilege was obtained by the Count Adolphus of Schaumburg, at that time pos sessor of the town of Hamburgh, for the benefit of the citizens of the old town of Hamburgh. It con tained the Emperor's permission and acknowledgment of the right to levy duties at Stade, and particularly the confirmation of the right to levy toll on all ships and goods coming from the sea, and passing the town of Shde. "The act mentions, however, that the Schaumburg burghers of the town of Hamburgh were to be exempt from paying this toll. This exemption the Emperor Friedrich I. had, in fact, no right to bestow, as he had not asked the proprietor of the toll for his sanction, and as the laws of the empire in terdicted the Emperor from granting exemptions from tolls. Besides which the Stade in the year 1189 was Church property, and by the Roman civil and canon law alienation of church property was strictly pro hibited. Although the Hamburgh citizens employed all means to colour the privilege of 1189 thus obtained by illegality, they never have been able to produce a Papal brief in their favour. The Archbishops even defended with arms the attack upon Church rights, and subsequently they were only obliged by force to yield the freedom from paying toll pretended to by the Hamburgh burghers. From time immemorial, how ever, might has never been considered right. " In the palmy days of the Hanseatic league, the town of Hamburgh also attacked the rights of the Archbishop's toll ; so daring was the league at the time of its highest prosperity. It even went so far as to oblige the Kings of Denmark to allow Hanseatic ships to pass free at his ancient toll of Oresund. Plenty of writers have tried to prove that these pro ceedings of the Hanseatic league were for the benefit of Germany and of the whole civilised world, for getting the rights that were disregarded and trampled in the dust by the overbearing insolence of the league. They disregarded the Papal threats of assisting and protecting the Church's rights, and, in a word, set at naught the Emperor's authority and the laws of the empire. Where a toll was inconvenient, they em ployed force. In spite of the laws of the empire, the town of Hamburgh of its own will levied tell in their harbour in the year 1422, at the very time they re fused to allow the Archbishop to levy toll at Stade. It was from this time that the disputes rose with Hamburgh about levying the toll at Stade. In the middle of the sixteenth century these encroachments assumed a very grave cha racter. On that account the powerful Emperor Charles V., by an Imperial edict given at Brussels on the Bth April, 1556, authorised the Bishops of Osna bruck and the Duke of Brunswick (Ernest) to sum mon the Senate of Hamburgh before them, and call them to an account. Already, in the year 1563, the disobedient town was again avoiding, and assisting others to avoid, paying the duties of the Archbishop. But Emperor Rudolph issued, in the year 1576, a strict order to the town of Hamburgh, reminding them that the then Archbishop of Bremen had received from the Emperor (descending from Archbishop to Archbishop) an imperial grant, by virtue of which he could levy a transit toll, and the town of Stade a market toll, upon all goods coming from the sea up the Elbe, and pass ing the river Schwinge, and that the Senate o f Ham burg was particularly bound to observe the rules laid down about 150 years ago for the guidance of Ham burgh sailors. " The extraordinary exertions made by Sweden during the war, from 1618 to 1648, entitled her to claims of compensation ; she was to be rewarded by the acquisition of German provinces and considerable rights. In consequence of this, the article X, §7, of the Westphalian Peace, bestowed on the Cr own of Sweden the hitherto Archbishopric of Bremen as a lay duchy, cum omnibus pertinentiis ecclesiasticis et secularibus bonis et juribus terra marique. By the article X, § 1, all tolls and duties which had hitherto been established contra jura privilegia, et sine con sensu Imperatoris' were abolished, and § 2 of the same article confirmed all tolls rightfully levied, as for instance the sea toll on the Elbe at Stade. " The confusion of the thirty years' war had com pletely set aside the question of the toll. From the distance of Stockholm, the King being elsewhere oc cupied, and his advisers ignorant of the circumstances, a thousand mistakes occurred. The Ministers hardly knew how to decide in cases that were reserved for the King's decision. Generally speaking, no answer was returned to the earnest entreaties of the then acting central Government in the Duchy of Bremen. It was principally owing to these embarrassments that in the diplomatic conference of the seventeenth century the right of toll was so hardly treated. On the 27th of June, 1653, the toll levied by Govern ment was separated from that levied by the town of Stade, and the levying the Royal toll was