The Sun. — London, England, 1849-03-08 00:00:00

[IS DA Y.) W.N.W., light :E PROVINCIAL Higgins, fro' le Lighthou!ef ?, cargo cis. —A rrd. Agent , roue, Boston. n, Thain, New H. Perkinf• mesh; Bolton Vilthew, Grif - S3•dney, New‘ ra Leone; Sr' Barker, Bo' :k. Put back , George Bony ss of foretor did not sad ney stk awe, - .—Sld. Crape sth, Tritoof John's, Nor John's, New n, White, St. Harvey, Tri- Lo Janeiro for lrid steamer, Arrd. Cresle , .rd. from the ❑d; Empress, !urge Brown , John's, New' Sydney, Nog t. George, for Elizabeth, for very strong mils through' ma, Feb. 7• laarantine re' •ts within 15 0 go quarantine s is known to of health, or id from porn e cholera el' ee from Vs' 'd's - Agents. oyd's. n. Feb. 28. Liverpool t° yd's Agent. oyd'a . DAY.) JAZZ.. j to-day, on:. s Sd to 3s 8" 4s 10d ; ase. trade to-del chiefly to th e 4s• Matta , 'ork, 3s 6d t° Sheep cow' value of oth er m 3s 4d to 45 ; and Pork, 36 185 to 24" Mulch Cops' irm, at Yel l , ►iuttoa, 8d to 4i 112 s; Clo Ye r _„_ to 11 gs FP' ti demand- to 31 1 33 ' raw, 113 5 fe 1, and trade to 31 10s; Li 2s to 11 9. a in prices Ali CORN e Returns of L:1, gland and vrA.- " Ns . 1 rsA O 6 4 )3 2[ i 31 1 1 vs. rEAs ; hi. i• 0 . NCB. zdy. [G, 1849• L.F. etail, Sgt lib' yrs old, &c• !st—SC MIDI 349. )Id, 8.6 c. O' 7 s t 121b' added te a 5 if decla Taft, 4 Yr s ) °f Council: alry, 3 .Y rj rs • Rs* YensleY ;tern, 4 .7 Sale, 3 I ll ' yrs; B' i; Idle Da , • The CO W Jo 3 yrs ; dw , p -s; SY 111) Ldy Hilda , s; Ellerdslef Abbot° I yrs ; rrs; The oo l Primrose , Fernhill, miles. 4 tosalincla,; iish, age d 'cure, 4 yr* :NG. 011 0 91116 ;iountess (ri; rover, 61 0 • King, 5 - ) , s rs—gillel. ded. 'P si" : Cio )I)— d e d i )asb, 4 i g •ly walk 11 fling. o g rria isp e ' r s r raeolm" party 1 Leinelig e : .noon. 011 0 ess gril3c N EsDAY . p nied op tbs° le P.es6 al Faniinctif' OP t or, pre 00 o borne! [nor WY' lay, st /b. vexing, 0 Dow ning' !d for 0, comprise: 1,14 , bility 90 5T RO I "; ranc h ap%. re cepti oO f an area 0, [ crease 0 ' saving to ek in the ew Grog , oxn tcw° , ale, was favour of MAGAZINES, &c.—(CON TIN UED.) NEW MONTHLY. The New Monthly for 'March is of more than usual excellence. It opens with a chapter of " Soapey Sponge's Sporting Tour," which brings us to the eve of the mozoervous fox-hunt. It is appro priately left for April Fools'-day to tell the result of the expected trial or skill, The second paper of this number of the New Monthly is the most interesting, a brief but most graphic sketch of " A Hurricane in Antigua," by Captain Mackinnon. The narrator was on a visit to a friend at Dry Hill-house, in the vicinity of St. John's, the capital of Antigua. The day, thenceforward " memorable in the annals of that unfortunate island," broke with unusual splendour, and the stranger could hardly credit the prediction at his host, rendered wise by thirty years' re sidence in the West Indies, that " a terrible day was before them. There was a hurri cane in the air." The whole household was im mediately in violent commotion, one negro woman almost turned pale with fear. A huge trap door was opened leading down to a spacious cellar, contrived as a place of refuge during hurricanes, into which all portable articles were at conce transported. The barometer continued steadily falling throughout the morning. After noon a light breeze sprang up—by three o'clock a furious gale was raging, which rapidly increased in violence. We quote Captain Mackinnon's vivid description of what followed : " Darkness now closed upon us. The violence of the tempest waxed stronger and stronger; the noise in creased to such an overwhelming roar, that the strongest efforts of the human voice in closest proximity, became totally uselt ss; they were as a whisper in the ears of death, unheard.' Loud cracks now gave notice that the house began to complain. The women and children were immediately roused from their sitting position, and by signs, desired to go below. This movement was speedily effected, and the ground Boor was left in pos session of the manager and myself. Our attention was now divided between the barometer, which fortunately hung near the open trap-door (our last retreat), and the perilous vibration of the building. The walls appeared to bend and give before the raging blast. " Suddenly, a violent shock was felt, sending a thrill to our hearts. This was afterwards ascertained to be caused by the demolition of the kitchen, stable, and out houses adjoining the dwelling, which, with all their contents, had limn away on the wings of the wind. Not a vestige was ever recovered or seen. Numerous smaller shocks succeeded, like reports of cannon. Huge stones hurtled through the air, battering and tearing away the verandahs that surrounded the house.* * "At this time, the barometer had fallen to 28.50. We felt, or fancied we felt, the lrmse giving way. Taking a farewell look at our faitloul monitor, we prepared to de scend into the cellar. To my intense astonishment, the mercury suddenly fell a quarter of an inch. In the excitement of the moment, I seiz Al hold of the manager, roaring the information in his ear; but, as before, the burnan voice was of no avail in such a turmoil. By dumb show, I succeeded. " On a sudden, we were aware of a marvellous change in the state of things. Great heaven!' I ejaculated, What can this mean?' "There was a dead cahn—a profound silence, disturbed Only by the low wailing sobs and incoherent prayers of the women and chiliren in the cellar. We were in the ►ortex of the hurricane! It is impossible to describe the horror of this period. A door was unbarred and opened, and, with a lighted candle, I stepped out. The flame took its upward course steadily. All around was black, and calm, and " But the stillness was of brief duration. In a short time, a distant rumbling noise was heard, when I quickly re-entered the house, drawing bolt and bar. A sligot tremor shook the ground: au earthquake was added to our ills. Again came the hurricane from the opposite gleaner, overwhelming our senses with its fierce impetu osity. The house, already shaken, now rocked to and fro, threatening instant destruction. We immediately descended into the cellar, fastening down the trap-door With a strong lashing. Durinc , several dreary hours, we r"-inattined in suspense, stunned by the hellish disturbance aver head, our ft clings bLing occasionally varied by the *horrible and sickening sensation of the earthquake. borne bottles were thrown down by the agitation of the ground, and the long rows of rum-casks heaved and fell. " At four, A.M., there was a sensible diminution of the ,geile. We proceeded carefully to unfasten the trap qtoor. On its falling back, the moon was plainly visible, throwing light on groups of dense, black clouds, driving furiously across the heavens. Nothing was above us but the sky! The upper part of the house was gone!" well-deserved eulogium of "King Arthur" is followed by the adventures of " Sir Wigolais of the Wheel," one of the Knights of the Round Table, Whose marvellous exploits are worthy of a stanza in the epic. The first chapter has a somewhat unro mantic heading—" How Sir Wigolais set out for Corotin, accompanied by a Sulky Damsel!" The More important contributions to the New Monthly are a continuation of " Men and Things in the New World of Australia ;" " A Walk in the Landes of Bordeaux," by Francis Ainsworth ; a well-written article on " Colonies and Colonists," by W. H. G. Kingston ; and' Beggars and Almsgivers," in which the so-called charity of giving alms to street-beggars ?s severely, almost too severely, reprobated. ['here 18 , nevertheless, a great deal of truth in the writer's strictures. AINSWORTH. The encounter between Crichton and his invete terate enemy, Vincenzo de Gonzaga, is described in the, present instalment of " Crichton," in Mr. Ains- Worth's happiest manner. We are for the time transported to the tournament field, and the admirable I llustration of Hablot K. Browne is not required to bring the combatants before our eyes. The " pro cession," by the same artist, is well designed, but is Tendered somewhat indistinct in the engraving. "A Trip to the Unknown Gold Mountain of California," Undertaken under the direction of "The Grand Auriferous, Stultiferous, Assiniferous, Califor nian Bamboozle Company," is an amusing eatire upon the present California mania, by W. H. G. Kingston. " Pyrotechnics versus Elec tric Telegraphs" gives a report of a public meeting (4 pyrotechnics, which it seems was held the other evening at the " Fireworks Manufactory," fur the Purpose of getting up a society for the suppression of electric telegraphs. The first speaker was " a young fellow, who gave in his name as Gun Cotton." His complexion was of a delicate tallowy white, and he had the appearance of being " used up," as Charles Mathews would say. Ladies also were present at the meeting, Miss Catherine Wheel being one of the speakers. During the confusion Gun Cotton got so heated, that be suddenly exploded and went off in a ;white smoke. Shortly afterwards the meeting was illuminated by a stream of light " from the opposi ,tion shop over the way, where a mad f e ll ow ca ll e d Electric Light was addressing the mob from the top 5 a pillar." " A Day's Adventures in Fatherland" 1 : the title of a romantic tale by Thomas Roscoe. The Countess of Rudolstadt," and the Homesteads • ° f Lower Britanny," are continued. " Camb r ia n ;tales" an d " J aco b van d er N ees " fi n i s h t h e cata 'itue of the contents of Ainsworth. TAIT. t , There is a very agreeable diversity of subject s i n 'no number for the blustering month of March. One article—an intelligent one, meriting perusal—is colo ial, relating to our " Canadian Possessions.' Another, geographical and entertaining, is an account of " Re • cent Australian Discoveries.' A third is biographical, being a criticism upon Mr. Foss's lately published Volumes on the " Judges of England." A fourth is monetary, being a retrospect of the " Railway and Joint-Stock Business of the Month." A fifth is fiuviese and discursive, being a continuation of the description of the Dee among the number of " Scottish Rivers." Besides these there are— a rapid narrative of the succession of occurrences in " Revolutioniz e d Italy ;" an artistic celebration of the " Royal Scottish Academy's Exhibition for 1849 ;" :rid some additional chapters of Mr. Percy St. John's enthralling tale of the great French Revolu tion, " Miranda. The last mentioned has long been, a nd still continues to be, the pri nc ip a l a tt rac ti on o f t he magazine. A few miscellaneous verses by several of the letters of the alphabet, together with the ' Us ual Literary and Political Registers, complete the c urrent number. DUBLIN UNIVERSITY. The pr esen t num b e r f u lly sustains the well-earned fa me which this periodical has won amongst its con :ernPoraries. The first paper, a notice of Mr. Dennis's Cities and Cemeteries of Etruria," is a very able and Just criticism on that gentleman's most interesting 110 rk, and will be read with pleasure by all of classic t l a ste and learning. " The Massacre of St. Bartho lomew" is a full and graphic account of that horrible tragedy, co ll a ted f rom th e " C orres p on d ence o f th e e r eech Ambassadors in England w ith th e i r own °fart," and several other authentic sources. 