The Sun. — London, England, 1849-01-13 00:00:00

CARDIGAN, JAN. 11.—The Agnes, Lea, of North `Shields, to Liverpool, was wrecked on the bar of this place to •day ; master and :even of the crew drowned A ship, with loss of masts, is riding at anchor (apparently aveii) about four s E.N.E. et this place. A schooner, !name unknown, was driven on shore on Traethsarth reach, near this place', during a heavy gale from W.N.W. Ito N.W. yesterday. LIVERPOOL, JAN. 12.--Wind S., moderate..—Arrd. Susan Lord, Chadburn, New Orleans, not the Susan re ported yesterday. The Panthea, Glere, which ar rived here yesterday from Calcutta, is leaky, having struck on Hoyle Bank. The John Ta)lor, of Douglas is supposed to be wrecked near Parkgate. The vessel reported yesterday as wrecked on Formby Point is the Boykett, from Bordeaux for this port; part of her cargo saved, crew drowned. The Phoenix (sloop) or Bar mouth is on shore at Formby. The Douglas, which veas beached at Sea.combe on tne night of the 10:h instant, after being in contact with the Oneca, is from Arch angel; she was got off last Light and docked. The hull )f the flat Catherine and Mary, of Runcorn, was 'driven on shore near Rbyl. The William and Elizabeth, Pilcher, from New (Means, for this port, in coming up the rive: this day, was in contact with the Goetha, from Danzic, when she had her larboard bow st •ve in. The Archibald, from Cork, in coming in this day, struck upon the bank, is leaky. PETERHEAD, JAN. 11.—The brig which foundered yesterday, off the Bachannes, is the Scotsman, of Aberdeen, part of the materials have wit,hed on shore. A brig was totally lost last night, at Craig Ewan, sail mark " Calio, Thompsan, and Co., Aberdeen. Masts painted green to about six feet above deck, with white head, and remainder cream colour. Bowsprit partly green and cream colour. The schooner London, of this port, was totally wrecked in South Har bour last night. Thu Katharine, Newcastle to Aberdeen, on share yesterday in S o uth B a y, h as b een partly distnasted, and should the weather moderate will be got off. The gale continued all night, moderated this Morning, and is now much abated. DIAL, JAN. 13, 10 A.M.—The Lucy, Mansell, from Antigua to London, is on shore at the South Foreland; crew saved; cargo discharging. The Enchantress, Springer, from Zante t o L on d on, i s on s h ore on t h © Goodwin Sands; crew saved. MILFORD, JAN. 11.—The Sker, Chepstow, to Dab • lin, is on shore, but makes no water, will be got off next tide if possible. PRLHELLI, JAN. 11.—It blew a very severe gale here all day yesterday, and increased at night W. to N.W. There are two schooners end a smack ou shore in Por tynllae n B each, names unknown. Co x 5 JAN. 10.—It blew a violent gale last nigh and has continued all day. MARKET NEWS.—(THIS DAY.) COVENT-GARDEN. Full averag,o supplies of both fruit and vegetables xvere on sale in to-day's market. Generally speaking, the demand was steady, at our quotations. Fruit:— Pine -apples (Queen's), 4s to ss; and Foreign Grapes (black and white), 6d to Is per Ib; Apples, 4s to 6.3 per bushel; Pears, 7s to lOs per half sieve; Walnuts, 8d to Is ; Lemons, 5s to 9s; and Oranges, 4s to 8s 6d per 100; Filberts, 95s to 105 s per 1001bs; Chesnuts, 2s 3d to 4s 9d per peck. Vegetables:—Red Cabbages, Is 3d to 2s 6d .per dozen; Spinach, 2s to 3s per junk; Horseradish, 2s 6d to ss; and Celery, 9d to is 2d per bundle; Asparagus, 3s to 5s per 100; Onions, Is 9d to 2s 6d; and Ash-leaved kidney Potatoes, 6s to 7s 6d per bushel; Cape Brocoli, Ss to 12s per dozen bundles; Mushrooms, 6d to 8s per Pottle; Spanish Onions, 9s to 12s per box; Endive, 8d to 10d per score; Savoy Cab bages, Sd to is per dozen; Turnips, Is to Is 8d; Car rots, 2s 6cl to 4s; and Greens, is 9d to 2s per dozen bunches; Parsley, 2s per half sieve; Forced Sea hail, Is 6d to 2s 6d per punnet; Cucumbers 5s to 7s per brace; Forced Rhubarb, is 3d to is 6d per bundle; Red Beet, is to is 3d per dozen; Jerusalem Artichokes, is to is 6d per half sieve. NERTGATII AND LEADENITALL. MEAT.—The trade was again heavy to day, at the late decline in the quotations. Beef, from 2s 6d to 35 6d; Mutton, 2s 8d to 4s 4d ; Veal, 3s 4d to 4s 4d; and Pork, 3s 4d to 4s 6d per 81bs, by the carcase. POULTRY —Turkeys, 5s to 14s; Geese, 4s to 7s; Ducks, Is 9d to 2s 6d; Tame RAbits, is to la 10d; Wild ditto, 8d to Is ld; Pi eons, 7d to 10d; and roasting Pigs, 5s to 9s each ; S urrey F ow l s, 6s to 10s; ditto Chickens, - 4s to ss; Barn-door Fowls, 3s to 6s per couple; English Eggs, 9s to I Is; French ditto, 8s to 9s; and Irish ditto, 8s to 8s 6d per 100. Fresh Butter, 9d to is 2d per lb, GA.lllE.—Pheasants, 2s 9d to 3s 9d; Partridges, is to is 6d; Hares, 2s to 3s 6d; Woodcocks, 2s 6d to 3s; Grouse, 2s to 3s; Ptarmigan, is 6d to 2s; Snipes, 8d to is; Teal, 9d to is; Wild Ducks, is 6d to 2s 6d; Wid geons, is 3d to Is 9d; and Plovers, 7d to is each. BILLINGSGATE. Turbots, 6s to 133; Cod Fish, 2s 6d to 7s; Whitings, 3d to 6d; Lobsters, Is to 2s 3d; Crabs, 6d to 2s each; Soles, 6d to 2s 3d per pair; Eels, 4d to Is, and Salmon, is to is 3d per lb; Haddocks 3d to 6,1 each; Crimped Skate, 6d to 8d; and Salt Fish, 2d to 6d per lb; Flounders, is to is 6d per dozen; Oysters, 12s to 25s per bushel. The trade here to-day was heavy, and prices had a downward tendency. NEWPORT. Beef, from 2s 10d to 3i 8d; Mutton, 2s 8d to 43 4d; Veal, 3s 6d to 4s 6d; and Pork, 3s 8d to 4s 8d per Blbs. WELITECRAPEL. Beef, from 2s 6d to 3s 6cl; Mutton , 3s 4d to 4s 4d ; veal, 33 6d to 4s 4d; and Pork, 3s 4d to 4s 4d per Sibs. Fr The p r i ces o f Wheaten ßßEA Bread D. in the Metrop o li s are °11 : 1 lid to 8d; of Household ditto, sid to 7d per 41b 8 loaf. XIIDE LCET. 4 , l Market hid es, 561 b to 6 DIA 41b, lid to lid; ditto, 641 b to lb, lid to lid; ditto, 721 b to 80Ib, 2d to 21d; ditto, 8016 to 8816, 2id to 21d; ditto, 881 b to 961 b, 24d to 3d; ditto, 961 b to 1041 b, 3;d to 3id ; ditto. 1041 b to 1121 b, 3}d to 4 d; Calf Skins, each, 4s 6d to 53 6d; Horse Hides, 8s to gs 6d; Polled Sheep, 3s 6s to 4s 6d; Kent and half breds, 2s 6d to 3s 9d; Downs, 23 4d to 3s. 6d. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He was surprised to see Mr. Anderton endeavouring to thwart the inhabitants of the ward in this movement.—(Hear, hear.) He begged to tell Mr. Anderton he was their servant—(Cheers) — and he ought to know and admit that they were paying too much for a bad article.—(Cheers.) The Loan MAYOR good-naturedly observed that he must remind Mr. Hyde that that was not St. Thomas's day.—(Laughter.) • Mr. HYDE said that the Eastern Counties Railway Company had offered to supply Shoroditch with gas at 4s. 6d. a thousand. cubic feet, to be reduced in three years to 35., and why, therefore, should the citizens of London be compelled to pay 6s. because they could not allow a competing company to come in?—(Cheers.) Mr. GRESHAM said that all they had to deal with was the question of how they were to get a cheap article.— (Hear, hear.) He thought those who were for high rates ought to have shown, if they could, the fallacy of having cheap gas.—(Cheers and laughter.) He must confess that he could not understand what Mr. Blackett meant by the statements he had made; he felt puzzled in dealing with him—(Cheers)—but he was confounded with Mr. Anderton.—(Laughter.) He wanted, in short, to know what all his statements amounted to.—(Cheers.) He begged of those present nut to be taken away en this subject with the pretext of " Jive and let live." Agita tion bad done a great deal for them on this question, and it would do a great deal more yet.—(Great cheering.) They might depend upon it they would ultimately get what they asked for, 3s. 6d.—(Cheers.) He did not care what company did it—(Cheers)—but of this he was sure it would be done.=(Great cheers.) If the present companies had come down by dribblets, they might be sure they would dribble down ultimately to 3s. 6d.—(Cheers.) They might depend upon it what e b c o h ni ap a e n l d a E ncl iee S t. h s o t r r e e el e i t t .— ch (C w h o e u e l r d s. b ; Tuhletiy mwaasteglyothaind in W ll h o it l e might depend upon it agitation would do everything for them on this question.—(Cheers.) Look at thei case of the New River Company. A little stir with respect to that company quickly changed a limited supply to a double one, at no advance in prices.—(Cheers.) Mr. HARDING opposed the resolution. Mr. HENEPATR supported the resolution. He trusted that the movement on this subject would be persevered in with the greatest zeal and activity, for he felt con vinced that it would and must succeed.—(Cheers.) Mr. Anderton might call gas a luxury, or what he pleased, but this he (Mr. H.) 'knew, that it had now become a necessary, and that they must have it as cheap as possible.—(Cheers.) Mr. BACON considered that it was not desirable that the city of London should become a gas company, or that they should have anything to do with gas companies. —(Cries of " Oh, ob.") He could not doubt that it was desirable to get gas as cheap as they could; he thought, too, that they ought to have gas cheaper from the com pany than they had—(Cheers)—and it struck him that if the Commissioners of Sewers and the gas eompany would put their heads together that !tatters might be accommodated to the satisfaction of all parties, and a great saving effected in the expense of gas. —(Hear, hear.) If the gas companies stuck to 65., he thought the Corporation ought to have the powers that were sought for.