entrusted to the officers of the Royal domains at Brunshausen. Since that period it is known under the name used by the Hamburgh merchants—viz., The Toll of Brunshausen.' About this time the Royal (4overn ment at Stade determined to place an armed ship in the Elbe, which was ordered, on the Ist of June, 1672, to stop at the toll all Hamburgh ships, as the only means to compel them to fulfil their duty, gene rally neglected. "In the Conference which met soon after, in 1673, of Royal Commissioners and Hamburgh Deputies, th e Government declared that the King of Sweden asked for nothing new, but only for that right a levying the toll which had been warranted by the I.Veaphalian peace; that the imperial privilege of 1189 only spoke of freedom from duties, but by no means of allowing the Hamburgh ships to pass the toll without stopping in order to certify the personal quality of Hamburgh citizens, and that the merchandise belonged to them. The result of these Conferences, however, falling short of the expectations of the Senate of Hamburgh, the latter endeavoured to shift the provincial Govern ment, by sending to the King, at Stockholm, a depu tation furnished with all the necessary means, as well as with a strong letter of recommendation from the Duke of Helstein Gottorp. This embassy tried every thing at Stockholm, and presented to the King a me morial, in which the whole question of the toll duties was represented in a false light, " Without further investigating this important question, or hearing the Government at Stade, the Royal Government at Stockholm, thus influenced, declared, on the 26th of November, 1674, that, ac cording to their opinion, the Imperial privilege had no other meaning than that w hi c h the Hamburgh mer chants chose to give it. This Royal resolution_ was, of course, in the highest degree favourable to Ham burgh. Nevertheless the inhabitants of this republic now made the most exorbitant demands, and rejected the favours just granted them at Stockholm. "Some time later conferences were held again about these difficulties with Hamburgh in the town or Stade. The instructions of the Royal Commis sioners consisted simply of their examining into some complaints of the town of llamburgh against the Vuslom-house officers, and also to state that no diffi culties were to be thrown in the way of the Royal Custom-house offieers in Hamburgh in the perform ance of their duty. These instructions were far ex ceeded by the Royal Commissioners. One of them, during the conference, took the management of every thing into his own hands ; and the only Custom house (Aker at Brunshausen who was really ac quainted with the state ,of things, and who v i o l ent l y protested against the injustice of the llamburgb claims, was silenced. by him, and reminded that he was only called there to listen. 44 Th e Hamburgh members of the conference now framed themselves a treaty, the treaty of 1691, so frequently quoted atfterwards. The Royal Commis sioner mentioned above made only slight a Ite tians, the treaty w as h astily signed, a nd although r containing matters of the greatest importance, it was presented to th e Ding with a very superficial notice of the transaction, and the remark th a t t h ey did not CokrAvit the Hamburgh claims very unreasonable ' and that it NM sent over for his Majesty's graciou's approbation. " It was soon afterwards discovered that in making this statement it had been kept a secret from the King that Hamburgh by this treaty had aimed at a change of their ancient obligation, and at a reduction of the duty. " This treaty was so ruinous to the royal privileges, that had it been put in force, the money levied would have been barely sufficient to pay the Custom-house officers, and to keep up the toll-ship. Posterity has judged of this act. " The possession of the Duchy of Bremen went from the Crown of Sweden to the king of Denmark, but this Government likewise refused to restore the rati fication of the treaty cancelled by Sweden. "From Denmark the possession of the Duchy came into the hands of the electorate of Brunswick Lune burg (Hanover) in the following way :—Duke Henry the Lion had already an expectancy on the country of Stade, which he had possessed for some time. Other princes of the house of Guelph have governed the country of Bremen in their capacity of Bishops. In the congress of the peace of Westphalia the house of Brunswick laid claim to the Arch bishopric of Bremen. It was, however, given to the crown of Sweden as a lay duchy. King Charles XII. of Sweden lost in 1709 by the battle of Puhawa all means of carrying on his projects, and turned for help to the Elector's court at Hanover. Here had the saving Elector hoarded a treasure which was kept in a cellar of the Royal castle, and according to official documents mi g ht have yielded an income of, on the average, a million dollars a year. From this treasure the Elector was