4 , Waren ; (11. the Oracular Afflatus of the Hindoos:" these %ketches contain a detail of very extraordinary facts, r i d will prove intensely interestin g t o th e i nqu i rers nt ? physical and psychological phenomena, and may ;:maps throw some new light upon the great modern ` l4 lstery, an i ma l magne ti sm . Th e bi ograp hi ca l s k etc h 0 il l Mr. Whi tes id e , the eminent Irish barrister, does 6 nite credit to the biographer. It is graceful With tad. out flattery, ample and truthful without b e i ng v, Pus ; and most fully can we concur with th e ter in the regret he expresses, when he exclaims, th: ( C l fuin, too often, in this unhappy country do we set 9arnest, hones: man, who has spent his life in unre 1, tlng toil, who has worked his own way, by his own "lons who has never stooped to unseemly acts, nor eo n , , promised the character of his profession by trading ttoPnlities—who has never deviated from the straight, sta ugil rugged path which leads to fame, although he i s ri'sforemost in the rack of his profession, though he f or admired. for his ability cud scquirements, and esteemed ,us private worth—how often do we see such a one parveted by those who are the dispensers of official ad i r „ ()n aget while the political charlatan, the dishonest b ad muter, the o )-citre practitioner, who hat recose to acts to which no man of honour 1114 stoop , —his inferior in every acquirement THE SUN, which can distinguish a lawyer, and every quality which can adorn a man—is lifttd over his head. Alas! it is true, too true. In Ireland, in the distribution of political patronage, tra rit is very ryrely the test. Genius, learning, wit, and tloquence are left neglected in the shade, while political tergiversation and profligacy, empty bluster and lacdous agitation, often carry off the prize." The etching is most accurate and life-like. A paper on " The Poor-laws, Potatoe Disease, and Free Trade," is well worthy of perusal. A series of tales, classicaly and gracefully written, entitled " The Seamen of the Cyclades," will also be read with pleasure. The next paper is " A few Plain Words to the People of England, respecting the State of Na tional Education in Ireland." This paper is ably written, and puts forward the views of certain par ties in Ireland conscientiously opposed to the present system of national education ; and though we are among the most strenuous advocates for the present system, yet, if any too rigid rule could be relaxed, so as to throw open to all sects and parties the benefits of education, and relieve the ten der consciences of all denominations of our fellow- Christians, it would give us sincere pleasure. The next paper is a notice of a very able work by Surgeon Wilde, " The Closing Years of Dean S wit is Life," a work manifesting the deep research, minute ob servation, and untiring industry of the learned author. Next follows a continuation of " Ceylon and the Cin galese," playful, witty, and instructive as usual, There is a notice of a new novel, "My Uncle the Curate," by the author of " The Bachelor of Albany" and "The Falcon Family." The number closes with a powerful and argumentative article, entitled " The "limes,' the Poor-law, and the Poor-law Committee." We regret our space will not allow us to follow the able writer through the whole subject, but we cannot avoid giving his answer to the question, " Why the British public should pay the heavy costs of our social revolution ?" as indicating the views of many Irish gentlemen.—" We are free to confess we know but one reason—the fact that they have caused it. The poor-law is their infliction upon Ireland. It was enacted and carried into effect against the will of the Irish people and their representatives, and for the ad vantage of the British public"—" and we only re quire :that Great Britain shall contribute to the poor-law,: regarded in its aspect of benevolence, according to her ability, and that as a penal infliction she shall bear hei portion also." LO4TJJON, the shore. This is the first of a series of illustrations of the British ballads with which Si larpe proposes to favour his readers. Under the head of " Curiosities of Science" are a variety of usefu.L and interesting paragraphs collected from various sources. " Lewis Arundel " is continued, as is also Mrs. Cowden Clarke's paper on Shakspere, &c. Szi;. THE BRITISH POLITICAL, COMMER CIAL, ECCLESIASTICAL. AND HISTO RICAL GAZETEER, TRAVELLING ROAD-BOOK, AND COUNTY ATLAS. By H G. Collins. Tile third part of this very entt•rprising work has just reached us. •It fulfils the prom ise of the former parts in every particular, and we can confidently commend it to the consideration of the public. Its statistical information appears to be derived from the most authentic sources. It invests every village and hamlet with a new interest, all useful information connected with each is fully supplied, and no historic record is forgotten. When perfect it will form a most interesting and attractive volume of English history, The maps could not well be exceeded in accuracy and beauty. We trust the labours of the proprietors will be properly appreciated. THE POTTLETON LEGACY. By Albert Smith. Parts Vi. and VII. The Pottleton Legacy still continues its career right merrily. These parts aye full of amusing read ing, and the illustrations are admirable. We com mend the following extracts from Part VII. to the care ful perusal of all " Sisters of Mercy," " Sisters of Charity," et hoc genus omne. The scene is in Mr. Twinch's parlour, and the actors are Mr. Twinch and his sisters—Septimus Twinch loquitur : ". District Visiting, indeed .% stuff ! What is it ? Nothing 1' ‘• It is everything, Septimus: " Pooh! It would be if it did them good, but it don't. It worries them. What do you do? Go and poke about amongst a lot of poor devils who haven't a halfpenny to bless themselves with, to see that: their house is " clean," and their brats well "brought tip." " But is there any harm in t hat, Septimus?' " Nut in the least, if you gave them anything to make up for the intrusion. It's as much their own private home as this is ours. But you don't.' " Don't "Ni, don't ! I don't call a bundle of dreary books, that you get wholesale at three for a penny, any pre sent—books that they never have the time to, and some times can't, read. Why don't you give them bread, or bacon, or beef, instead? Besid(3s, you hold out a pre mium for filth.' Septimus 1' " • You do. When you find a neat, clean family, you say to yourselves, they look comfortably off ; and never send them a coal or a blanket in consequence. But if you come upon a hovel of dirty drunken never-do-wells, with Jagless children, and everything that could be sold parted with for liquor, you. mag about their destitu tion, and work up sympathy. Bah! it's enough to make one sick.' " But, Mr. Page—' " Fiddle, Mr. Page He would be a good fellow if you'd let him; but you've spoilt him. You hunt him to death. There is no reality in what you do ; its a clutch of despair at a floating straw, and poor Page is the straw.' " • I don't understand what you mean,' exclaimed both sisters at once. " Yes, you do. Your feeling is not religion ; its perverted excitement. Out of every hundred district pokers, I'd be bound you would. find a clear ninety old maids.' " CLEMENT LORIMER._Parts IV. and V. By Angus B. Reach. The interest of the tale is wrought up to a fearfu. degree of intensity in these parts. Mr. Angus B. Reach is as great a favourite with the tragic as with the comic muse. Having already acquired name and fame as one of the first comic writers of the day, he now puts in a claim to equal rank among the poets of the wild, the terrible, and the sublime, and he has shown in " Clement Lorimer" that the rival of Dickens may be at the saute time the rival of Ann Radcliffe or M. G. Lewis. THE MIRROR. The Mirror for March commences with a we: written review of the recently published " History of 1848," by Mr. Walter K. Kelly. The writer in the Mirror is disposed to regard M. Ledru Rollin in much more favourable light than he has been gene rally regarded in this country, and protests against the severity with which he is treated by Mr. Kelly. Although we do not appreciate so highly as does the writer in the Mirror the character of Ledru Rollin, although we disapprove entire'.iy of many of his pro ceedings, yet we cannot but wish that some of his colleagues in the Provisional Govern ment and in the Executive Contlmittee had possessed his energy of character and determination of purpose. Had such been the case, there would have been no re action. The Liberals have, however, learned