The Sun. — London, England, 1855-10-19 00:00:00

BM MON EY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. , Two o'CLocx. The Liverpool Cotton Market yesterday closed heavily, and prices of all kinds were the same as last week. The sales were 5,000 bales (1,000 for export), comprising, in addition to American, 120 Pernam and Maranham at SN. to 6id. ; 300 Egyptian at 6d. to 9d. ; 1,200 Surat at 3gd. to 4ad. ; and 400 Sea Islands at 9d. to ls. ld. per lb. The Rail way Share Market was subjected to various and considerable fluctuations during the day, clos ing heavily. For colonial produce in the early part of the week there was rather an improved inquiry, and, most of the principal staples were at steady rates, but since then sales have to some extent been depressed, which, together with the stringency in the Money Market, caused a lower range of prices to have been accepted. Sugar, however is an exception, full rates to 6cl. advance having been realised. Native Ceylon coffee, as well as plantation, is 6d. per cwt. cheaper. In rice there have been very few trans actions, as holders have asked firm quotations. Tea has ruled heavy, and common congou has been sold at Sid. per lb. full prompt. Saltpetre has been a shade lower. Rum is steady, and cocoa has not varied materially. Most kinds of spices have been disposed of at slight reductions. Tallow has been firm at 635. per cwt. for P.Y.C. on the spot. At the public sales of indigo low qualities have been rather dearer, but medium sorts have scarcely been so firm. The public sales of colonial wool commenced yesterday, and there was rather a limited attendance of buyers. The prices went ld. to lid. per lb. lower than during the last series. About 57,706 bales will be offered. The West India advicos represent the markets as being in rather a more favourable condition. As regards the revenue for the last quarter it was ex pected that it would show a material falling off, and that at the end of the year an important defi ciency would have to be supplied. From Trinidad the accounts relative to the sugar crops are rather unsatisfactory, but of cocoa a larger quantity has been shipped than in previous years. In Dominica the canes had suffered from the heavy rains, while in St. Lucia they had sus tained injuiry from the drought that had prevailed. A heavy cloud hung over the operations on the Paris Bourse yesterday, until it was known that the Banks of England and France had decided upon raising their rates of interest, when the 44 per Cent. Rentes suffered a fall of 50 centimes, and the Three per Cents. for the account declined 90c., those for money being quoted at 64f. 15c., being 70 centimes less than the opening prices. Prices of wheat remained somewhat stationary, notwith standing the appearance of many purchasers. A supply of 214 sacks averaged 109 f. sc. per 157 kilogrammes. The Bourse at Vienna on the 17th inst. was agitated by the announcement that a new issue of shares, to the number of 50,000, by the Bank of Vienna, would shortly take place, and that pay ment would be taken for them in bank notes. By our latest intelligence from Turkey we learn that the Ottoman Government have resolved upon forming a first line of railway in the empire be tween Constantinople and Belgrade. The decision of the directors of the Bank of Eng land yesterday, in raising the rate of discount to 6 per Cent. for bills not having more than 60 days' to run, and fixing 7 per Cent. for bills above 60 and not exceeding 95 days' to run, is necessarily a subject of most anxious debate in the City. Al though opinion is to some slight extent divided as to the ultimate prudence of the measure, it is gene rally admitted that the exceptional causes which made so bold a step necessary, are sufficiently urgent to justify them in tightening the screw. The fact of the Governor and Deputy- Governor having had two interviews with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, this week, sufficiently testifies to the urgent necessity of some more restrictive measure on the demand for notes and gold, or else some expansion of the powers of the Bank to supply the demand. The Government, it is understood, having refused these applications, they had no other resource but to put up the rate, and it appears not unlikely that a further advance may still be necessary. The Directors of the Bank of France have had, at length, to act in opposition to the wishes of the Government. The drain upon it for gold and notes has, like that here on the Bank of England, been very active, and requires prompt and ener getic action on their part to check and keep it under sufficient controul. They yesterday had, simultaneously with the movement on this side the Channel, to raise the rate of discount on commer cial bills to 6 per