—(Cheers.) He thought the notion of getting, gas for 3s. Utopian. If gas was to be got cheaper, he thought the present companies could do more to facilitate that object than any new one. After a few observations from Mr. LOWE, in reply, The LORD MAYOR put the resolution to the meeting. A forest of hands was held up in its favour, and only nine or ten against it, and his Lordship declared it to be carried, amid much cheering. Mr. KIRK then rose to propose the second resolution, which was to the effect that the Corporation should be enabled to purchase the pipes of the present company, and have the means of affording a cheaper supply of gas. He thanked Mr. Anderton for what he had said and done, because if he had not stated sometime ago that gas was cheap enough, and that people could pay for it well enough, the present agitation would never have taken place.—(Cheers.) . The course adopted by Mr. Anderton called to his mind what he had seen in a letter in the Times of that day, where a voter on being asked how his vote was to be put down, said, " Pat m e down as a doubtful independent man."—(Laughter.) He would say to Mr. Anderton, in the words of the great poet of his country, " Oh wad some pow'r the giftie gie us, To see oursels as others see us I It wad frae monie a blunder free us And foolish notion." —(Cheers and laughter.) Mr. LEE seconded the resolution. The worthy gen tleman, after going into some statements, for the pur pose of showing that, although the company had lowered the price of gas, his quarterly account, for its consump tion were greater tban before, and deducing therefrom that something was wrong in the meters, stated that he trusted the time was not far distant when they would not only get gas cheaper but beteer. The LORD MAYOR then put the resolution to the meeting, and declared it to be carried, amid much cheering. Mr. MANDY moved the next resolution, which was to the effect that their representatives in the Common Council should be instructed to afford every aid in carry ing out the wishe# of the meeting, and that the gas meters should be stamped in order that justice might be done equally between buyers and sellers. He would never be satisfied till inspectors were appointed of meters totally independent of the gas companies.— (Hear, hear.) By such appointments the public would be certain that they had the 1,000 cubic feet they paid for.—(Cheers.) Mr. CLEXOUR seconded the resolution, and bore tes timony to the statements made by Mr. Lee, that when the price of gas was low their quarterly accounts were greater, and the gas dreadfully bad. He thought it was of the greatest importance to the tradesmen of London that their gas meters should be examined by officers that were totally independent both of the parties sup plying and supplied. (Hear, hear.) The LORD MAYOR put the resolution to the meeting, and declared it to be carried unanimously, amid great cheering. lIISM 211C.11.31.15CMT5. SMITHFIELD.—Meadow Hay, t 0 31 lOs; Clover ditto, 31 los to 4/ ; and Straw, 11 2s to 119 i per load. Trade dull, at barely stationary prices. CUMBERLAND.—Meadow Hay, 2/ 103 to 3/ 13s ; Clover ditto, 31 103 to 4/ lfb; and Straw, 1/ 4s to 1/ lOs per load. A full average supply, and a sluggish demand. WHITECHATEL. MPlllintlr Hay, 21 7s to 31 11s; Clover ditto, 3/ 10s to 4/ 12s; and Straw, 1/ 2s to I/ 9s per load. Supply good, and trade 'Very dull. BAIL COURT.—(THIS DAY.) Mr. Justice ERLE, after hearing two or three unim• Portant motions, sat at Nisi Prius, and tried severe: Middlesex common jury cases, which presented no fea ture of public interest. E XCHEQUER.--(THIS DAY.) (Sittings in Banco.) The Court took the peremptory paper to-day, but no C ase possessing any feature of general interest came under hearing during the morning. BANKRUPTCY. -(THIS DAY.) (Before Mr. Commissioner GOOLBURN. T his IN RE MANSON. bankrupt was described as of Lloyd's Coffee -13°113e, underwriter, and to-day was appointed for his ast examination. ._,The official assignee said that an adjournment must "we Place, as no accounts had been filed. • The bankrupt's solicitor said that the delay had arisen Voconsequence of the books having been in the posses nof the bankrupt's former solicitor, who claimed a '"9„rip 18 pon them. Th e accounts were very complicated. .., Journment, Horton & said there could be no objection to the ilu and asked the amount o f the failure. The official assignee said about 3,000 L, and the assets Would probably be 500/. or 600/. The examination was then ad j ourned for six weeks. Jilt C. NAPIER.—We are requested to contradict a Statement respecting Sir C. Napier's prize -money, Which is the reverse of the fact. It is said he re ceived batta in addition to the prize -money, whereas 4 4 batta was deducted from his prize -money by the directors. MELANCHOLY ACCIDENT ON THE MENAI STRAITS. *--A fatal accident occurred on the night of Tuesday last, on the Menai Straits, near the town of Carnarvon, h*hereby four men met with a watery grave, the a r ry-boat i n w hi c h t h ey had embarked having v n totally lost in a tremendous gal e o f w i n d . bt appears that the vessel plied between Carnar ~alre and Anglesey, running from a p o i n t a b out fa mile f rom C arnarvon. On the night in Questio n o ne o f the ferrymen bad gone to the above to wn, in order to fetch the boat, which had been under going some necessary repairs; and having obtained pos session of it, he proceeded to the Ferry-h ouse on the "tru arvon side, in order to take in passengers, prior to e e h r°B . B ing the w a t er. On his arrival at the Ferry. house, ffound that three men were there waiting for a pas ,titc ; these were taken on board, and at, about ten u .elock at night the boat started on her voyage to the _Acloglesey shore. Shortly after, another, a larger and mre commodious vessel, left the Ferry-house to cross th e ~_Straits. This boat succeeeed in reaching the l'PPosite, shore in safety ; but on their arrival it "eir.found that the first vessel had not reached her ote t!nation. As the gale of wind then blowing was most 19 16, 0, it was at once conjectured that an accident fain in Some tidings respecting the missing boat. All a . h wever, proved ineffectual, and as time wore On it ca mebea too apparent that the boat, with all on board, eslifs in the tremendous seas. The next day the boat wa tered—but too clear ound. on the sandbanks, much chat birolazdc.f. evidence of the melancholy fate of the poor fellows eil from the southwest . The wind was blowing of the vessel was named f err yman who had charge Passengers were resident in am Jones, and the three to the ferry. One of the bodie s living adjacent 3 onl has been recovered. AGIILITARY WIT.—A soldier y errin day entered a country shop, and seeing some rc(loobe at is them ?" The (\co...tinter, asked the shopkeeper ._., Wh t h e m upon the other repii.,...,, eu " T em's «I shall si r.. ,, elairnedthe son of M ors, . take th ey Well," ex- With that f rn up as de- With tliat°ll; theY prise of t - are hers without leave of absence," and e walked off with the lot, to the no Small aw -1,. he shopkeeper. Of 1 :7-YRISON AT NORTHALLERTON.—Mr. John b,„ , = tau tow, , has contracted for the masonry and ZnrieKwork wanted in the erection of the new House of i ff r :: o;otnhiat Northallerton. Messrs. Peet and Hinch- Plumbers' s town, have succeeded in obtaining the work s and glaziers' work required St the same new i • Th e n ew L arge , w ; i , W winding though very far from being 0fre,,,,:2, 0 8 Partly in imitation of the Wakefield House I --"Lion.—.DP u gkefield Journal. THE SUN, LO 'DON, SATURDAY E'EN-IN 6, HIGil PRICE OF GAS IN THE CITY OF LONDON. Last evening, at six o'clock, a numerous meeting of the inhabitants of the ward of Farring-don was held in the Ohl Court, Old Bailey, to take into consideration the high price of gas in the City, and to consider the best means of obtaining a reduction in its price. The court was crowded in every part. The Lord Mayor (the re spected Alderman of the ward) took the chair shortly after six o'clock, and was loudly cheered. His Lonasnee said-In consequence of an express wish on the part of a large number of the inhabitants of the ward, conveyed to him by requisition, stating that they were desirous that he should give them an oppor tunity of considering a question of vital importance, not only to them, but to their other fellow-citizens, he had et once felt great pleasure in calling this meetings,- (Cheers.) He hoped if any difference of opinion should arise, that they would give every gentleman a lair heating. TbeWard Clerk (Mr. Pontifex) then, at the request of the Lord Mayor, read the requisition, which was signed by upwards of 500 householders and rate-payers. Mr. LOWE proposed the first resolution, which was in the following terms.