wisdom by experience. __ _ "If it was na weel biobbit, We'll bob it again." And the next time they will recollect the fate of Robert Blum, and act accordingly. This notice is followed by an interesting Indian tale from the pen of Mr. Percy B. St. John, metitled, the " White Rose." From the " Adventures of a French Repub lican," by the same author, we (extract the following account of the first overt act of the French Revolu tion of 1830. For the accuracy of the description we can vouch from our personal knowledge. The scene took place at the office of the Temps newspa per, in the Rue Richelieu, on the morning of the 26th July. The paper had been published in contraven tion of the ordinances, and the Commissary of Police, accompanied by a detachment of horse gendarmerie, knocked at the gates of the couxt-yard in which the establishment was situated : " The double doors flew open, and showed the pro prietor of the paper, M. Baude, bareheaded, and sur rounded by his editors, readers, printers, &c. " The commissary of police advanced, and announced that his mission was to sieze the p rinting-presses of the paper, which had illegally appeared that morning, lie spoke with hesitation, and with ,pallid cheek, the mein of all was so solemn, and the very gendarmes looked sulky. "lit is in virtue of the edict,* said M. Baude, ' that you come to touch my presses. ht the name of the law, I bid y ou respect my property.' " Monsieur,' replied the commissary, I must obey my orders. In the name of the _King, I bid you open your doors.' _ _ _ " Monsieur the commissary,' continued M. Bsude, my doors are locked and padlocked; the key is in my possession. Break open the doors at your peril.' " I must pick your locks,' said the commissary, firmly—though pale as death—' go fetch a locksmith.' " A man went. The crowd increased, and began to growl. The gendarmes sat sullen on their horses. " A locksmith came with his tools. " Pick that lock,' said the commissary, who wore the marks of his office. " The locksmith advanced to obey. He was an honest workman, about to do a job for his daily bread. " Stop,' said M. Baude—drawing a book from his pocket, and reading aloud the clause in the code civil which punishes severely robbery with violence in a dwelling-house—(vol avec egraction). " Open these locks at your peril,' said M. Baude—a tall venerable man, of rude aspect—' this man'—point ing to the commissary of police—' comes to steal my presses : beware being his accomplice.' " I will guarantee you,' said the commissary, se verely--' do as I tell you : pick the lock.' " The blacksmith—who had taken off his cap while the article of the code civil was being read—hesitated. " ' Obey,' continued the commissary, the law will bear you harmless ; and here are ten francs for your labour.' " Obey,' said M. Baude, coolly, it is only bard la bour for life. Gentlemen,' turning to the crowd, you will be my witnesses before the Court of Assizes.' - —. " A pocket-book was handed round: every man pre- sent wrote his name and address. " Despise this mummery,' said the commissary of police, angrily. " The locksmith shook his head, threw his basket of tools over his shoulder, and turned away. " The law seems against you, M. the commissary,' he said, with the slyness of a true Parisian. " The crowd applauded, and bore him away in triumph. " Fetch me another serrurier,' said the magistrate, moodily; for he saw that his obedience to his orders was kindling the flame of insurrection. " Another came. He declined equally. " The commissary turned to a gendarme. " Ride to the prefecture, and bring me Michel, the locksmith of the prison. " The mob hooted, for this man was the one who fas tened the chains on the convicts. " A sudden motion took place in the ranks of the gendarmerie. " What is it?' said the commissary. " A barricade is rising at the bottom of tile street.' 4 " Gallop off and disperse the mob,' said the commis-. sary. " The gendarmes galloped away." The other papers of the Mirror are of a very inter esting character. " The Murdered Post-boy," by W. H. Maxwell, is especially worthy of perusal. JIISCELLANEO US. "The Storm and the Conflict" is continued with spirit in the new number of the Metropolitan. The editor has contributed a paper on " Cigars and Tobacco," in which he bestows unmeasured commendations on the fragrant weed. According to him, modern history begins with Sir Walter Raleigh. The greatest achievements of science and philosophy followed on the introduction of tobacco ! Right eloquently does he defend his favourite practice from all fault finders. Smoking, he says, is called " low" only by " women without susceptibility and men without sense." Ile en umerates a multitude of illustrious smokers, from Sir Isaac Newton to Lord Byron, and finally sums up his eulogiutn by citing the genuine smoker as in all respects a "model man." In addition to these articles, the Metropolitan contains a variety of prose and poetic contributions.— The Sporting Review contains a beautiful engraving of St. Lawrence, he winner of the Chester Cup, THE BANKERS'. Several important and most interesting subjects are discussed in the present number of our talented con temporary. The first paper relates to the " Expected Supply of Gold from California." The results of a vast increase of the precious metals on our currency is discussed with considerable ability. Our contempo rary sums up the advantages that may be expected from the influx of gold in the following manner :- 4 ' We expect that a great impetus will be given to the trade of the country. The demand for our manufactures in exchange for gold will be certainly increased. Not only California, but the United States also, will find the products of Manchester and Leeds more useful than the diggings. The question may be very fairly put, If a miner at St. Francisco will give au ounce of gold for a seidlitz powder, what would he give for a yard of broad cloth, or a roll of linen ?' It will soon be discovered that gold itself is not wealth ; that it is only a means for enjoy. meat, and that the productions of the mine, the loom, and of the colonies of the United Kingdom, are very use ful equivalents for the gold of California." There is also an admirable " Review of the recent Parliamentary Inquiry into the Commercial Distress of 1847," in which the report of the Lords' Committee is ably defended. In " Letters to a Branch Mana ger," Thomas Bullion concludes his observations on " Discounts," and touches on " Rivalry in I3anking." There is a variety of valuable information on com mercial subjects, and a few interesting papers on banking and commercial law. There is but one part we could have desired omitted. In the " Railway Digest" certain observations are given respecting the half-yearly accounts of the principal railway companies of a de preciating tendency. Our contemporary expresses an opinion that " too unfavourable a view is taken of railway property and prospects ;" then why give additional currency by admitting the too unfavour able views into its pages ? In every other respect we approve highly of the number for the present month. DOLMAN. Latterly the chief interest in Dolman's Magazine, even to the Catholic reader, must be said to have ex isted in its , foreign intelligence. In the number for March, however, there are two or three enter taining contributions, such as the serial called " The Catholic at Sea," and a story entitled " Casting the Grapnel," besides an ingenious paper upon that inex haustible theme even to the witty scribes and draughts men of Punch—the gold region of California. THE BELLE ASSE3IBLEE. The Belle Assembles this — month — a beautifully engraved portrait of Jenny Dennison, the skilful abigail of "Old Mortality." Jenny is represented holding up in one hand a silver piece, and with the other pretending to open the door in order to depart, the successful feint by which she finally overcame the scruples of the gaol-keeper, and enabled her mistress to enter the prison. The literary con tents are, as usual, of very varied character. A "Tale of the Passions and Sentiments—the Wife and Mother," gives a mournful but very effective instance of the sad consequences of a want of self-government. THE PEOPLE'S JOURNAL. _ -- - - The People's People's Journal endeavours, and generally with success, to instruct while it entertains, and to improve while it interests its readers. One of the most interesting and useful articles it has recently given is a history of Mr. Banvard and his Panorama, As another instance of the power of perseverance, we quote a passage which tells of the difficulties over come by the painter. The whole article is worth perusal : " We next find him the proprietor of the St. Louis Museum, which he purchased; but this speculation also proved a failure. He remained in St. Louis just long enough to lose all his hard-earned gains. After visiting Cincinnati, where he was very unsuccessful, he procured a small boat, with which he started down the Ohio, without a shilling in his pocket, living frequently upon nuts which he gathered in the woods. He com menced trading in a small way; first selling a pistol which had cost him twelve dollars at St. Louis for twenty-five, with which sum he speculated till he found himself master of several thousand dollars. With the capital thus accumulated, he commenced his daring ex pedition down the Mississippi. For the purpose of tak ing the sketches for his giant picture, he travelled thou sands of miles in an open skiff; and though not more than twenty-two years of age, encountered extreme peril and danger in the pursuit of his darling scheme, that of producing the largest painting in the world.' His hands became hardened by constant plying at the oar, and his skin became as tawny as an Indian's, from constant exposure to the weather. His bed was fre quently nothing more than the soft bottom of some sandy cove, or the leaves of the cotton trees which grow in wild luxuriance upon the