enabled to make to the King of Sweden an advance for the Duchies of Bremen and Verden. Already in the year l 700 a considerable sum had been lent on the specially . mortgaged place Wildeshausen. King Fred. IV. of Denmark now opposed the pretensions of the Elector to these countries, and about the same time occupied them, in the year 1712. To secure his rights, the Elector (George Louis) again sacrificed a capital. Sixty tons of gold were paid to Denmark, which, by the treaty of 11th July, 1717, transferred its doubf ful claims on the two Duchies to the Elector. Be sides this, 227,000 dollars were paid by Hanover to Denmark. By the peace of Stockholm, November 9 (20), 1719, the Elector acquired the stronger claims of Sweden to the Duchies of Bremen and Ver den, by paying to Queen LTlrica T:leonora (the suc cessor of Charles XII., killed at Fried r i c h s h a l l, Dec. 11, 1718) 1,000,000 of dollars, giving up at the same time the mortgage money pledged on Wildes hausen. This sum was paid by Hanover in hard money qt Hamburgh. By subsequent arrangements, however, other sums were added; so that the sum total may be reckoned at 2,500,000 dollars. " The Elector was successor to the rights of the Kings of Sweden and Denmark. Both Crowns had rejected the Stade treaty of 1691. How could, then, the Elector come to re-establish it ? " To the Hamburgh deputies who appeared in Ha nover on the 20th March, 1729, the Elector declared that he could on no account consider himself bound to acknowledge the treaty further than sanctioned by custom, and as it had b een o b served not only during the Swedish times, but up to this very moment. " In the act of the Vienna Congress of the 9th of June, 1815, in and from the articles 108 to 116, seve ral rules are laid clown for commercial navigation and tolls, relating, however, only to interior trade and river navigation, and not to sea trade, sea navigation, and sea tolls. On the 3d of June, 1819, deputies of those States, either adjacent to, or separated by, the Elbe, met in Dresden to settle a general system of navigation and toll for that river, after having received the lead ing points from the act of the Congress. It was no difficult matter for the Hanoverian Envoy to convince the commissaries of those States, having nothing to do with sea navigation, that the Brunshausen toll could not be a matter of discussion in the present conference, as this toll only concerns sea commerce and sea navi gation, as it allows all ship s an d goo d s com i ng d own the Elbe and going to sea to pass free, as it is not by the place where a toll is levied, but only by the ships and merchandise it affects, that its nature and charac ter can be determined, as it has always been looked upon as a sea• toll ; and this view of the case rests upon many precedents, the toll of Brunshausen hav ing been generally put aside in former transactions about the navigation of the river Elbe among the ad jacent States, particularly in that of the year 1699. " From Hanover'a being raised to a sovereign state the Crown gained those rights which formerly be longed to the Emperor during the existence of the German empire with reference to the toll. There existed no treaty whatever that might have prevented the Hanoverian Government fro.n altering the tariff of the toltat Brunshausen. This Government, how ever, voluntarily bound themselves a t th e D res d en - conference not to change or increase the duties of that toll, without the consent of the States interested in it, and particularly that of Hamburgh, provided a diffe rent way of packing up the goods might require a. simple declaration of the existing principles. "In 1824 a new commission was named by the States bordering the river Elbe, to be held at Ham burgh. On the occasion the Hanoverian Plenipoten tiary made the following declaration : " That if the Dresden Commission had seriously insisted upon entering into the question of the Bruns hausen toll, the Hanoverian Government never would have ratified an act which must be prejudicial to the essential rights of its sovereignty ; that the Hano- _ verian Plenipotentiary was authorised, by a Royal rescript, to declare solemnly and formally that the Brunshausen tariff, as it had been laid before the Commissioners at Dresden, was certainly observed in all particulars; that on the Hanoverian side the obli gations had been strictly fulfilled, and that no devia tion with regard to raising the tariff, or in any other respect, had been or should be made from what was clearly laid down in the fifteenth article of the Dres den Act.' " It was further declared, on the part of the Hano verian Government, that they earnestly wished the toll tariff to be settled on principles in accordance with changes that had taken place in the course of time, and in conformity with the interests of all par ties concerned. " In the years 1825, 1826, and 1827, Hanover had several