- " That it is the opinion of this meeting that the price charged for gas in the City of London: is exorbitant, as t is notorious that good gas can be supplied at little more than half the price now charged for it. It is, therefore, the earnest wish of this meeting that the Corporation of the City of London shout_. adopt the necessary measures in order a obtain a cheaper supply." Ile congratulated his Lordship on presiding over so large a meeting on so important a subject. The tact that the requisition presented to his Lordship was signed by 500 persons, the largest re quisition ever got up in the ward, evinced the feel ing of the inhabitants on the important mate r which they had met to discuss. Had these interested in the holding of this meeting delayed its presentation for a short time longer than they did, it doubtless would have received an additional number of signatures; 500 names was, however, a sufficient number to command attention. -(Cheers ) Before, however, the requisition was got up, a petition on the subject of the gas monopoly was presented to the Common Council, signed by 300 of the inhabitants of the ward. This again showed the interest which they felt in the matter. He did not wish to say anything offensivewith respect to the gas companies from whom they had their supply of gas, many gentlemen from whom were present, further than this, that they had been making the best profits they could like other tradesmen, and that the monopoly being in the hands of but two companies, they were prevented from deriving benefit from the competition which would be engendered if a third company were in existence. These companies possessed the monopoly of supplying the City with gas, whereas persons engaged in business as hotel-keepers, tailors, &c., had to encounter thatcompetition which they were altogether exempt from, though far better able to bear it. He would not rely upon his opinions alone, but would read portions of the report of Mr. Charles Pearson to the Commissioners of Sewers. The report, among other things, stated that a clause was inserted, at the instigation of the City, in the Acts incorporating the City Gas Company, now thirty years ago, stating that at the termination of the contracts the Commissioners were entitled to purchase from the company the pipes, branches, and other materials, at a fair valuation of sur veyors, or, at their option, to give notice for their re moval; but this salutary provision had been omitted from the subsequent Acts, whereas, if it had been in serted, they would have had no occasion to go to Par liament. It was true they had an officer called the City Itethembrancer, whose duty it was to sit in the House of Commons under the gallery; but in respect to these Acts he must have neglected his duty, or else he would, in the proper discharge of his duty, have given notice of their omission, and the consequences thereof to the Corpora tion. The report proceeded to say, that the City had a right to have cheaper gas; to be supplied, in fact, at the wholesale price, in consequence of the large and dense population, which, unlike that of the suburbs, or of many towns, was not scattered and expensive to supply. The cost of gas, including the works, should net exceed 2s. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet; the City might, how ever, charge 45., which would leave a surplus for the sewers-rate and sanitary improvements. Doubtless, if' the company would not sell the mains Parliament would revoke the Acts which gave them the power to hold them. He (Mr. Lowe) did not wish to shut out the existing gas companies from supplying the City, but to allow them to supply the City, as heretofore, if they would supply gas as cheap as any one else. Mr. Pear. son said he had received an ofier from a respectable firm, offering to supply the City with gas at 2s. 6d. per 100 cubic feet, which he said might be charged 4s. ; and the officers of the Commissioners of Sewers employed to collect the rates. He (Mr. Since) did not agree with that portion of the report which stated that the city of London should become their own gas manufacturers. Many, however, agreed that it would be well to buy the present pipes, or to lay down new ones.-(Cheers.) He was told that some of the old companies had capital amount. ing to 100,000/., and that they could easily buy a new company out of the field, and raise the price higher than it was before.-(Hear anti cheers.) Now he and the gas consumers' committee considered th a t pipes should be laid down at the expense of the City, and that they should be let by public tender, under the direction of the Corporation, who, if they mismanaged the business, being their representatvies, could easily be called to account on St. Thomas's-day. I -(Laughter.) Whilst the London Gas Company paid but 16s. 2d. for coals, they charged es. per 1,000 feet for their gas. Now, he contended that they paid a great deal too much for their gas, as it could be very well manufactured and sold at 2s. 6d. While in London they were charged 6s. for the thousand cubic feet of gas, in Liverpool, according to the Parliamentary return, the price was 4s. 6d., and he had heard, upon good authority, that they were now paying in that town only 4s. At Bi rm i ng h am t h e price was 4; at Derby, 6s. Gd.; at Nottingham, 55.; at Glasgow, 55.; at Chel tenham, 4s. Bd.; at Leeds, 55.; and in all the places the profits ranged at from 10 to 40 per cent. In Manchester the price was ss. 6d., which left a profit of fifteen guineas per cent., which was expended for the benefit of the town. In the town of Croydon the public lights were charged at 2s. 6d., and the private lights at 75., thus making an average of 4s. 6d. and in that town, let him observe, the price of coals was 245. 6d. per ton. Now, from this circumstance the town of Croydon was a striking case in their favour, and a gentleman from that part before the Committee of the House of Commons had expressed it as his opinion that the gas could be supplied there at 3s. 6d. the thousand cubic feet. This was two years ago, and coals were much cheaper now, and therefore they had a greater right to call for a reduction. Mr. Lowe next referred to the last report of the Commissioners of Pentonville Prison. It ap peared that the prison was formerly supplied by a gas company, but that they had for some time manufactured their own gas. The coals, &c., in one year had cost them 48S1. 17s. 7d.; wages, 1401. 19s. I ld.; repairs, &c., 1221. 2s 10d.; or a total of 752/. Os. 4d.; and that they had realised, in the same time, by the sale of coke, 3981. 6-. 3 1 .-(Cheers)-leaving the cost of the gas con sum, d,2,693,006 cubic feet in that year, 3531. 14s.,leaving a balance or saving of 588/. 175., or 2s. 7id. per 1,000 cubic feet.-(Cheers.) By a Parliamentary report, issued under the authority of the Woods and Forests, with respect to the cost of gas in Ashton, it appeared that the cost per 1,000 feet was ls. 44d.-(Cheers)-but as there were other expenses attached to the supply of the material, interest on capital, &c., the selling price was set down as 3s. 21d.-(Cheers.) It was further esti mated, and he quoted from Parliamentary data, which must be correct-(Laughter) -that a small town of 14,000 inhabitants could be supplied at 5a 4d., and a larger one of 140,000 at 3s. 24d.; so that London, with `te 160,000 inhabitants, could be supplied at a cheaper rate even than that. Then a Mr. Cox, who was ex amined before that Parliamentary Committee, stated that he supplied the Swindon Station with gas, and that he charged the company but Is. Bid. The Committee, surprised at the reply, inquired if be made a profit, upon which he replied, " Do you think I should work without a profit ? " And a Mr. Clegg had offered to make gas at ls. 11d, per thousand cubic feet, finding his own material, but having the use of the existing works, and receiving himself the residue of the profit.-(Hear, hear.) Gas companies now made an enormous profit. They used coals which cost 135. a ton, and sold the coke at about 12s. a ton. One-fourth of the coals were consumed in heating the retorts, and therefore, to be rather below than over the mark, he would merely say that the companies got back 95.; but then the ammonia realised 45., so that they received 13s. for every ton of coals, for which they paid 135., so that in fact the production of the gas really cost them nothing. - (Roars of laughter.) Let them not misunderstood him, the sale of the coke and am monia realised as much as was paid for the coals used. - (Hear, hear.) According to Mr. Pearson, the amount Field yearly in the city of London for gas was 150,0001. Now he (Mr. Lowe) maintained that they were paying one-third more than they ought, as they should not pay more than 4s. per 1,000 cubic feet, and pay a fair price too. It this were so, and he had no doubt about it, they had been improperly mulcted of 150,000/. during the last three years. Ile was opposed to the City being supplied by two companies alone, because the citizens had a right to get their gas from whoever they liked, on the same principle that they had a right to go where they chose to buy a joint of meat. He con tended that the companies possessed a monopoly, which they had endured for 30 years. As he had said before, he did not blame the companies for doing the best busi ness they could, but the citizens were alone to blame if they endured such a system of things longer. But he thought they should " scotch the snake" now.-(Hear, hear.) There were about 60 miles of pipes in the City at present. To lay down the same extent of pipes would cost 60,000/, which might be borrowed upon the security of the consolidated rate at 5 per cent., which might be repaid by charging an additional 4d. per 1,000 feet which passed though the pipes ; the con sumer alone would, therefore, be charged -not those who burned no gas in their premises -which would not only pay the interest but the principal in twenty years. -(hear, hear.) Having again urged the injustice of preventing persons from de alieg where they liked, he concluded by moving the above resolution. Mr. FLINTOFE rose to second it. He differed with Mr. Anderton with respect to competition. That gentleman said, at a recent wardmote, that he hated competition; Now he (Mr. Flintoff) considered that competition was the soul of business. He then referred to a return moved for by Mr. Hume in 1847, which showed that the price of gas in the small provincial towns averaged from 3 s. 9d. to ss. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet, and that the pro prietors of the gas works were rceiving dividends of 10/. per cent. That gas companies were not honest they Lad abundant proofs, As on die faith of a Parliamentary return they were informed that the Leeds company divided in 1838 the enormous dividend of 23 per cent., and the Derby company, in 1841, 35 per cent., when in the city of London the gas companies charged but as. per 1,000 feet for the street lamps and 6s. per 1,000 feet for others, he thought it was time to unite to put a stop to such an anomaly. Having recited the cost and price of gas in some of the large towns in the country, and stated that the gas in Manchester was manufactured by the corporation, the profits from which were applied to the improvement of the town, he proceeded to say that the City possessed an advantage over the suburbs, inas much as from the shortness of the pipes in the former there was less leakage, which the companies calculated at 11 per cent. The City of London Gas Company stood alone by itself in its dividend; it paid 10 per cent., whilst others were satisfied with a much less amount. The speaker offered a calculation, by which it appeared that the cost per 1,000 feet of gas was but 4d., exclusive of labour, interest on capital, &c. A large town ought to have gas ls. cheaper than the smaller one. Mr. JAMES BLACKETT said he had no interest in any gas company beyond the sum he was yearly in the habit of paying for gas ' • but having the interest of his neigh bours at heart, he had felt it his duty to attend this meeting to warn the inhabitants of the ward what they were about to do. By a Bill which he held in his hand, and which was proposed to be introduced into Parliament in the ensuing session by the Commissioners of Sewers, to enforce them to li g ht th e City w i t h gas , he found, by clause 27, that power was to be taken to raise a capital of 500,0001., on the security of the con solidated rates. Now, when such a proposition was made, he felt it was the duty of every man who could see a yard before his nose to come and warn the citizens of what they were asked to do.-(Hear, hear.) One of the COMMISSIONERS intimated that, since the framing of the Bill, the capital had been reduced to 100,0001. Mr. BLACKETT said, nevertheless they had the fact that the raising of the larger sum was not at first con sidered exorbitant. He did not know what kind of men the Commissioners were, but unless they were unlike other men, they would blush after the statement of their brother Commissioners. He was anxious to see his fellow• citizens have cheap gas, but he did not like to see them carried away by the impulse of the moment, and instead of getting cheap gas, obtaining an increase of the present prices.-(Hear, hear.) Allusion had been made to Manchester, which was a better lighted town than any other, but the works were com menced with a capital of 43,0001., which had been since increased to 235,0001. The gas was sold at ss. 6d., and the last dividend was 15/, 155., which went to pay the interest on the plant and capital, from which five per cent. at the least must be deducted, leaving ten per cent. for the improvement of the town. Why this fact destroyed at once Mr. Lowe's statement that you could be profitably supplied at ls. ed. to Is. 11d., and the statement of the other gentleman that it could be made for 4d.-(Laughter.) Now, they wanted cheap gas. The London companies consumed 500,000 tons of coal per annum. He would like to ask the Lord Mayor what he got out of that?-(Laughter.) It did not strike him at the time that his Lordship had been connected with the coal trade; he meant, what did the City get out of that.-(Laughter.) Before the coals were put into the retorts the company hod to pay to the City Is. Id. per ton. The LORD MAyoa wished to set his friend right. He knew that the Corporation had got many sins to account for-(Laughter) -but he had hoped that the citizens of London were now well aware that the Government had taken that money for the improvement of the metro polis, and that only 4d. per ton went to the City.- (Cheers.) Mr. BLACKETT was much obliged to his Lordship. At any rate, the gas companies had to pay it. It would be at once conceded that this was more than was paid by the Manchester Company-(Hear) -but he was told upon good authority, that the grounds upon which the Manchester works was town property, for which they had to pay no rent, and that neither church nor poor rates were charged for the works or pipes.-(Cheers.) Now _they wanted cheap gas.-(Yes.) The Chancellor of the Exchequer had taken off the duty upon rushlights and penny candles , but let them ask him to take off the enormous duty upon coals used for gas 'in London, and then they would have cheap gas. -(No, no.) The City companies paid 100,0001. yearly, it was said, to their shareholders; if 25,000/. were taken off, they would no doubt give the citizens the entire benefit of the reduction. All the companies, of which there were eleven, were heavily taxed for their works, and paid large sums in poor-rates-four were charged 65., five 75., and two Bs. ; yet they were but enablekto pay 51 15s. per cent. Out of 120 companies he found that the average dividend paid was but 5/. 18s., which surely was not too much. Let them bear in mind that they could not grant com petition without a large outlay. At present the works were sufficient to supply everybody, yet the ex penditure of 500,0001. additional had been proposed,by the construction of new works; they had no occasion to spend a single farthing. For a while they might get cheap gas from a competing company, but as the pockets of the shareholders get lighter their heads get wiser, and they would raise their prices to a remunerative profit. So that if twenty new companies were to start they would all unite. At Devenport, where gas was charged 65., a new opposition com p any was formed, which supplied the gas at a lower rate than the other ; but they ultimately combined, and the one gave 27,0001. for the other, but what they bought was not wor th a farthing. Mr. Blackett having adverted to the prices of gas at Not tingham, Manchester, and other places, concluded by calling upon the inhabitants, whatever they did, to get cheap gas-not to trust the Commissioners of Sewers with 100,0004 or even one hundred pence. He trusted that they would take care not to get their feet into a trap under the specious pretext of getting a cheap supply of gas.-(Hear, hear.) Mr. ANDERTON said he was delighted to find, from Mr. Carpenter's statement of the surplus profits of the City, Imperial, Chartered and London Gas Companies (averaging about 60,000/.), that there was a good pros pect of a considerable reduction in the price of gas ; but, happening afterwards to take up, at his broker's, a Share List (vide Crosley's, of the 6th of January), he found that the shares of almost all the metropolitan gas companies were at a heavy discount. This caused him to make inquiries as to the facts of the case, and he felt bound to communicate the particulars to his brother wardsmen, but,; by their too hastily proceeding on inac curate data, they might be entailing upon themselves a permanent burden, rather than alleviating the exist ing one. It appears, from the result of all his inquiries, that the gas property in the metropolis was in a very depre ciated state, and that it was extremely doubtful if the present dividends (not averaging five per cent.) could be maintained. That the price has only been reduced from 7s. to 6s. per 1,000 cubic feet since Jane last, a reduction, be it remembered, of one-seventh of the whole rental. That the London-one of the most recent companies, with a large paid up capital of 400,0001., and one of those alluded to as having a surplus profit of 60,0001,-had already-been obliged to suspend paying any dividend. It was possible the City Gas Company, with its fine district, covered with lights, might continue to pay the projectors, or shareholders, handsomely ; but he would like to have a little more ex perience of what could be done akthe 6s. price, before he lent himself to the introduction of another company to divide the business with them; for if it be true that gas cannot be supplied, except under the most favourable circumstances, below the present price, it must neces sarily follow that the introduction of a new capital into the City will tend to enhance the price, as the consumers will have to pay the interest on both capitals. That it appears, by reference to the Share List, that The Gas Light and Coke Company's shatirit i ri ... 50/. paid 481. per share. The British ..• ... 18/. - 13/. - City... ... ... 1501. - 2401. - Commercial 251. - 25/. - Equitable ... 50/. -33 L - European ... . . ... 20/. - 84 - United General ... 504 - 121. Imperial ... ... 50/. - 621. - Independent .... ... 401. - 601. - London Preference ... 50/. - 20/. to 301. - Ditto ... •.• ... 50/. - 10/. to 201. -- Phrenix ••• 471. - 281. - Ratcliffe ... 90/. - 724 - South Metropolitan . 251. - 211. - So that, out of all this list, three only are at a premium, and those three, it would appear, have what is called entire districts, i. e., the whole of their property in mains, &c., is productive. It may be worth while to in quire how the City Gas Company ranks so much higher than the other companies in the share market. He had been informed that that company purchased their works and pipes, &c., at halt the original cost, which may, in some measure, account for their present prosperous state, and he doubted very much, with the slender information the ward had got, the policy of taking away from the City the means of reducing the price. It was all very well to say. that they bad got offers from Messrs. Joy and Co., and Messrs. Croll and Co., bat who were these gen tlemen? raaayrgi ngis T it.una h clgt e citoe7 f i o ssa. r fs m uaf lot ei likewise r ptonkhd h aeatcu a nwhthc d cei metrsi n i aareoo o psnmm t s , ee f gi an r at o t si m :o nt est what he could learn, undertakings; dihmebiiyrl a emr a w n rtn d . A t wt h hne e adr tlheanrst Anderton a e w going on in th e Ci ty, was nrt raised in the parishes of St. m M i a n r a y t l e e d bon in e and the i S n t t . n o m f t e h y e e p a i r p s e a s g e e ; w a h n i e c w h t g e a r s company into the latter parish. The result is, that the price of the public lights in that parish have since been raised from 3/. 