cent. ; whilst, to still more effec tually arrest the speculative feeling on the Bourse, they likewise gave notice that the advances Oil stocks, (lte., will be limited to 30 per cent. of their value. The latter term will place a material barrier to un healthy stock speculations. Should their present measures not suffice to stop the drain upon bill reqources, it is understood that the next step will be to suspend specie payments. Such a measure would, it is almost needless to say, drive gold from France into England, and mate rially help the Bank of England. The necessity for such a step, however, bespeaks the severity of the drain which has been going on for some time. A firmer market exists to-day for English stocks, and of yesterday's decline has been recovered. This upward movement is occasioned by the pur chases for investment, the present low price offer ing a temptation. At the commencement of busi ness Consols were 871 to 871 ; they then improved to 874 and 87a for money and account ; they are now down to 87 to for both, owing to the rise in the corn market. Exchequer Bills have receded to 10s. and 15s. discount. Bank Stock remains at 207 to 209. The New 3 per Cents. aro at 87i to 871, and the Reduced at 861 to 86/. The only feature in the Foreign market is the weakness of the Turkish Bonds. The 6 per Cents., after being 79 to 791, have been down to 78g- and 781. New Scrip is at 3& to discount. Dutch 4 per Cents. are 93k. Spanish 3 per Cents. are firm at 37i, and the Deferred at 19k. Mexican Stock is flatter, being 19g. Equador Bonds rule at 41, Chilian 6 per Cents. at 100, and Grenada Active at 18g. The following are the nominal prices of foreign stocks: Grenada Deferred Bonds, 18 to 20 ; Mexican, 19ft 198 ; Peruvian, 71 to 73 ; ditto Three per Cents., 51 to 53; Portuguese Four per Cents., 43 to 45 ; Russian Five per Cents., 95 to 98 ; ditto Four-and-a-Half . per Cents., 85 to 88 ; Spanish New Deferred, 37/ to 381 ; ditto Three per Cents., 19k to ; ditto Certificates, 4to4i ; ditto Passive, 41 to 5. In the Railway Share Market to-day the trans actions are circumscribed, and although prices are generally without important variation, there were one or two instances of weakness. Great Western are about 1 per cent. lower.. Lancashire and Yorkshire, North-Western, and Midland are like wise at reduced values, but South-Eastern are rather firmer. Th e F renc h li nes are weak, and the Paris and Lyons are 1/. cheaper. United Mexican Mining Shares and Australasia Bank are rather depressed. Canada Land Shares have dropped 4/. to 51. 311,IT1SH FUNDS THIS DAY. - -CLOSING PRICES, 1 Prom the Ouicial List. ) Ru Bank Stock ~. •.. •..• 7 3 per tJout. Reduced Annuities........ .... 86i i i 1 A 3 Der Cent. Consols An nuities ,4 2 7 6- ii 7 N 1. , , 3 per Cent. Annnitie . 4 New 2i per Cent. Annuities 72 Long Annuities, Expire, sth Jan., 18 , './ Ditto 30 Years, Expire sth Jan., 1860 3i Ditto 30 Years, Expire sth April, 1883 16 5-16 3-16 lilia Bonds, XlOOO ........... Ditto, under £l3OO p ar 5 d Consols ?or Account E (chequer Bills, -)id 2d. 21000 ....... ...10 5 510 £5OO .....10 3 10 2 Small lO 2 7 ~ Excheptor Bonds 1858, 31 per Cent.... 98. .1 Ditto 1839, ~ ... 981 i PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY. Brazilian Bonds 5 per Cent. Ditto New, 1852, 4. per Cent 9l Chiliceu Bonds, 6 per Cent. . . . Equador Bonds Grenada Bonds, 11 per Cent. M3xica.n 3 per Cent. Ditto for the account I9H 1 x d Spanish Beads, 3 per Cent 371 Ditto New Deferred, 3 per Cent. Ditto for the account — Turkith Bonds, 6 par cent 791 Ditto for the account 79 i 8/ 8 Ditto New Scrip, 4 per Cent. Ditto for the Account 3l i / 4i d Venezuela Bonds, 4/ per Coat. Ditto for the Acs ount .., dividends on the above payable in Lonfio, Dutch ExchaT ge, 2i per Cent. 12 Guil 641 Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates .. „. TIIREE O'CLOCK, Consols ....,...... B6i 7 Di to f el tut i ugnat Bth NOTI t • gi 7 _ _ tittlt LAW INTELLIGENCE—(This Day.) COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, (Before Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque.) IN RE D. L. WILLIAMS. This was a meeting for certificate. The bankrupt was described as late of Lawrence-lane, and Cannon-street, civil engineer, contractor and commission agent The balance-sheet commenced March, 1854, and ended February, 1855, and showed debtor to capital 1491. 15s. sd. ; commissioners, 1601. Creditors (old), 4511. 43. 7d. ; do. (new), 941.15. 6d ; liabilities, 1221. 10$.; Creditor by good debts, 605/. 10s. ; doubtful, 801. ; trade expenses, 731. 