banks of the river. With his gun to provide him with game for food, and his sketch-book and pencils, he passed several ears of his life. But he is reaping e harvest of all this toil and danger, in the approbation of thousands of all classes, both among his own countrymen and ours. " In this undertaking the character of the man may be discovered. To a love of the romantic and the beauti ful he unites the most daring perseverance, and the greatest patience and activity. When his drawings were completed, he erected a wooden building at Louisville, Kentucky, to transfer them to canvas. His object in painting and exhibiting his picture in the West was, that those who were familiar with the scenes depicted might see and judge of its correctness. When his pa norama was nearly completed his funds were exhausted, and he applied to the merchant who had supplied him with canvas, and with whom he had spent hundreds of dollars, for credit, offering to deposit his unfinished painting; but—to the merchant's shame be it said—he refused to accede to his request. No way dismayed, he looked about him, and obtained a commission to deco rate an Odd-fellow's lodge, and, with the money so pro cured, finished his great undertaking. " Even when completed he was not enabled to exhibit it without a further sacrifice. The gas company refused to supply him with light unless he deposited double the amount of the fixtures in their bank. To raise the ne cessary funds for this purpose, he gave to the city autho rities a valuable piece of philosophical apparatus, in re turn for the price of fifty admission tickets. Instead of being proud of the painting, the city authorities taxed his exhibition, and it was not without the greatest perse verance he could persuade the public to visit it. For the first day he opened, not a single person visited him. At night he went out among the boatmen, and distributed tickets among them, telling them it was a picture of their own river, and inviting them to come and see it. The boatmen were delighted with the exhibition, and spread such a report of its beauty and faithfulness, that crowds soon came to examine it. " After exhibiting his panorama for some time, he carried it to Boston and New York, and admiring thou sands came to inspect it. And now he has come to Loudon, and is nightly exhibiting his stupendous work to crowds." BENTLEY'S STANDARD LIBRARY.— The History of Scotland. By Robert Chambers. We have already frequently spoken in terms of commendation of Bentley's Standard Library, and every succeeding number of that publication attests the justice of that commendation. Awhile ago we were presented with a picture of " California," which was followed last month by Fairholt's " Eccentric and Remarkable Characters ;" and, as if to show the diversified nature of this library, this month it gives us Chambers's excellent " History of Scotland." The history of Scotland is, perhaps, the most interesting of all modern histories ; in its pages romance is reality, and reality is romantic. SIIARPL"S LONDON MAGAZINE. Sharpe's contains as usual two illustrations —one, a view in Britany, is remarkable for the clearness of the engraving, which gives it a very beautiful effect, the other represents "Lord Ullin's Daughter," as she is being annihilated by the "stormy water." Part of the picture shows the father "left lamenting" on THURSDAY EVENING-, MARCH 8, 1849 1847, and a spirited representation--" all but bagged !"--of the last effort at escape of a wounded duck with an eager spaniel close upon it. Among the literary contents of the Sporting are " Hunting and the Million," by Harry Hieover, " Sketches from the Cape of Gool Hope," " Bath and Bristol Steeplechases," " The Turf," &c., &c.—The Farmers' Magazine has " portraits" of a magnificent " Hereford Ox" and a " Cart Stallion."—The Farmers' Magazine, as usual, contains an abun dance of matter of agricultural interest.--The Colonial Magazine, having recently passed into new hands, its managers propose to add to its attractions by giving it a literary as well as a colonial character. The present number opens with an article on " Responsible Government for Colonies," mainly quoted from a pamphlet by the late lamented Charles Buller.—The Follet, in addition to its three beauti fully coloured plates of "fashions," contains a sheet of patterns of fancy work and dresses, fresh from Paris, which will doubtless prove highly acceptable in the workroom and the boudoir.—The London Journal and Repertory of New Patent Inventions presents us, as usual, with some beautiful representations of newly invented machines, instruments, &c. ; among these are improvements in constructing breakwaters, gas meters, boats, thrashing machines, &c.—The Patent Journal and Inventor's Magazine possesses manifold attractions to the lovers of science and mechanism. ➢Manufactures of all kinds, from Damascus blades to boots and shoes, are here described, in a very interest ing manner.—The Church of England Magazine furnishes its wonted variety of admonitory and inte resting reading for the several Sundays of the month. BISHOP PHILLPOTTS. Bishop Phillpotts does not appear to have succeeded any better in his attempt to perform the part of a judge, than he does in the imitations which he occasionally gives of the character of a Bishop. Having nothing particularly on his hands the other day, he must needs go to Devenport, to hold a voluntary " Court of Enquiry," into a matter of great Christian scandal, and so indiffer ently did he play the part of an honest judge, that in several passages he was horribly hissed, and in others, which he thought the most effective and impressive hits, he was met with the most derisive shouts of laughter. The unhappy talent which the prelate has of burlesquing so• lemnities, appears to have overshadowed him on this oc casion. All the accounts of this proceeding concur i❑ showing that it was a very bad performance. But the evidence of failure is not left to the concurrent testimony of the journals merely—the most considerable of the spectators have published a solemn protest against the day's performance (which appeared in our paper last week). We had not time to refer to it then from the lateness of the hour at which it was received; but the certificate of the Bishop's failure in the part of the "judge' must not be entirely passed over in silence. Now this is a very grave matter ; and though we have been tempted from the notoriety of the performer to look at the technical character of the performance, yet, there is a very different aspect from which it might be re garded. This gentlema❑ (Bishop Phillpotts) receives a great deal of money every week of his life for teaching the Christian religion; but so little does he appear to know about the spirit of Christianity, that he is charged here with conduct which strikes at the root of all respect for religion itself ; for if the well-paid teachers of reli gion cannot add to their lip instructions the necessary virtues of a candid and truthful practice, why then it is evident, that the sooner their offices are abolished, or they are removed Irons their offices, the better for the security of the Church which they are so well paid to defend. A clerical writer in an episcopal paper ob serves, "the gentlemen who have signed the above de claration in a very coarse and virulent spirit." We almost fancied that he had dipped a very jagged pen into Bishop Phillpotts' own ink stand. lie calls them the re cusant schismatics of Plymouth—with the Rev. John flitchard at their head—who have been guilty of at taching their names in cold blood to an insulting docu ment"—" this vulgar attack upon their diocesan." The publication of a document like this is not to be railed off by harsh words and outrageous epithets. Bishop Phill potts may complain of the insult, but the question for the public will be—is thi; attack deserved? If it be deserved, his bishopric, instead of sheltering him from punishment, ought to ensure a double measure of reprobation, if not a summary dismissal from the post which he so badly occupies. We will not, however, frighten him too much at once, but we would respectfully advise the Bishop to ho .on his gliard. He is now so fully known that old practices cannot be continued with impunity.— Western Times. BRITISH COLONIAL BANK AND LOAN COMPANY.— The annual meeting of the shareholders took place yes terday, at their offices, in Moorgate-street, when Mr. James Stewart occupied the chair, and the report of the directors was submitted to the meeting. It stated that since the last annual meeting debentures to the amount of 1,500/. had been paid off, leaving only 3,6','0/. still to be paid by the company. In consequence of the general depression felt in the Australian colonies, the receipts of rent and interest had rather fallen off; yet the balance sheet would have warranted a dividend to the same amount as last year, but that it was necessary to reserve 1,312/. to meet the possibly unfavourable issue of Chancery suit. The directors, therefore, recommender' only a dividend of two per cent. this year. The state • merit of accounts gave the mortgage loans, now exist ing at 38,654/., and such as were foreclosed at 197,144/ ; and the amount of cash and bills in the hands of the company at 6,5671. The profit and loss account for the year showed a balance, after paying the expenses of the establishments at home and abroad, of 3,394/.; but that sum included 1,099/. of forfeited shares, and also the reserve of 1,3121. to meet the Chancery suit, which could not be made available for the dividend. The chairman in laying the accounts before the meeting, begged the proprietors to consider the general commercial difficul ties of the year, which had affected that company in common with every other; that, although there had been a slight falling in the mortgage interest and in rents, there had also been a considerable reduction of their liabilities; that there was now a prospect of