10s. to five and six guineas, and the com pany (the London Gas Company), is unable to pay any dividend ; whereas in the parish of St., Marylebone, where the vestry refused to admit the pipes of the new company, the price of the public lights has never varied from 41. 4s. for the large, and 3/. I Is. for the small burners, while the price given for gas supplied to the private consumersinMarylebone has always been as low, and generally lower, than in any other part of the me tropolis. (Mr. Anderton in the course of his speech was several times interrupted by persons in the gallery and body of the court, which the treated with the utmost good nature and temper.)_ Mr. fSuLLEN then addressed the meeting in support of the resolution ; he deprecated the enormous price of gas in the City, and adverted to instances where parties who lived almost close together paid a very different price for their gas, because one party resided in the City and the other out of it. He had no objection to Mr. Anderton having gas-lights at his door, but he ob jected to pay for it. —(Laughter.). Mr. HYDE also supported the resolution. Mr. An derton had told them that gas was a luxury. He might just as well have told him that he could not speak plain English.—(Laughter.) The gas that was supplied to them in the City was of the most infamous description and quality.—(Hear, hear.) He had paid 95., 75., and 6s. a th ousand cubic feet for gas, and that for which he had paid 65,, was of the most in famous quality.—(Hea r , hear.) It was to him evident from the facts that had been adduced that gas could be supplied to 150,000 persons much cheaper than it was done in London. As an instance of that he might refer to the town of Liverpool, where they had the 'best gas in England, and at a very cheap - rate.— Mr. 'ikst. PUGH moved the next resolution, which was to the effect that the whole of the resolutions should be embodied in a petition to the Court of Common Council. He wished to know whether Mr. Anderton would support the petition in the Court of Common Council. Mr. ANDERTON said that this he would promise, that he would not oppose it in the Court of Common Council. Mr. PUGH said that they Ranted nothing but what was right. Why could not the gas company come for ward and say that they would supply them at 4s. If they would, he had no doubt matters would be easily settled.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. WADE seconded the resolution. The LORD MAYOR then put the resolution to the meeting, and declared it to be carried unanimously, amid much cheering. Thanks were then voted to the Lord Mayor, who briefly responded to it, and the meeting broke up at a late hour. THE COINAGE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sin,—At a time when America has just promulgated a most daring fiction as to the existence of a prolific gold region in the southern hemisphere, viz., in Cali fornia, it would be well to exhibit to them the existence of a fertile gold region on Tower-hill, London, by show ing that there has been coined in the eleven years from 1837 to 1847, 373 tons of gold, amounting in value to the sum of ... £34,877,667 4311 tons of silver, amounting in value to the sum of 3,329,718 322 tons and 2 cwts. of copper, amounting in value to the sum of 68,103 making a total of the enormous sum of ... £38,275,486 as the figures I have annexed will show; and all this quantity of metals is not the produce of California. Their gold coast must vanish before the presence of so much wealth from other climes than those beyond the Rocky Mountains. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, Near Guildhall, Jan. 11, 1849. 11. jr. STATEMENT OF THE VALUE ARISING FROM THE COINAGE DURING THE ELEVEN YEARS ' , Rom 1837 To 1847. TOTAL WEIGHT COINED IN EACH YEAR. Gold. Silver. lbs. lb s . 1837 .. 26,818 23,064 22 15 lec 1838 ... 61,110 60,960 7 0 3 Tons. - Ti 1839 ... 10,793 120,980 0 co 1840 ... Nil. 65,580 Copper. Cwt. al4 0 mt 1841 ... 8,100 29,144 33 0 St 1842 ... 127,919 58,440 8 0 int 1843 ... 141,420 83,720 68 10 24 1844 ... 76,275 189,900 36 17 Li 1845 ... 90,842 196,260 31 0 1846 ... 92,775 196,560 29 0 nu 1847 ... 110,400 38,100' 40 0 dis Totals... 746,452 1,062,708 322 2 au, TOTAL VALUE COINED IN EACH YEAH. COI bet Gold. Silver. Copper. cle ab] £ X £ • gal 1837 ... 1,253,071 76,111 5,096 wa 1838 ... 2,855,364 101,168 1,568 the 1839 ... 504,303 399,234 7,168 1840 ... Nil. 216,414 3,136 are 1841 ... 378,472 96,175 7,392 etc 1842 ... 5,977,015 204,732 1,792 vis: 1843 ... 6,607,850 276,276 15,344 his 1844 ... 3,563,949 626,670 8,207 he 1845 ... 4,244,506 647,658 6,944 ton 1846 ... 4,334,697 559,548 6,496 ask 1847 ... 5,158,440 125,730 4,960 of she Totals... 34,877,667 3,329,716 68,103 "D THE CALIFORNIANS ARE DIGGING UP OUR LEGAL TENDER!! TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—The Californian adventurers are not digging for so much yellow metal—No ! They are digging fur the 3/. 17s. 10d. an ounce which our Mint is bound to give them. This gold will all come here. Why ? Because we offer the highest price.—l am, yours, &c. MIDAS. - -- NEW BRlDGE.—Llandillo-bridge, Carmarthenshire, is completed. The bridge, which is the third largest in the kingdom, being nearly 150 feet span, is built p r i n cipally of black marble, a t an ex p ense of about 18,000/. Gloucester-bridge cost 60,000/, and Chester 40,000/. According to Professor Adelung, there are 3,664 known languages and dialects in the world, of which 937 are Asiatic, 587 European, 276 African, and 1,624 American. JANUA RY l3, 1849. LIVERPOOL CURRENCY REFOR ASSOCIATION. TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING CHRONICLE. Sir,—l am instructed by the committee of the Liver pool Currency Reform Association, to transmit to you their reply to your strictures upon their plan, contained in the articles of the 25th and 30th ult., and to express their hope that you will insert it in your columns. They deem themselves fairly entitled to have an op portunity afforded them of explaining points on which they have been misapprehended. I remain, sir, your obedient servant, JAMES HARVEY, Hon. Sec. Brown's Hotel, Clayton -square, Liverpool, Jan. 8. To THE EDITOR of THE MORNING CHRONICLE. Sir,—Having on the 25th ult. concluded your stric tures on our plan of currency with a " farewell," we in ferred that you declined any further discussion on the subject, and therefore refrained from a reply; but as we notice in your article of the 30th ult., on Mr. Wright'a evidence, that you make further allusion to the associa tion, which we construe into a fresh challenge, we pro ceed, without further prelude, to show the weakness of your logic. No. 1. " They have made the new discovery, however, that the debt is capital to the creditor, though a liability of the State. Very good: but, according to their scheme, it was the State which was to keep the Bank, and the creditor who wculd be its customer." We are then agreed that " the liability of the State is capital to the creditor ;" and, consequently, that it is upon an asset, and not upon a liability, that the proposed currency is intended to be founded. This point being thus placed beyond controversy, we turn to your state ment, " that the Bank is to be kept by the State." This is not correct. The State intervenes merely to legalise the notes by its stamp, thereby constituting them legal tender, just as the Mint, by coining the gold, constitutes bullion into legal tender. Thus you will perceive that the owner of Consols, and not the State, will be the creator of the currency, just as, under the present system, the owner of bullion, by taking it to'the Mint, gets it coined into money. 2. " They say, again, that commodities which, like the precious metals, find their level by unrestricted cir culation in the markets of the world, are therefore the more subject to fluctuation, and peculiarly unfit to be the basis of a currency. No set of men were ever more com pletely bewildered by their own dulness of perception. It is the free circulation of the precious metals which, like the flow of water unconfined by artificial barriers, produces a uniform level in their value. And it is this uniformity of value which is the greatest security against a sudden fall or rise. This is a principle which is true of all commodities, but especially of the precious metals, by reason of their great facility of transport." In this paragraph you fail to distinguish between gold as a commodity, and gold as a money. To its flowing everywhere without restriction as a commodity, the Association cannot possibly object; that is precisely what they contend for; but you overlook the fact, that the very principle of the system you uphold is to dam up gold, and to prevent its free circulation, by fixing a price upon it in this country, and insisting upon its retention here at all costs and hazards. And why? Because our circulating medium consists of this commodity. Hence a drain of gold, being an abstraction of so much circula ting medium—that is, of the very life-blood of our in ternal trade—has to be suddenly arrested by the well known and cruel operation of the Bill of 1844. Its ex port must be stopped, and the convertibility of the bank note must be preserved; whereas, were it a mere com modity, its export w ou ld b e attended with the same re sults as the export of so much iron, cloth, or calicoes. The evil of a deficient harvest would be then confined to its natural consequence —the enhancement of the price of grain —without involving the ruin of the commercial fabric, the extinction of credit, and the prostration of trade. On these grounds the Association are strenuously op posed to gold as the basis of a currency, being strongly convinced that its functions as a commodity, and as a money, are entirely distinct and utterly incompatible. 