10s. 6d; personal, 471. ; liabilities, 1221. lOs. ; losses, 491. lOs. _ The granting the certificate was adjourned for a week. IN RE BUNNEY. This was a meeting for last examination. The bank rupt was a warehouseman, of Addle-street, and, in con sequence of the disclosures in this court, stands charged with fraudulently obtaining goods previous to his bank ruptcy. _ _ . The examination was adjourned, the accounts not being yet ready for filing. The debts are stated at 9,0001. or 10,0001., and the assets at 1,500/. POLICE INTELLIGENCE--(This Day.) MANSION-HOUSE. THE ALLEGED CHARGE OF LIBEL AGAINST A FRENCH GENTLEMAN.—Mons. Paul Jerome Romannetti surren dered to his recognisances to answer a charge of libel preferred against him by Mr. Corbett (Garratt and Cor bett), wine merchant, Fenchurch-street. The case, it will be rec9llected, was heard on Saturday last, and the libel complained of was contained in certain letters writ ten by the defendant to Mr. Garratt on the conduct of Mr. Corbett, the surviving trustee to the defendant's wife under a deed of separation. Mr. Parry again appeared for the complainant, and Mr. Edward, Chancery clerk to Mr. BrAndon, Essex street, for the defendant. Mr. Parry said that since he appeared here on Satur day the defendant had been before Mr. Long, at Mary 'shone, on a similar charge, preferred by , Mr. Lowe, solicitor, and had these made an ample apology to that gentleman, and promised not to offend again in a simi lar manner. As the complainant in this case had no vindictive feelings against the defendant he would be satisfied with a similar promise from the defendant. Mr. Edwards said that was the course pointed out by Mr. Brandon to the defendant as the only one that he could adopt, and unless he consented to do, it he would not be concerned for him. The defendant promised he would do so, and had instructed him to say be withdrew in the fullest sense of .the word all expressions he had used painful to or reflecting on the character of the gen tleman complaining. Whilst he did that, he must also state that the defendant did not withdraw or give up any legal rights he might possess. . . Mr. Parry said that, as the defendant bad no legal rights, that reservation would be of no consequence. The Lord Mayor said the best course would be for him to bind the defendant over in his own recogni sauces to appear and answer the charge when calleli upon. If he abstained from repeating the charge in ally probability he would bear no more of these proceedings Mr. Parry said precisely so. The cowpli wished to be protected from such conduct, a' defendant taught be could not be permitted in such practices in this country. The prisoner then entered into his own rei of 1001., and left the Court. GIJILDHALL. fainant only 'lid have the 4 to indulge THE SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST A CITY CI —Mr. Frederick Collingwood, butcher, of Is peered to-day by adjournment to answer th sending unwholesome meat to Ncwgate defendant has the contract for supplying the with meat, and the charge against him watt holes in some beef, into which was inserted of mutton, two of which stank, and the othi gots in it. Mr. C. Pearson, city solicitor, appeared fol cution, and Mr. Parry for the defendant. Mr. Pearson said the case was adjournedl mer occasion to enable the defendant to shi was done without his knowledge or consent., Mr. Parry said this was more a matter with the defendant than any fear of the r investigation. The trumpery amount of mi —l4oz. in 291 b.—was so small as to show to not have been done for a matter of gain. mer occasion it had been sought to infer td fondant was toeing money by the contract, an was his moire for sending in the meat complained of. Such, however, was not tli Mr. Collingwood, by his means and his al was enabled to perform his contract at a could gain nothing by sending in this meat' breach of the contract, for by it he was subj penalty of 2001. liquidated damages. George Everett deposed that he saw tl question cut up. There was nothing wroii when it left the shop. He took it to the pi also took 7 lbs. of beef to the prison before that day for the meat complained of. Cross-examined—No person could have i, bad meat between the time he left his master) arrived at the prison. Defendant was not iq when the meat was cut up, but he was when ogia luta ces )NTR/CTOR. lington, ap e charge of ison. The city prisons for cutting ,hree pieces r had nuag- the prose- on the for. )%v the act if character sult of the at inserted lat it cou d )n the for at the de d that that n the state ie fact, for angementv, Irofit. He to cause a lected to a meat in ig about it hem). He !12 o'clock aserted the Is shop and the shop t left. By Sir J. Duke—The meat was cut up e morning, and from that time before it left 1 sons had access to the meat. rly in the arious per- Alfred Simeon cut up and bound the meat. nothing of the 14 oz. of bad mutton. By ➢Zr. Pearson—Defendant was presen meat was sent out. He knew .11 when the By Sir James Duke—Five