property in Australia rising in value, in consequence of increased emigration, and the enhanced value of Australian wool in the British market. Several proprietors, in a conver sation that ensued, urged the reduction of the expenses in Sydney, and the speedy w i nd i ng up o f t h e company ' s affairs. The directors said they were as desirous as any to reduce the expenses to the lowest amount compatible with the interests of the company, and they had already given orders to the managers and directors at Sydney to sell the property as soon as the sums advanced on it I could be realised; but that the last advices from Sydney, of the 2d September, said the value of property was re duced, by the general wish on all band to realise, to a merely nominal amount. Resolutions were adopted, r eceiving the directors' rep or t, aut h or i s i ng a d i vidend of per cent., and voting the thanks of the shareholders to the chairman and directors. The meeting then ad journed. The Right lion. Sir R. Peel gave a Parliamentary entertainment last evening at the Right lion. Baronet's residence in Whitehall gardens, when the following po litical friends of the Right lion. Baronet honoured him with their company to dinner:—The Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons, the Right lion. llenry Goulburn, the Right lion. Sir George Clerk, Earl Jermyn, Lord Alfred Hervey, the Hon. Mr. Stuart Wortley, Sir John Pakington, Bart., Sir Philip Grey Egerton, the Right Hon. Sir F. Lewis, Sir John Young, Sir James Weir Hogg, Sir Frederick Thesiger, Mr. J. Wilson Patten, Mr. W. Beckett, Mr. B. Denison, Mr. Adderley, the Dean of Westminster, Mr. Shaw Lefevra, &c. &c. The Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury gave a magnificent entertaintment last evening to his Royal Highness the Prince of Orange, at the family mansion in Arlington -street. The Royal Prince was attended by Admiral Arriens and Captain Gendriche, and arrived shortly before eight o'clock, and was welcomed by the Nohle Marquis. The guests present to meet his Royal Highness were the Duke of Wellington, his Excellency the Dutch Minister and Mdlle. Schimmelpenninck, the Marquis of Granby, the E ar l an d C oun t es s of Eglinton, Viscount and Viscountess Mahon, Viscount Cantilupe, Viscount Chelsea, Viscount Cranbourne, Viscount In gesre, Lord Brougham, Lord and Lady Stanley, Lord and Lady Charles Wellesley, Sir Henry Lytton and Lady Bulwer, Mr. Johnson, &c. The company separated shortly after eleven o'clock. HER MAJESTY'S TIIEATRE. — The opening night is definitively fixed for this day week, the 15th March. The opera will be the Cenerentola, in which the princi pal characters will be sustained by Mdlle. Alboni, Bel letti, Lablache, and Gardoni. Carlotta Grisi, Mario Taglioni, and Rosati, with Paul Taglioni and Louis d'Or, will perform the ballet of the Diable a Quatre. OPERA COMIQUE, ST. JAMES'S THEATRE.--TheiT Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, and her Royal Highness the Princess Mary of Cam bridge, attended by Baron Knesebeck, honoured the per formance at this theatre with their presence last evening. There were also present—the Marquis of Anglesea, his Excellency the Austrian Ambassador, the Russian Am bassador, the Baroness Brunnow and Mdlle. Olga de Lechner, the Belgian Minister and Madame Van do Weyer, th e E ar l an d C ountess Craven, Lord and L a dy Newport, Earl and Countess of Malmesbur y, Countess Tankerville, the Baron and Baroness de Nieumann, Lord Mandeville, Lady Isabella Blackford, Lord and Lady Trimleston, Lord Clifden, Lord Ossulston, Baron and Baroness Dimsdale, Sir William and Lady Herries, the Right Hon. W. Lascelles, Lady Quentin, Lady and Miss Macdonald, Hon. Mr. Spalding, Sir Philip Brooke, Miss Mitchell, Colonel George Knox, Major Udney, Mr. and Miss de Horsey, Mr. Ball Hughes, M. and Madame Urielle, Miss Udney. LEGAL STATISTICS.—It is stated in the preface to the second edition of Mr. Purton Cooper's pamphlet on the "Delay in the Offices of the. Masters i n Ch ancery, " that in 1814 th ere were 821 barristers and 1,836 London attorneys, and that in 1848 there were 3,176 barristers and 2,872 London attorneys. The barristers, therefor have during 34 years increased almost fourfold, whilst the London attorneys are far from having doubled. Allowing for such barristers as may be abroad, it is probable that the number of barristers in London ex ceeds the num b er o f a tt orne y s in London; and that, therefore, a London barrister who has but one London attorney for his client has, nevertheless, more than his share. TRAFFIC ON THE LONDON AND NORTII,WESTERN liamwAy.—Amongst other indications of a revival of trade may be mentioned the fact, that the traffic of the London and North Western, fur seven weeks since the closing of the last half-yearly account, shows an in crease of nearly 17,0001. over the corresponding period of the previous twelve months, or an increase at the late of 2,4004 per week. THE WAR. IN THE PUNJAUB. THE OFFICIAL DISPATCHES. A series of dispatches, thirty-three in number, ap pear in a supplement to the Gazette of Tuesday, detail ing the military operations which have taken place in the Punjaub since the 9th of September last. The sub stance of nearly all of these, and in some instances the documents themselves, have already been published in The Sun, but as they now appear tor the first time under official authority, an abstract of them may not prove uninteresting:— The first dispatches relate to siege operations before Moultan, the mode in which the enemy was con ducting their defences, and the casualty returns of the field force engaged. The first dispatch is ad dressed by General Whish to the Adjutant-General, and is dated the 9th September, 1848. After some de tails it states:—" The enemy were troublesome at day break yesterday and midnight, and particularly at four A.M. this morning, on which latter occasion their attack on the trench was more decided." The second dispatch, dated the 10th of September, 1848, from General Whish to the Adjutant-General, gives an account of an abortive attempt, attended with considerable loss, to dislodge the enemy from a position apparently similar to one near it, which they had been easily driven from a day or two previously. It concludes with the particulars of a move ment to turn the position referred to, in which operation Brigadier Markham was wounded. The third dispatch, between the same parties, dated Moultan, September 12, conveys intelligence of the capture of the position with comparatively little loss, that event having been delayed considerably by the prevalence of stormy weather. In his fourth dispatch, dated the 13th of September, Ge neral Whish continues the narrative of the mode in which the attack on the enemy's position was so suc cessful. " The position," he states, " was a strong one, and stoutly defended, the conflict terminating only in a as ries of hand to hand encounters." The dispatches 5, 6, and 7, from General Whisk to the Adjutant-General, are dated on the 7th, 9th, and 12th of November, 1848, and give the particulars of a successful attack, attended with comparatively little loss, on the strong position oc cupied by the enemy on the eastern side of the Grand Canal. The enemy was in strong force on the west side of the Canal also, but had no guns there. The dis patch attributes the result in a great measure to a rapid advance of cavalry and horse artillery, under Major Wheeler and Captain Anderson, and the steady advance and brilliant bayonet charge of the infantry force on the enemy's batteries. Five pieces of cannon were captured in the engage ment. Next follow in the series letters from Briga dier F. Markham and Brevet-Major Wheeler, the first to General Whish, the second to Captain A. S. Balfour, Major of Brigade, giving further details of the action to which the two preceding dispatches refer. Following these documents come two dispatches from Major H. B. Edwardes, C. 8., and Lieutenant E. J. Lake to General Whish, describing the conduct of the allies under their command on the 7th of November. Some doubt had been thrown over their fidelity by the desertion on the previous night of half of one of General Courtlandt's re gular regiments; but on the morning of the 7th they vi gorously repulsed a fierce attack of the enemy, and during the day they took an important part in the successful operations on the eastern bank of the Grand Canal. Next in the series is a dispatch from Gen. Whish to the Adjutant-General, dated the 27th of December, and etating that, having been joined by;the Bombay column, he had resumed operations against the enemy. It describes the plan of attack which had been adopted against Moultan, and then announces the complete success which had attended it. In his dispatch of the following day, General Whish enters more into details of the operations, and designates as the strong posi tions taken, " Sudee-lollke- bed," " Mundee-Awa," the suburbs east of it and to the north-east angle of the citadel, the " Amid:lap," "Sewall Mull's Tomb," the brick-kilns with strong entrenchments, the " Shums tobreers" or Blue Mosque, and the village or fort of Wuzerabad. " All of these," adds the re port, " the enemy had evidently determined to de fend manfully, but were deterred when the time came by previously witnessing the discomfiture of their friends from the triple and earlier attack on the left." The dispatch is followed up by reports from Brigadier the lion. H. Dundas, in command of the Bombay column, to General Whish, and from Brigadier D. Capon, com manding the Ist brigade of the Bombay column, to the Assistant-Adjutant-General, Major Green. These supply many particulars of the military operations by which the capture of Moultan was effected. On the 30th of December General Whisb continues his narrative of the siege, and describes the blowing up of the Grand Musjid in the citadel, appropriated as the principal maga zine. On the 31st of December he reports that