3. " As regards domestic transactions, the consequence would be an artificial inflation of prices, and a real de preciation of the circulating medium; and, as the French experiment has fully proved, such depreciation is inevit ably progressive, because larger quantities of paper are continually thrown upon the market, in proportion as exchangeable value declines." Now, we invite you to prove logically, by what pro cess and under what circumstances " a larger quantity of paper will be thrown upon the market "—we mean larger quantity of the circulating medium proposed by the association--than what will be required by the ne cessities of trade. We still contend that paper money, convertible into value, cannot be depreciated, and, con sequently, that this inflation of prices cannot occur. All change in price must arise either from an altera tion in the relation between demand and supply, which is a natural fluctuation; or from an alteration in the value of money, which is a legal fraud upon the debtor or creditor, as the case may be one of appreciation or depreciation in the measure of value. It is, therefore, for you to prove by what possibility notes convertible at all times into the property they represent can be depre ciated—how the property itself can be depreciated when the owner can insist upon his own terms before parting with it—and why any man should voluntarily exchange his property-for less than its equivalent. It is an axiom in economics that cannot be contravened, that no man will voluntarily part with his accumulated labour, pro.. perty, or capital—call it what you please—without re ceiving an equivalent; and we cannot conceive why Con sols should form an exception, whilst gold, and every other description of property, are rigidly subject to the rule. On this important branch of the controversy, a little perspicuous reasoning would be worth columns of oracular dogmatism. 4. On the subject of the French assignits, you leave untouched our assertion, which we now reiterate, that there is no analogy between the proposed paper money —convertible at all times into value—and the baseless assignits issued ruthlessly and without limits. There fore we deny that the "French experiment" referred to can be quoted as substantiating your argument. 5. You entirely pervert our meaning as 'to the transi tion proposed by us from gold as a standard property to Consols. When we state that such proportion of the standard property, or Consols, as equalled 5 dwts. 3 grains of gold should be taken as 1/., we intend to indi cate that the change from the present to the proposed currency should take place at a rate that would not dis turb existing prices, and the relations between debtoi and creditor; and every impartial reader would at once perceive that this was pointing to a value at which to take our departure from, instead of, as you would have it inferred, implying a retention of, the gold basis. HABEAS CORPUS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—In consequence of your report from the Ex enc - chequer yesterday, which completely calls in question the truth of my affidavit, it becomes necessary for me to explain that my affidavit having been sufficient for issuing the w r it o f H a b eas, and the return being suffi- dui cient for remanding me, it was then my right to move thereupon for an attachment against the keeper to com pel him to support his return upon oath. Notice of my intention to do this, if the return was not true, was given in the usual form with such writs issuing out of the Crown-office, and the notice appeared annexed to the return in Court. The right to apply for such attachment is absolute under the two Acts of Habeas Corpus, viz.:-3; Charles IL, c. 2, and 56 George 111., c. 100. By the Lord Chief Baron stopping and preventing me fron' moving for the attachment, and, on the contrary, warn. ing me of a criminal proceeding by the Attorney-Ge neral on my affidavit, he reversed the order of prosecu tion enacted by the above Acts, and which is the practice and, of course, my right; for it is my affidavit which is to be presumed to be true still (as yet), and not the re • turn, and lam the prosecutor and not the culprit. It may hereafter be material, in case this is not inserted, for me to prove that it was sent. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant, Queen's Prison, Jan. 12, 1849. WM. COBBETT T — A -HE -I.IITHORSHIP OF " KING ARTHUR."—The song and ;disputed question of the authorship of the poem of " King Arthur," is now set at rest by the an nouncement that it is from the pen of Sir E. Bulwer Lytton. HOP INTELLIGENCE. WORCESTER, JAN. 10.-- There is a good demand for all fine bops, and full prices are given for that class, but all inferior are still neg lected.—Berrow's Worcester Journal: EMPINGNAM.—On Monday, Mr. Abraham sap- Dec cote, of South Luffenham, was summoned before the Jan' magistrates at Empingham, for getting into the train at Stamford and riding to the Ketton station in a state of intoxication, and annoying the other passengers, on the 24th of November last. He was fined 40s. and costs.— Lincoln Chronicle. The Duke of Marlborough has recently caused a number of does from Blenheim -park to be killed and distributed among the poor of Coombe, Handborough, .d other villages around Blenhiem. FLUSHING DRAlNS.—Amongst other inventions connected with drainage which have lately been brought before us, is " Asho's self-acting drain and sewer cleanser ;" an arrangement to catch and hold all avail able waste water until it amounts to about fourteen gallons, when it suddenly overbalances, and throws the water with velocity into the soil•trap, and so through the drain.—The Builder. IPAIMORTALITT.—Some of the houses in Edinburgh are eleven storeys high, and in one of these, near that exquisite green slope from the Castle esplanade, Johnson visited Boswell ; and here, also, David Hume, the historian and philosopher, resided for many years, till he removed into the oldest square of the new town. A recent traveller, toiling up the stain, asked an old woman, who was conveying a picher of water to her aerial domicile in the building, whether she could tell him in which storey David flume lodged? "Dawvid Hume! Dawvid Hume!" replied the old woman, " I hae been here this echteen year, and never mind sic a name. Dawvid Hume is no on this stair." To which he gently replied, in Toot's phraseology, that it was " of no consequence," and beat a retreat.—lnver• ness Courier. The Milan Gazette of the 6th publishes a notifi cation by the Provincial Delegation of Verona, dated the 28th ult., imposing a tax of two per cent. as a forced loan upon all capital bearing interest, and ex ceeding the sum of 7,000 Austrian livres; also on all capital of annual redeemable renter, not subjected to any public charge ; and, lastly, on the capital of all annuities exceeding 2,000 Austrian livres. The payment of the above tax is in two equal rates, on the sth of January, and the subsequent sth of February. " A Ducit or A MAN I "—M. de Lingueville, a Frenchman, who died lately at the age of 110, had been married ten times, espoused his last helpmate at 99, and had a son at 101. (ACP' 1,1 4 :0 b ttiOrew- ITALY. The Alba, of Florence, states from Naples, 30th ult., that the Sicilian army had retaken Milazzo, after a sanguinary engagement, and obtained a complete victory in the environs of Messina. A rumour was current on that day, that the Sicilians had pro claimed Loui3 Murat King of Sicily. The same paper announces the arrival at Naples of an En voy Extraordinary from the Russian Government. This journal, which, however, is not a very good authority, says that the Envoy is charged to inform the King that the family of Bonaparte had deter mined to help Lucian Murat to the throne of Sicily, should Louis _Napoleon obtain the Presidency of the French Republic ; that Russia consequently advises the King of Naples to attack Sicily immediately, while the Russian troops were to enter Hungary i❑ case France arid England prevented the Neapolitan expedition, and that Filangeri and the Russian Mi niiiter had gone to Gaeta, in consequence, together with Sabatelli and Cariati. The Contemporaneo, Roman journal, of the 3d inst., announces that General Zucchi arrived in the harbour of Civita Vecchia in the French steamer Courier Corse on the 31st ult. " His aid-de-camp," it says, " came on his part to invite the dele gate to a conference with him on board the steamer, the General being ill and unable to land. The delegate having declined, the vessel weighed anchor at two o'clock P.M., and proceeded in the di rection of Gaeta and Naples." In the evening of the 2d a grand demonstration in favour of the Con- stituent Assembly took place at Rome. The popu lation, the Civic Guard, and the troops of the garri son assembled on the square of Venice, and from thence marched down the Corso to the Square of the People, preceded by banners, torches, and mili tary bands. From this last square the cortege re paired to the Capitol, crying " Viva the Roman Constituent, the Italian Constituent, and the Inde pendence of Italy." Then all the banners were placed round the statue of Marcus Aurelius, and the Cava liere A. Rambaldi, having ascended the pedestal, read the decree of the convocation of the Assembly, and delivered the following address " People of Rome, you arc about to accomplish a great task; you may, if you wish, infuse vital force into our unhappy .Italy, and unite our scattered members, which the despots and the dark congregations of priests are anxious to keep asunder. lam a priest of Christ, and it is with the deepest conviction I call you from the top of the Capitol to liberty and independence, because the principle of your right eternally lives in the Gospel. Viva the Roman Constituent, the initiative of the Italian Constituent!" Those words were received with enthusiastic ap plause, and the orator having recommended the peo ple to observe the calmness and dignity becoming a truly civilized nation, the multitude instantly sepa rated in the greatest order. The Concordia of the Bth inst. states that it was re ported at - Turin that Marshal Radetsky had published an order of the day, in which he announced the im minent resumption of hostilities. BAINK OF FRANCE The followi❑g is a return of the situation of the Bank of France on the 11th of January, 1849: ASSETS. Cash and ingots Ditto in branch banks Bills past due ••• ••• ••• Bills falling due in Paris, of which 14,803,5421. 