or six persons !had access to the meat in the morning, and there was ample oppor tunity for a person to have inserted the bad Fneat with out having been seen. I Mr. Parry proposed to call witnesses to chpracter. Sir J. Duke said there could be no doubt about the respectability of the defendant. Mr. Luna ,, , retired builder, and Mr. M. W l Ash, gave the defendant an excellent character for the rectitude of his conduct, and the superior quality of the meat he sold. Mr. Pearson said he made the defencla:n; answerable for the acts of his servants, and his knowledge or not of the insertion of the bad meat was a question for a jury to decide. It was not a question of respectabpity, for if that was the case, he (Mr. Pearson) should have been happy to have borne his testimony to that fact. Had the defendant not been a man of respectabil4y his con. tract would not have been accepted. The gain, on one occasion, such as this, was but trifling, but, if continued, day after day, would ' make a considerable difference at the and of the year in favour of the defendant. Mr. Pearson made some further remarks, in the course of which he Urged the presiding magistrate was bound to send the case to a jury for them to judge of the defendant's intentions. Mr. Pocklington, inspector of the markets, in answer to Sir J. Duke, said he had never bolore . had oocasion to complain of the quality of the meat Cut by the defendant. Mr. Burton, of Whitecross•street prison, said he had only had once to complain of the defendant for sending German mutton for English mutton. Captain Wright, of Holloway Prison, said ke had never had reason to complain of the meat sent to the prison. Sir J. Duke said, on lnoking at the whole of the evi dence, he was of opinion the defendant had no intention to defraud. The meat might po.sibly have been malici ously inserted by some person to injure the defendant, and that it was not done by the latter with a view of gaining an extra benefit out of his contract. He did not consider himself justified in sending a respectable citizen for trial without strong grounds of guilt, which in this case were wanting, and therefore he dismissed the com plaint. The announcement was received with applause by a crowded court. The Municipal Council of Boulogne having voted a sum of 5 00 f, as remuneration to the soldiers of the se cond division of the let corps of the army of the north for the road which they have executed on the heights, the men have given the money to be divided among the poor of Boulogne. IRON THEATRES -Mr. Richard Turner, of Dublin, has lately contracted to fit up a wrought-iron roof and all the upper machinery of a large theatre at Buenos Ayres, the cost of which will be upwards of 4,0001. MDTINT.—BRISTOL (Pat.), Oct. 18.—The Morning Star, for Melbourne, put back here to-day, the crew bay ing mutinied. 7toey have been taken to Bristol b order of a magistrale. y The ceremony of the presentation of the Lord Mayor elect to the Lord Chancellor, fora he approval of her Majesty, will take place on Friday, the 2d of November, at the residence of the Lord Chan cellor, in Upp er Brook-street, Grosvenor-square. UNITED STATES SQUADRON OF RELIEF.--By the Stella, Martyn, arrived at Plymouth from Labrador, we learn that on the 27th of September, in lat. 5 4.30 N., long. 53.20 Vi., she spoke the American barque Relief, in company with the steam brig Arctic, returning from the Arctic Sea to New York, after an tlasuooessful 101,16 a for Sir John Franklin-01j Well. ~. THE DECIMAL SYS7'EM OF COINAGE. I w a T s Internationalhpoerneven Wednesday, ted f r om a ta A tt hts attending, n o E cii i x a n t i Ig i io:: the : f oe : . c rhbaarilrianewge:spg taaraki bse.onu tbl yraa uniform system of coins, weights, and measures, assem bledthe absence. of Baron de Rothschild, the president, who M. d'Avil a, formerly Minister of Finance in Portugal, and by h'is side were Mr. J. Yates (England), Mr. Field (United States), and M. Ramon de la Sagra. (Spain), and M. Pacheco (Mexico), vice-presidents ; and MM. ETippclyte Peut and Vattemare, secretaries. After the minutes of the last sitting had been read and approved of, and other preliminary business got through, the fol lowing Propositions p repared by the bureau were brought f :— • "1. That it will be of the highest possible importance to encourage the publication in French of a work, giving in a clear and concise form the history and a compara tive table of the difierent systems of coins, weights, and measures, in th e p r i nc i pal countries of the world, to be afterwards translated and printed by the committees into the languages of all the countries represented in the association ; "2. Thr...t for this object, and to secure the perfectcor rectn es s of the work, the different committees composing the