the fire from the citadel had been almost entirely subdued. On the 2d of January General Whish writes to the Adjutant- General that in a week the troops under his command had effected the reduction of the fortified city of Moultan, and made the interior of the citadel a wreck. A dispatch dated the 3d of January, written by the Hon. H. Dundas, announces the same facts to the Adjutant• General of the Bombay army. Then follows the dispatch of General Whish, dated the 22d of January, announcing the fall of the citadel and the unconditional surrender of Moolraj. This document has already appeared at length in The Sun. This closes the series of papers touching on the Beige operations before Moultan. Next comes a letter from the Adjutant-General of the Army to the Secretary of the Government of India, announcing, under date October 4, 1848, that Major S. Fisher had dispersed a band of marauders sear Noorpoor, under a leader named Ham Singh. The report of Major Fisher on the subject is subjoined. A dis patch from the Adjutant-General of the Army comes next, addressed to the Secretary to the Government of India, dated Kalka, October 22, 1848. It states that Brigadier H. M. Wheeler, commanding in the Jullundur Doab, had effected the reduction of the fort of Itungur Nuggal, a strongly fortified place, without any loss of life. Brigadier Wheeler's letter, dated the 15th of Oc tober, to the Adjutant-General follows, with details of the siege. Then follows the official announcement of the capture of Kullalwalla by the same officer, and his letter, _dated Kullalwalla, Nov. 23, to the Adjutant- General, explaining the manner in which it had been ac complished. To these documents succeeds the dispatch of Lord Gough, giving the details of the action which took place at Ramnuggur. The report of Brigadier. Gene ral C.Campbell, dated 24th November, is subjoined, with a long return of the killed, wounded, and missing in that disastrous affair. Then follows the general orders to the army of the Punjaub, the letter of Lord Gough to the Governor-General, dated Hine!), the sth of December. The list of papers closes with a long dispatch from Maj or-General Sir Joseph Thackwell to the Adjutant-General, explaining very fully the reasons which induced him to select the ford over the Chenaub at Wuzeerabad to that at Runnee Khan-ke- Puttun, or that at Alice Shere-ke-Chuck. The Brigadier also gives a full account of his engagement with Shere Sitigh's forces on crossing the Chenaub, and ascribes to the small force of cavalry under his command, and to the advanced time of the day, his not being able to capture the enemy's guns. THE EAST INDIA HOUSE AND SIR C. J. NAPIER. Yesterday morning a special meeting of the Directors of the East India Company was held at their house in Leadenhall-street, to take into consideration the appoint ment by the Government of Sir Charles Napier as com mander-general of the forces in India, contrary to, and in defiance of, the expressed wishes of many of the Di rectors, who, it has always been admitted, hare had the power to veto any recommendation made by the Crown. Lieut.-General Sir James Law Lushington, chairman of the board of directors, presided, and there were present R. D. Mangles, Esq., M.P., J. Masterman, Esq., M.P., the Hon. W. H. Leslie Melville, W. H. C. Plowden, Esq., m.P., M. T. Smith, Esq., M.P., H. G. Tucker, Esq., M.P. Major. General Caulfi e ld, M a j or -G eneral Sir Ar chibald Galloway, and other directors. The meeting was held with closed doors, and the ut most secresy was observed, so that it was impossible to give anything like a detailed report of what took place. We (the Guardian) may, however, state that on the as sembling of the board, Mr. J. C. Melvill read an official notice from Sir John Cam Hobhouse, President of the Board of Control, conveying to the Directors intimation of her Majesty's appointment of Sir Charles Napier. This occasioned considerable discussion, and the appoint ment was opposed by Major-General Caulfield, and de fended by Sir J. Law Lushington, each of the Hon. Directors becoming, as it were, the leader of a party. The appointment of Sir Charles was eventually con firmed, and it was stated to the board that at an inter view which be had with the Duke of Wellington on Monday, the terms ou which he would accept the ap pointment were settled; one of the principal being that he would not be controlled by any political agent in directing the movements of his armies. Recruiting parties have been ordered out by the mili tary authorities to enlist men to replace the casualties iu the regiments serving in the Punjaub; it is also un derstood that volunteers will be received from regiments serving at home, and proceed immediately for service in India, as these men, already trained as soldiers, will of course be more effi c i en t th an recruits can be ur some months after joining the service. WEST INDIA MAIL. The West India papers which the Severn did not bring have arrived. The 22d of January is the latest date from Jamaica. REVIEW OF MARKETS. (From he Cordova's Mercantile Intelligencer.) The business of the past fortnight has been extremely dull. Complaints of the inactivity of the markets have been general in all branches of business. In breadstuffs j there has b ee n unusual inactivity, and resort has been had to auction for the purpose of forcing off late receipts of flour, meal, &c. Salted provisions are in somewhat better request. Irish butter and candles are much wanted. There has been an improved feeling in the sngar market, consequent on some purchases for expor tation, coupled with the very light receipts in town, I ON LONDON.—Colonial Bank: 91011. days, 30 days, 1 1. per cent. pm.; 60 days, 1-4 per cent. 'pm.; 2 : 1- per cent. pm.; between packets, 4 3 per . cent. extra on each rate. Jamaica Bank: 90 days, per; cent. pm.; 60 days, 1 3 4 per cent, ditt o . I per cent. dittO. Merchants' Bill's: 90 days, FREIGHTS.—Tonnage is abundant, b u t h om eward freights are v ery dull Sugar would be taken at 31. per ton, rum at 4d. per gallon, and pimento at id. per lb. OUTIIAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.-' The Madrid, Pe ninsular Company's steam-ship, Captain Bowen, with the Peninsular mails, left this day. She took out about twelve passengers, and a large general cargo. The Erin, Captain Russell, from the Black Sea, is expected hourly. The Montrose, Captain Clive, from the Italian route, is expected in the course of a day or two. Sir George Anderson, Governor of the Mauritius, had an interview with Earl Grey yesterday, at the Co lonial-office. COMMUNICATION BET WEEN THE ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC OCEANS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlTt,—ln your paper of the 16th ult. you did me the honour to make some remarks, in its leading article, on a few thoughts I had put together in the shape of a letter to my friend the author of " The Clockmaker " (merely for the perusal of friends, and such influential persons as could find time to read and reflect on such a subject) on an Atlantic and Pacific Railway communication. Those thoughts were hastily and enthusiastically written, but time and cool reflection have only tended to strengthen the conviction of their correctness, and to im press my mind the more deeply with their importance.- Again, therefore, I venture to call your attention to the subject, although as yet no other London journal has echoed your kind voice; but whether we are right or whether we are wrong, there are many points that must be, and that before long, brought to the serious consider ation of the British public. In the Times of the 13th ult. we have a long and in teresting article on the various projects (suggested during the last half century) for opening a communica tion between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. There are four paragraphs of that article to which I would re quest particular attention, commencing severally— " To adventurous minds; " This state of affairs ; " A few days back; " Important however. In the first paragraph we read—" Each projector has made a point of declaring all to be impracticable except his own." Now, Sir, lam anxious to draw the attention of the editor of the Times to the few thoughts I have written on this subject, and which are now published, and if he can spare me the time, I would request his at tention to a small pamphlet I have had the pleasure to forward to him. In that pamphlet Ido not think he will find an insinuation even of the impracticability of any pro ject ever brought forward for a communication between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. I would also wish to call his attention to a pamphlet published by Lieutenant Millington Henry Synge, of the Royal Engineers, called " Canada in 1848," and although that officer does not actually propose a communication, he strongly points out both its possibility and its probability, and I do not ob serve that he in any way alludes to the practicability or otherwise of any former projected scheme. In the fourth paragraph of the article of the Times, to which I have alluded, we read—" A railroad from the Mississippi, already talked of, would at once furnish an outlet for all the produce of the States to the eastern seas, but England has no such resource." Surely, Sir, these few last words have escaped from the press of the Times without permission; for such a decision against England cannot be considered otherwise than, to say the least of it, rather premature. For my own part, I be lieve that Great Britain, as an empire, is now in the quiet possession of territory—most valuable and magnificent territory—through which could be constructed (at an im mense gain to herself) as good, as short, and as practi cable a line of communication as it is possible to make between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. And further, I believe with Lieut. Synge, " That there is a field open to an almost