60e. are from the branch banks ... •.• ... 56,359,808 92 Bills in the branch banks ... 107,310,866 87 Advances on coins and ingots... ... 20,251,113 00 Ditto on French public securities ... 31,952,428 05 Ditto by branch banks... ... ... 1,455,838 00 Ditto to the State on Bons du Tresor... 50,000,000 00 Ditto on the loan of 150 millions ... 50,000,000 00 Rentes of the reserve fund ... 10,000,000 00 Rentes, disposabl e f un d s ... 42,622,313 13 Investments of the new branch banks in the public funds ... ••• •• 12,806,741 39 Hotel and furnit ure of the Bank ..• 4,000,000 00 Real property of the branch banks . 2,273,658 00 Loan of 10,000,0001. to the city of Paris 7,000,000 00 Interest in National Discount Bank ... 200,000 00 Ditto branch banks ... „.. 230,000 00 Bills protested at Paris • ••• 10,499,919 95 Ditto at the branches 4,945,404 00 Expenses of administration of th e B an k 132 00 Ditto of the branches 44,620 00 Miscellaneous ... 978,407 69 ... f. 149,097,538 30 . . 120,067,641 00 816,399 71 f. 682,912,825 61 LIABILITIES. Capital ... f. 67,900,000 00 Ditto of the Branch Banks 23,350,000 00 Reserve fund 10,000,000 00 Ditto of the branch banks ... 2,980,750 00 Reserve-imrnobiUre ..• ••• 4,000,000 00 Notes to bearer, in circulation ... 414,487,000 00 Ditto of the branch banks ... .., 16,316,125 00 Ditto to order (post-bills) 456,727 38 Account-current with Treasury creditor 25,819,694 65 Various accounts current ••• ... 76,795,295 80 Ditto in branches ..• ... 23,850,625 00 Bills payable at sight ... ..• ... 3,857,300 00 Ditto at branches ••• ••• 754,037 00 Bills of the branch banks payable by the Bank ... ••• ... 5,651,601 00 Ditto of she Bank payable by branches,. 2,845,290 00 Dividends payable ..• • • ... 1,860,570 25 Liquidation of the Algiers Bank ... 309,374 04 Discounts, and diverse interest... ••• 492,946 43 Ditto branch banks ••• 312,024 00 Re-discounts of the last six months ... 246,051 47 Ditto in branch banks .. •.. 460,603 00 Miscellaneous ••• 166,814 11 E 682,912,825 61 RAILWA Y RETURNS RAILWAY TRAFFIC.—The following are the Total Receipts of Rail ways for the past week—that is to say, up to the date to which the respective returns are made, together with the receipts of the same week in the previous year:— ig I NAME OF RAILWAY. Aberdeen .......'..• ••••.. • • .. 7 Amiens and Boulogne .•••• • • 6 Belfast and Ballymena •• • 7 Birkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire 6 Chester and Holyhead 6 Cockermouth and Workington... 4 Dublin and Drogheda. ••• • • • 9 Dublin and Kingstown • • 6 Dundee, Perth, and Aberdeen........ 7 East Ang1ian............ ••••• • • . • ... 6 Edinburgh and Glasgow .• • • •••• • • • • 6 Edinbnrgh and Northern • • • 7 Eastern Counties and North Eastern.. 1 East Lancashire ••. • . .. •••• • • • • 7 Eastern Union •• • • • • 6 Glasgow, Kilmarnock, and Aye •••• 6 Glasgow and Greenock...... •.. - 6 Great Southern and Western ........ Great Western, ... • .... • ..... • • ..&c 6 Kendal and Windermere.• 6 Lancashire and Yorkshire.. ••••• • • • • • 5 Lancaster and Carlisle •••• • • • • 7 Liverpool, Crosby, and Southport 6 Londonderry and t.nniskillen 7 London and North Western, &c. 7 London and Blackwall 6 London and Brighton 7 London and South Western. 6 Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Maryport and Carlisle .... 6 Midland, Bristol, and Birmingham.... Midland Great Western (Irish) ...... Monklands . • •••• • • • • •••,• • • • • • Newcastle and Car1i51 e ......... 6 North British .......• 6 Paris and Rouen . •••• . • • 6 Rouen and Havre 6 Scottish Central .......• ....... ..... 7 Shrewsbury and Chester . ..... 6 South Eastern and Branches .... 5 South Devon Taff Vale .. 30 Waterford and Limerick............. 7 Whiteliaven Juncti on ....• •••• • • • ... Wishaw and C01tne55............„. 6 York and Newcastle .• • 6 York and North Midland ........... Last Week, 1,080 706 3,798 1,046 654 1,005 678 3,401 1,938 11,478 1,928 1,011 2,417 889 2,888 15,170 118 10,415 1,638 130 34,600 510 6,616 7,439 2,485 18,311 460 3,410 2,481 4,490 Itr 67 747 11,980 'J6 1,045 2,135 972 1,573 14,501 95 8,841 1,040 129 33,864 't97 1,c83 7,465 1,250 684 5,994 6,129 1,966 17,261 747 2,003 16,205 12,261 576 3,056 :,487 644 155. [1,138 6,702 9,564 6,44,2 .'HE ARMY AND NAVY. (From the United Service Gazelle of this day.) HARBOUR -MASTER OF THE PORT OF LONDON.; Commander John Fisher (1814) has retired from his ap pointment of Harbour-master of the Port of Lond.Dn, after 30 years' service. We have heard of numerous candidates for the vacant appointment, which is in the gift of the Lord Mayor; but we believe it very probable that Commander Binstead, R.N., who was, till lately, the active and zealous Superintendent of the Manchester and Leeds Railway, and is an officer of great experience, will have the vacancy. THE TROOPS IN NOVA Scone.—We are sorry to find, from our correspondent at Halifax, that desertion to an alarming extent is taking place from the regia2on_tf at that station. The men leave with their arms and a adopted munition, and although every means have b_ by the military authorities to arres t the o ffenders derg they _ have hitherto escaped capture. WOOLWICH GARRISON. —ln consequence of the crowded state of the barracks of the Royal Sappers and Miners at this place—the number being considerably eaarrtlment more than the arrangement of the building is calcul a t e d to hold—it is in contemplati on to send a number o f the men to Chatham, as a at ensuing week. temporaryporary measure, y in the R EDUCTION S IN THE ROYAL NAVAL 110SFITAL' r STONEHOUSE.—inSp eoIOT Of Hos p ital s Robert A s trong. M.P., th e head of the Medical Department the Royal Nava l Hospital, Ston e h ouse, has been on half-pay; and Mr. Dalton, senior clerk blishment, has been removed, and has at that esta blishment, for superannuation. The l been recom mended 6001., and the other 1501. per an salary of the one i s num. Deputy- Inspector, Dr. Evans, has been The strong's duty, and the Sur ordered to do Dr. Arm- Dr. A. S. Allen (1838), hasbeengeon and Medical Storekeeper, do Dr. Evans's duty. Thi appointed pro tern, to Armstrong and Mr. Dalt n silly quarrel between Dr. in the Department, which on has effected this reduction to be made. ich was some time since proposed TROOPS F to those F OR INDIA. —The following ships, in addition reported last week, conveyance of the 64th Regiments to Be to Bombay, and 70th and 83d John Brewer, D Bengal, viz. :—Tulloch Castle, Diana, gdbrook, Cotfi Id e , and Poonah. AMERICAN AFFAIRS. NEW YORK, DEC. 20. Congress have now been in session two weeks, and hake transacted very little business—none comparatively of any importance. This, however, is " according to ancient usage." It was supposed that as the session must terminate, by the provisions of the Constitution, on the 4th of March, ail parties would unite in pressing forward the public business. It is now evident, hew ever, that but little will be dune until after the Christ mas holidays. The mov ements which .ve been made indicate an exciting session. The question of slavery will be dis cussed in all its forms with great violence. On this subject the South and the North will be arrayed in hostility the one against the other. The South will press a compromise, which the North will oppose in all and every form. The result probably will be that the 4th of March will arrive without any definitive action on this agitating question, which will then, as a matter of course, he turned over to the new Congress. In that new body the Northern party will predominate. They will be a majority in the House of Representatives cer tainly; in the Senate probably. On the 12th inst. an attack was made on the ma nagers of the Smithsonian Fund. It was in the form of an inquiry into the expenditure of the money of that fund. In the discussion of that question it appeared that a large amount of the fund had been lent to the State of Alabama, which was considered lost, but that the fund had been made good from the Treasury of the United States. The agitators of the inquiry denied the legality of such payment, contending that the loss should be sustained by the fund, and not by the Go vernment. Tho opposite party assumed the ground that the managers were the agents or trustees of the Go vernment, and as such the Government was liable for their acts, and equitably bound to make good any loss arising out of the transactions of the agents. This undoubtedly was the honest view of the case, and I have deemed it proper to make these details, as the British people may feel interested in the question. The resolution of inquiry, on which the discussion