negotiations with Denmark and Hamburgh, on the subject of the Brunshausen toll. On the 27th of November, 1827, an agreement was come to between the Hanoverian and Hamburgh Plenipotentiaries, which, had it been executed, would have settled all former grievances, and would have introduced a clear and simple tariff upon moderate principles. The Hamburgh Plenipotentiaries took upon themselves, at the conclusion of this negotiation, to get it agreed to by the Senate, and subsequently expressed their hope that this would be the result. However, the Ham burgh Senat6 did not think it convenient to enter into their views, nor did it from that day to this make the slightest communication on the subject to the Ha noverian Government. " It was thus again the fault of Hamburgh, that, instead of having long ago established a eleip'r and simple tariff, the state of things has remaine , d, as it was before. " Hanover has even declared herself lately again willing to renew the negotiations, on the ground of the former agreement above mentioned.', • MARRYAT'S " PERCIVAL Ktext.”—This new novel of Captain Marryat's, proves to be a most amusing companion to "Peter Simple," the d ifference being that the hero of the present work is the v ic timiser instead of the victim. Its claims to rank with tne best of Captain Marryat's previous productions, rest on the variety and originality of its numerous chara cters, . and the perpetual movement of its incident and Ital The proud, but gallant Captain Delmar ; the ha lf savage half heroic Negro Pirate Vincent ; the true heart of oak British Tar, Bob Cross ; the unlucky Tommy Dott ; and above all, the clever scapegrace who is the hero . or n n o e. and ll, the story—all these in th a e te se ,k a n r o e wl d e ra dg w e n with of human •of the story comprises an unceasi ng succession of stirring scenes. The night adventure with . p egg ., Pearson in the gale of wind, the chase and fight wit' n the two French vessels, the blow ing up of the schooner, the duel by proxy—these and 0-rate'sschooner, other of the leading incidents, are executed w it". a force and spi p rit E t L h T a A t a C A ap r ta T i i n i: l 3 a i r ? Q u 'a r t it h s i . m or sc m lj ha', never exceeded. ivtits. —There is a river of first-rate magnitude which has no d e l ta , t h oug h it seems to possess v all ttose qualities w hi ch are supposed to be requisite to t ae formation of such an alluvial tract the St. Lawrence, in North A mer i ca, reaches the sea by of bay, which extends upwards of three hundred miles, and gradually increases in width from three to above one hundred miles. O ne wou ld suppose that the form of this bay would render it subject to be easily filled u p by the earthy matter brought down by a river whose course exceeds eighteen hundred miles ; and yet we do not find that an alluvium of any extent has been formed along the banks of this wide estuary, except on the right hank below Quebec. The St. Lawrence is the only large river which traverses a great number of lakes. Even after having left the five great Canadian lakes, it passes through those of St. Francis, St. Louis, and St. Peter's, In each of these lakes th e current ceases, and it is only perceptible where the river again issues from the lake, All the earthy matter, therefore, which the river col lects and keeps suspended in its course from one lake to the other is deposited in these lakes. Thus this large, river brings no debris and earthy matter, or very little, to its wide est uar y, w hi c h cannot t h ere f ore b e changed into a delta by the accumulation of such matter.—Penny Magazine. IMPORTANT 'DISCOVERY IN MEDICINE. --The last number of our medical contemporary, the Dublin Medi cal Press, contains an interesting paper by Dr. Paterson, of Rathkeale, on the discolouration of the skin from the internal use of nitrate of silver, and on the means of preventing and of removing that effect. It is well known that the nitrate of silver possesses great efficacy in the treatment of certain forms of epilepsy, and painful complaints of the stomach ; but, from long use, it is li able to render the skin almost as black as that of the negro—an effect which continues for life, and for which there was no known means of prevention or cure. Con sequently, it frequently occurred that a patient treated with nitrate of silver got rid of his disease at the ex pense of his beauty ; and hence medical men have been prevented from employing this active remedy as exten sively as they otherwise would. Dr. Paterson, by nu merous and satisfaotory experiments, has succeeded in. discovering that combining iodine with the silver prevents the cliseolouration without impairing the medicinal powers of that metal ; and the iodine will remove the discolouration whi c h has been already produced. This, we believe is a matter of great importance to patients la-. bouring under painful or spasmodic diseases. . r '