illimitable capital of labour. " That the systematic development of the resources of British North America will, so far from being a drain on Great Britain, be of immediate advantage to her. " That such development entails the natural enduring and perfect union between Great Britain and that part of her empire." In the fourth paragraph also of the article in the Times, to which I have alluded, we read—" It is impossible to look at the map and not to perceive that it is of far more importance to England." [ am most happy to agree in this with the Times, and if the editor will do me the favour to look at the small map attached to the pamphlet on the subject of the " Atlantic and Pacific Railway," he will perhaps, as it is somewhat different from the maps commonly in use, be more strongly impressed with the importance of this subject as regards England, or rather we should say the British empire. In the Times of the 2d instant, the City article rffers to that of the 13th ult., then relates some historic facts connected with the Nicaragua route, informing us that the report (as far as it went) of the special agent, sent by General Jackson, was ad verse to the Panama route , again alluding to the railroad from the Mississippi to the St. Francisco, and then concludes with an extract from Mr. Stephens' most interesting work, in which that author eloquently and cleverly tries to excite the jealousy and pride of other nations. "If," the extract says, "Europe is indifferent, it would be glory surpassing the conquest of kingdoms to make this greatest enterprise ever attempted by the human force entirely our own." Now, Sir, I may per haps be excused from making an extract from a private letter, since such opinions have had great influence in in ducing me to appear before the public, and here I must take the opportunity of saying, as regards myself— " Pardon, gentles all, The flat, unraised spirit, that hath dar'd, On this unworthy scaffold, to bring forth So great an object." Thus runs the extract from my private letter:—" The conception is a magnificent one, and carrying it into effect would be a crowning glory to Great Britain." I must not trust myself to continue, for your space and time are both valuable.—l have the honour to remain, Sir, your most obedient, obliged servant, ROBERT CARMICHAEL SMYTH. SCOTCH MARRIAGES AND REGISTRATION BILLS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—I am anxious to draw attention through the medium of your widely-circulated journal to the Scotch Marriage and Registration Bills, which have again been introduced by :Lord Campbell. although twice rejected by Parliament—having met with the unanimous opposi tion of the people of Scotland. They were submitted to a Committee of the House of Lords lust session, of which I was a member, and though many of the ob jectionable clauses contained in the original Registration Bill were amended they still bear a highly penal charac ter, and, moreover, cannot be carried out without con siderable expense —to be met partly by a rate upon pro• perty (which, considering the rapid increase of poor persons and county-rates, is highly objectionable), and partly by the State. The system of registration having railed in England, and being neither popular nor requi site in Scotland, it seems most undesirable in these days when economy is so necessary to introduce a measure of no pressing importance, entailing the creation of many officers such as registrars, sub-registrars, deputy registrars, in addition to the register-office and its attendant expenses—a demand upon the Exchequer which Sir Charles Wood can scarcely have duly con sidered. A 13111 brought in thus early and hurried on may slip through Parliament unless the attention of ' Scotch Members is especially directed to it. If time bo given petitions will pour in from every county and borough, and most of the parishes and presbyteries in Scotland, for the people are feeling alive to the evil of creating new offences by the unnecessary multiplication of statute laws, and of adding to the local taxation for purposes of a public character, which, as they are valuable chiefly as a means of obtaining statistics, and confer no advantages of a local nature, should fall solely on the State. I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, Rossie Priory, March 6, 1849. KINN AIRD. IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN VOLTAIC ELECTRICITY. —Mr. Alfred Smee, the surgeon to the Bank of England, and inventor of the battery which bears his name, has announced important discoveries in animal electricity. By a test, which he terms eleetro-voltaic, he has satisfied himself that the terminations of the sensor nerves are positive poles of a voltaic circuit, whilst the muscular substance is the negative pole. The sensor nerves are the telegraphs which carry the sensation to the brain, and the motor nerves carry back the volition to the muscles. The brain he infers to consist of five distinct voltaic circles, which, upon theoretical grounds, he be lieves to be sufficient to account for all mental pheno mena. Mr. Smeo has succeeded in making artificial elec tric fish, and artificial muscular substance. The bare announcement of such a discovery must put the whole medical world upon the alert, and in their hands, fur the pr‘sent, we leave it. Should Mr. Smee'a views be con firmed by other investigators, he will establish an im perishable name in the records of physiological science. TILE HARBOUR MASTER.—Yesterday the Port of Loadcn anti Navigation Committee of the Common Council met at the Guildhall, for the purpose of elect ing a principal and superintending harbour master, va ca❑t by the resignation of Commander Fisher, R.N., who has retired on a pension, after thirty years' ser vice. The Committee discussed the question with closed doors, and at length came to the determination that the old harbour masters should rise in seniority, according to established usage, and Mr. Rowland was appointed principal and superintending harbour master, at a sa. 1 .ry of 5001 per annum. Lieutenant Stone, R.N., of Limehouse, second, at a salary of 4001.; Mr. James, of Gravesend, third, 3002; and Captain Coffin to enter, as his colleague had formerly done, at a salary of 2501. JOHN HUNTER THE ANATOMIST AND THE DENTISTS.—In the latter part of the last century the celebrated anatomist, John Hunter, in the course of his valuable physological labours, made himself master of the anatomy of the teeth, and published a work on dentistry, in which he recommended, as a more scientific mode of extracting carious teeth than any other, the raising the tooth perpendicularly or in the line of its axis. It is only within the last few months, and after the lapse of fifty years or more, that an ingenious in• vention has been put forward to carry out Hunter's sug gestion. At the last monthly meeting of the Medico- Chirurgical Society, held in Berners-street, J. M. Ar nett, Esq., F.R.S„ iu the chair, the attention of the members was engaged by the exhibition of a new sur gical chair for operations, to which is attached what is called a dental fulcrum, by which teeth can be extracted, on true scientific principles, and causing less pain than was heretofore produced by the torture-inflicting instru ment, known as the "Key. ' The invention is patented, and employ( d professionally by H. Gilbert, Esq., M.R.C.S. The members of the above society expressed themselves much pleased with the invention, as calcu lated to prove a boon to the public and the profession. DEATH OF DAVID SCOTT, ESQ., R.S.A.—We regret to announce the decease of this distinguished artist, which took place at his residence here on Monday afternoon. Mr. Scott had been suffering from serious illness for several weeks, and for some days past, no other than a fatal issue had been expected.—Scotsman. Two men, named Nicou and Michel, were cited ou Saturday, in the name of the ex -Kin g Louis-Phi lippe, und e r his title of Count do Neuilly, to appear before the Correctional Tribunal of Paris, to answer a charge of cutting and carrying away faggots from th e forest of Bondy, belonging to the ex - K ing. They made default, and were condemed to pay a fine of 4f., and also 2f. as damages. RAIL WA Y ACCIDENTS. By a careful analysis of the returns made to this de partment, it appears that, of the 112 persons killed, and 120 injured, on all the railways open for public traffic in Great Britain and Ireland, during the half-year ending the 31st December, 1848, there were-3 passengers killed, and 68 injured from causes beyond their own con trol; 7 passengers killed and five injured, owing to their own misconduct or want of caution, 6 servants of com panies or of contractors killed, and 18 injured, from causes beyond their own control ; 73 servants of com panies or of contractors killed, and 24 injured, owing to their own misconduct or want of caution; 23 trespassers and other persons, neither passengers nor servants, killed, and 5 injured, by improperly crossing or standing on the railway. Total 112 killed; 120 injured. The number of passenger conveyed during the half-year amounted to 31,524,641. The number of miles of rail way open on the 30th June, 1848, was 4,357; the number of miles open on the 31st December, was 5,007, increase during the six months, 650 miles. DUNCAN APGREGOR, Registrar. Office of Commissioners of Railways, Whitehall, March 1, 1849. _ EXPRESS TRAINS. TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,—lt will be your painful duty as a journalist to record another railway accident attended with the loss of life. The express down train from London to Newcastle ran off the line between Darlington and Durham on Saturday evening, without any apparent reason, causing the death of the engine driver, the injury of the stoker, the destruction of the engine and tender, and great damage to all the carriages and many - yards of both lines and rails. Most happily and providentially, the coupling between the engine