arose, was then laid on the table by a vote of yeas, 107; nays, 76. On the 13th inst. in the House of Representatives a resolution passed, ordering territorial bills to be re ported, with the Wilmot proviso in them. This decision settles the principle, so far as the 187 members who voted are concerned. The vote stood for the resolution—yeas, 107; nays, 80. Mr. Miller, on the 17th, offered a resolution, calling on the President for the correspondence, if any, which had taken place with the Government of Spain in relation to the purchase of the island of Cuba, which by the rules of the House must lay over one day. Yes terday, the 19th, he moved to take it up for considera tion, which, being opposed, he consented to let it rest for the present. ' Mr. Douglas called up his bill for the admission of Calitornia and New Mexico as a State into the Union, with a view to its reference, with his amendment, to the Committee on Territories. Upon this proposition an animated discussion ensued, in the progress of which it was proposed to substitute the Judiciary Committee for the Committee on Territories. This debate was raised and continued by petty party considerations on both sides. It was an unworthy struggle for the reference to that committee supposed to be most favourable to the contending partisans. After a protracted debate the yeas and nays were ordered on the Committee of Terri tories, and were as follows:—Yeas, 24; nays, 25; absent, 9—about equally divided. On the motion of Mr. Berrian, the bill was then referred to the Judiciary Committee. On the motion of Mr. Benton, the Senate then pro ceeded to the consideration of the special order, being the bill authorizing the Government to contract with Messrs. Aspinwall and others for that transport, for 20 years, of the mails, military supplies, &c., by steam across tee isthmus of Panama, when the proposed rail road of the latter across that isthmus shall have been completed. After a short and apparently a business dis cussion, the Senate, without taking any question, went into Executive session. The prevailing feeling was a desire for information. Mr. Giddings introduced a bill authorizing the people of the district of Columbia to express their wishes as to the condition of slavery therein. Mr. Giddings said that when he spoke of the people of the district, he meant every male inhabitant. (Mr. Giddings was interrupted by the Speaker, and a motion made to lay the bill on the table. Yeas and nays, lacing ordered, were—yeas, 105; nays, 79.) DEC. 26. Up to this day nothing decisive in reference to any important contested measure has taken place in Con gress. The partisans, however, of various grades and hues are caucusing, making movements, and developing projects which demonstrate that violent collisions are near at hand, which in all probability will end in do ing nothing; but if anything practical is effected, I have no doubt it will be injurious to the prosperity, the har mony, and the much vaunted character of this " land of the free." On the 21st inst. Mr. Gott, of New York, introduced into the House of Representatives a resolution, which was adopted, instructing the committee on the subject to report a bill for the prohibition in the district of Colum bia of the slave trade. This proposition produced much excitement, and some heated remarks. Among others, Mr. Llolmes of South Carolina, suggested that the southern members vacate their seats by withdrawing from the house. If this suggestion is adopted, it will undoubtedly carry the question of slavery over to the next Congress, so far as California and New Mexico are concerned. It may happen, and it probably will, that General Taylor, as President, will have to settle this vexed question. The movement of Mr. Gott has opened the whole sub ject of slavery, and appears to meet the wishes of a ma jority of Congress. The decision of the House, instruct ing the committ ee t o p repare an d report a biliprohibit ing slavery in the district of Columbia, has given great confidence to the friends of the measure, insomuch that they seem to consider it certain that it will pass. Your correspondent takes a different view of the subject. There is a numerous class of citizens who will oppose any measure which interferes with the provisions of the Constitution, which this does vitally. A telegraphic dispatch, under date Washington, Dec. 2, says the southern members of Congress of both parties met in caucus in the Senate Chambers at half-past 7 o'clock this evening. Senator Metcalf presided. Re presentative Venable acted as secretary. A series of resolutions touching the extension of slavery / pi the neve territory were offered. Mr. Morse of Louisiana, led off in a powerful and eloquent speech. The attendance wise very large, and much interest was manifested in the pe e , ceedings. Senator Benton was not present. Since the preceding paragraph was written, a more detailed account of the meeting has been received. Re solution:; in connexion with the whole proceedings were introduced by Mr. Bayly, of Virginia, embracing essen tially, in regard to the rights of the general government, the principles of the resolution of 1798. Mr. Stephens, of Georgia, opposed immediate action on the resolutions, and moved a reference of them to a committee of one from each State, to report upon the subject at an ad journed meeting to be held January 15, 1849. The meeting was orderly; very little excitement was mani fested, and even the Ultras were quite moderate in the expression of their sentiments. The remarks of General Rusk, senator, from Texas, like those of Mr. Calhoun, were listened to with the most profound attention. Mr. Stephen's resolution, was finally agr ee d t o with great unanimity. The following gentlemen were appointed the, committee on the part of the slaveholding States, Vi 2. : — Stephens, of Georgia ; Clayton, of Delaware; be _a in i Chapman, of M ary l an d ; B ay l y, of V i rg i n i a; Venable, of North Carolina; Calhoun, of South Carolina; King, of Alabama ; Foote, of Mississipi; Douns, of Louis ia na; of Mobile ; Borland of Arkansas ; f subject, I re- Morehead, of Kentucky; Gentry, of Tenessee 0 ; _Alc .o h r in a n : and Rusk, of Texas. you present ses- The preceding statement will afford inaitbsirpdisley: heretofore predicted, sion. Everything indicates, as view of the action of Congress during the . much heated the great and ex heated discussion, stormy but unproductive inelio n f u • citing questions there fanaticism p b e u a t t, ve w r i y il l p it a t s l s e it tia ts ro h h efivc e e ne n ar s s l itt to action. t he:Aang nextyt b t o w h i TWa i e t hs phelacennsrhnilgtseairCtevsesreaos, cheerio the : o r e e f bs . s a u ctto. re -action aspect of the Free Soil p t d - a s eheck. In a former le l t n t 111 1 position, or substanti.ally so. Met the letter opinion, us cause, with bright a pprehension ru i n a glom , prospects before might • ing too mucn ; and now them, by req hinted my , by treading in the footsteps of commenced. certainly nommen They demand an universal aboli• • o f slavery. The provisions a dimplied non n pledges of the Constitution they spurn, and demand a surrender of them, in the district of Columbia, forthwith. I cannot believe that this demand will ever be granted by an honest Congress. The people of the nort h w ill never , in my opinion, require 13 it. Your correspondent has been, and is yet, an active member of the Free Soil party, but will instantly abandon it on Congress passing any law interfering with the compromises of the Con stitution. Such a law would be dishonest, and would be nothing but licensed robbery. These opinions, I know, are entertained by many conscientious members of the Free Soil party, and assuredly will be acted upon by them whenever, in their opinion. it becomes necessary. ---T. Mmes. ROYAL MARINES IN IRELAND.—No official announce meta has yet been made of either the recal or movement of the Battalion from Ireland, but we can safely assert, from information upon which we can rely, that it may be expected in England soon after the question of the writ of error i has been decided. SMOKE CONSUMING APPARATU*B.--Mr. Haig, who, for more than a year past, has had the Ariel, old steam vessel, at Woolwich, appropriated to his service for try ing experiments with his marine smoke-consuming appa ratus, has suspended his operations. THE PORTSMOUTH SEAMEN AND MARINES' ORPHAN ScHooLs.—The Portsmouth authorities have received instructions from the Admiralty to transfer the slice of Admiralty ground granted as a site for the erection of the new schools, to the committee of the institution. A GENEVESE TRAVELLER. BRISTOL SUGAR MARKET, JAN. 12.—A good busi ness has been done in sugars thi s wee k , at very full prices, and the market closes with much firmness. Re fined goods find a free sale at advanced rate;.-,Brjaio Mercury. THE WOOLLEN TRADE OF `'WAKEFIELD.—We are glad to say there are symptoms of improvement in the wool and woollen trade of the district. In the wool warehouses of this town a better price is asked and ob tained for all descriptions of wool. We are assured that full a halfpenny per pound advance has been ob tained. This is in consequence of a greater number of buyers being in the market. The growers, however, appear to be mo re reso l ute in demanding an advance than the woolstaplers, The farmers who have held their wool by them during the depression of trade, and consequent lown ess i n price of wool, now stand out for t 2 h d in p k e o r n l eb. halfpennyadvane advance; but, as sufficient. W e un d erstand there is not a single as is seen above, th e staplers professing woolsorter ou t of work.--- Wakefield JournaL ."~ , y I .6 :-.• g - E . , i..:. cin, 4 , ~(5' ~,