and the tender gave way, and the passenger carriages were thrown off on the opposite side to the engine, which flew across the other or up line of rails, swung completely round and buried itself in the earth. A broadside from a hundred gun ship could not have made the havoc on the engine, carriages, and rails, which in one minute was effected by the uncon trolled power of the impetuous locomotive when once it had diverged from its proper course. No fault can be attributed to the poor fellow, the driver, who was in stantaneously hurried into eternity. His assistant, too ill to be questioned, could render no account. He was no doubt stunned by the sudden overthrow. The pas sengers, including y our correspon d ent, have great rea son to thank God for their merciful preservation. You know the speed of an express train. Imagine, then, the sudden plunge off the rails while under that great ve locity. The heavy iron rails and massive wooden sleepers broken, and the dislocation into fragments of the once noble engine, attest the mighty power which had been at work to accomplish such havoc. It is mar vellous that any of the carriages should have remained whole to afford protection to the passengers. It was not, however, my intention to enter into a de tailed account of the accident, but to address a few ob servations to you on the present modes of travelling by railway, in the hope that your powerful pen will be used to advocate the adoption of a safer and more secure one. On all the principal lines there are express, ordi nary, and slow trains. Now, whatever may be said about the excellent appointments of the express train, it is easy to prove that the hazard of an accident is in creased by the excess of velocity. And as the hazard is greater, so is the danger to all the passengers fearfully augmented. Who that standing close to the rails has witnessed an express train passing along in all its speed, would insure the life of a single individual in it were any obstruction to occur? The ordinary trains do not keep up the same uniform degree of speed. At times, however for a short distance, they do almost, if not quite equal, the velocity of the express. When they do so an additional danger attends them. Unlike the express, the ordinary trains are long and heavy. Should, therefore, an accident happen in the front of the train, the weight in motion behind would press on with disastrous effect. Had any weighty carriages been attached in the rear on Saturday, every passenger carriage must have been crushed to atoms. Of the slow trains I need say nothing; but as every one cannot travel by them, it appears to me that to insure a greater degree of safety a train should run for passengers only, at a less speed than the express, and without the weight of the ordinary trains. For in stance, let the rate be twenty miles an hour, and let there be no trucks or vans for merchandize. If railway companies will not adopt trains whereby reasonable ex pedition may be obtained without incurring the hazards which the present system embraces, the law of the land should compel them to afford one such safety train at least in the day. I inclose my name and and address, but I would rather that you should receive this letter from Monday, March 5. A PASSENGER. _ - THE LONDON WEDNESDAY CONCERTS.—Last night was commenced an " extra season" of eight concerts, the undertaking having proved so successful as to demand a continuation of tE ese attractive entertainments. The programme for last evening was, as usual, varied and at tractive, combining the names (among others) of Mdlle. Nissen, Miss Lucombe, the Misses Williams, Miss Poole, Mr. Thalberg, Mr. Sims Reeves, and Mr. Whitworth. Among the most successful of the performances were Bellini's duet, " Deli con to" (Norma), sung by Mdlle. Nissen and Miss A. Williams; Beethoven's cantats, " Ah, perfido," sung by Mi ss L ucom b e; Crouch's Kathleen Mavourneen," sung by Miss Poole; Bishop's duet, " As it fell upon a day," sung by the Misses Wil liams; and the " Bay of Biscay," sung by Mr. Sims Reeves. On the last song being re-demanded, the singer substituted, " In this arm chair," which he ren dered very effectively. Mr. Thalberg also played two fantasias on the pianoforte in masterly style. The hall was crowded. THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA'S ASCOT RACE CUP.--- The model from which the annual cup, given by the Em peror of Russia to be run for at Ascot-heath Races, is to be made, has been completed by Mr. Cotterill, and the cup is now about to be manufactured in silver at the establishment of the Messrs. Garrad's, in the Haymarket. What is properly the " cup" is an elegant vase, the shape of which has the purity of the Etruscan specimens, com bined with the elegance of the Venetian taste. It sur mounts a fragment of the rock, and is partly encircled by the limbs of two marine monsters, which form one of the groups of the design of the artist. This design is a representation of the death of Hippolytus. Mr. Cotterill has chosen the moment when the horses, terri fied at the sight of the monsters which threaten their destruction from above, have overturned the chariot of their master and broken away from the yoke. Hippolytus is fulli ng , w hil st t h e h orses , t h ree i n number, exhibit the characteristics described by th e poet, and t h e result, " Turbans distractus equis, may be predicted a s t h e fate of the unhappy charioteer. The figure of the un fortunate victim of Phaedra is admirably modelled, th e anatomical proportions being very finely developed, a n d the complete of strength, b o th moral and physical, o P i jete n the falling figure, most hsppily described. The horses are, as this artist's horses invariably are, most accurate representations of nature, sad in this in stance they are sufficiently idealized to the classic, with out being sublimated into m ere fabulous extravt:gar!ce. The whole composition i s masterly, and worthy o f high praise. OXFORD beANgDratiCfieTtiso RlieDaTG: thßatA an T race is about to ta k e place between the gentlemen of the O O eight-oar A C z. —T t t c ue h r e public Universities of Oxford and Cambridge. The event, we are assured, is to be decided on or about Thursday, the 29th inst., over the usual course from Putney to Mort lake, when a great aquatic treat may be anticipated. NORTH KENT RAILWAY.—On Thursday last an experimental trip was made upon this lino from Graves end to Erith. The train consisted of an engine and tender, followed by three carriages. At every viaduct and difficult portion of the works upon the line the train stopped, and the engineers and contractors tested the iron girders and the brackets underneath them. The carriages were driven several times, both slowly and ra pidly, over the bridges, timber erections, and earth works, and the result was satisfactory. THE CORONER FOR M IDDLESEX..--Mr. Wakley, A us ., i s , we understand, confined to his residence at fiarefield park in consequence of severe illness. Mr. Wakley, we learn, has been suffering from indisposition for some weeks past. Yesterday (Monday) week his ill ness suddenly became much aggravated, and since that time he has not quitted his room. GALWAY GAOL.—On Tuesday an order was re ceived from the Lord. Lieutenant by the Governor of the county gaol for the dismissal of 90 persons in custody for petty larcenies. The names of the prisoners had been sent up by the governor according to directions which he had received, but before the order for their dismissal had time to arrive ten out of the number to be dismissed had died.—Galway Vindicator. THE RIVER Esc.—Since fly-fishing c ommenced, a great number of salmon have been caught up the river with the fly; and on Tuesday last one, weighing between five and six pounds, was caught near the COTO. —Exeter Gazette. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. LANCASHIRE AND YORKSHIRE. • MANCHESTER, MARCH 7.—This mornivg the 25th . half-yearly meeting of this company was held in this I city; Henry Liouldsworth, Esq., in the chair. • The SECRETARY read the report, which stated that " The disposable amount of 152,556/. 10s. 6d. would provide for the preference shares and loans, and for s • dividend on the ordinary share capital, at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, subject to income-tax, and would leave a balance of 13,9931. 14s. ld. to be carried forward. " The directors were glad to report that the favourable • ohange in monetary affairs had enabled them latterly to secure such sums as they required at a reduced rate of interest ; also that the late calls had been more promptly met than during the last two years. This change might, therefore, supersede the necessity of any further issue of the 6 per cent. preference stock." The CHAIRMAN said, that in examining the accounts in order to prepare himself for that meeting, it occurred to him that it would be of very great importance to ap point auditors from amongst the shareholders, to re examine all the accounts after the directors had prepared them, and he was glad to say that his fellow directors concurred in the value of that suggestion. He had great hopes, now that trade was improving, of a ♦ery large in crease in both the passenger and merchandise traffic. The board had last year given up their allowance of 1001. per annum each, but it was now resolved to ask the meeting for 2,8001. for that purpose for the present year. The Chairman then moved the adoption of the report. The Earl of SEFTON seconded the report, and observed that he thought it would be a great advantage to have auditors appointed from the body of proprietors to exa mine the accounts. After some conversation, the report, together with the accounts of the directors, wa• unanimously carried. A dividend of 2i per cent. for the half-year was then adopted, and the retiring directors re-elected. Mr. Atkinson, of Kirby Lonsdale, and Mr. Dunlop, of Edinburgh, were appointed auditors, and the meeting terminated.