association are requested beforehand to furnish all the information in their power relative to the coins, w eights, and measures of the country to which they be leang, with the calculation of them on the metrical sys tem as a term of general comparison ; " 3 That each committee in the country where it is constituted shall employ all the means in its power, par tiaularly those offered by the local press, to enlighten public opinion, and prepare for the meeting of an official international congress, charged to solve the problem which constitutes the object of the association. "4. That until such a congress shall be convoked, the members of the committees shall use all their efforts in order that, in the calculations and statistical tables, the value of the coirA, weights, and measures shall be ac companied by f:neir reduction into coins, weights, and measures on the metrical system, in order to have a point of onmP orison common to all nations." These prr)positions, after a short discussion, were ; adopted by the meeting. M. RAM.ON DR LA SAGRA. then proposed : " That a permanent international committee shall he 1 immediately constituted in Paris, to be composed as ' much a s possible of members belonging to each of the ' countries represented in the association." This, proposition was adopted and the meeting broke I up. MARKET NEWS.-(THIS DAY.) CORN EXOHANGE. Very moderate supplies of English wheat were received np to our market to-day, and the show of samples was very limited. For most kinds there was a good inquiry, and prices ruled from ls. to 2s. per quarter higher than on Monday. Foreign wheat, the imports of which have amounted to 8,310 quarters—sold steadily, and, in some instances, the quotations were in favour of sellers. Floating cargoes changed hands freely, on higher terms. Barley was in moderate request, on former terms. There was a good demand for malt, at full prices. The show of oats was moderate. On the whole, the de mand was steady, at Monday's currency. Beans, peas, and flour were tolerably firm. Oats. i Flom' 360 1 1,030 7,993 Foreign 1I . 8,310 1 .—I i 5 580 1 GENERAL AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISH CORN For the week ended Oct. 18, 1855, made up from the Returns o: the Inspectors in the different Cities and Towns in England and Waits per Imperial Quarter. WHEAT. BARLEY. t OATS. I RTE. I BEANS. I PEAS. 76s .d 31s 41 ~ 28 3 6d 493 83 49s lid 48s 73 THE SIX WEEKS' AVERAGE. MURAT. , BARLEY. t OATS. RYE. BEANS. t PEAS. 7 6 s 71 j 36s 3d , 283 5d J 47s 8d 48s 101 i 44i 31 QUA n iTITIES OF GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK. Wheat, 152,443; Barley, 43,359 ; Oats, 15,307 ; Rye, 1 , 09 1 ; Beans, 3,743 ; Peas, 1,925 quarters. Irish ... Wheat. 2,840 ARRIVALS THIS WILES. I Barley, 2,790 3,010 sks —brls METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. There was a fair average supply of beasts on sale in to day's market in very middling condition. The few prime breds sold steadily, at full prices ; but other kinds of beef were very dull, at barely Monday's currency. The num bers of sheep were limited, yet the mutton trade ruled dull, at unaltered quotations. The best Downs realised 5s per 81b. We were well supplied with calves, which moved off slowly, at a decline of from 2d to 6d per 81bs. Pigs were steady, but not dearer. Mulch cows rtiled inactive, at from 141. to 191. each, in cluding their small calf. Per 81bs to sink the orals. s. d. s. d.I a. d. s. d. Inferior Beasts.... 3 6t o 3 8 1 PrimeSouthdown 410 5 0 Second quality.... 3 10 4 2 1 Largo crse. calves 3 6 4 2 Prime large oxen 4 4 4 BlPrime small do 4 4 5 0 Prime Scots, Sm. 419 5 °large hogs Inferior Sheep ...3 6 3 81Small porkers 4 6 5 C Second quality ...3 10 4 2 Suckling calves 23 0 30 0 Prime crae.-wlled.4 4 4 B:Quarter old pigs 22 0 28 0 TOTAL SUPPLY. I FOREIGN SUPPLE. Beasts ........ .. Sheep ••• •• ••• • • • 4,001 Sheep .• .• •• •• • • ...... 1,200 ..aloes .......... ••.• • • PIP•• •• • • •••••••••••• •• • • • • 480 ' Yid5.......... NEWGATE AND The general demand ruled Per Sibs by s. d. s. d: Beef, interior 3 2 3 6 Do., middling 3 8 310 Do., prime large 4 0 4 2 Do , do. small 4 4 4 6 Fork, large 3 10 4 4 LEADEN - RAIL. inactive, as follows : Lb e carcase. s. d. s. d. Mutton, Inferior 3 2 3 6 Do,, middling 3 8 4 0 Do., prime 4 2 4 6 Veal 3 6 4 8 Pork, small 4 6 5 4 BOROUGH HOP. We continue to have a good demand for all new hops, and, in some instances, tine qualities are rather dearer. The duty is called 300,0001. Mid and East Kent pockets, 51. to 71.; Weald of Rents, 4/. 15s. to Si. 128; Sussex, 41. lOs to 5/. ; Farnhams, 51. to 61. 6s. per cwt. COLONIAL. TEA.—Rather lower rates have been paid, and common Coneou has sold at 81d. SUGAR.—A large business has been done at advanced prices. West India has been 6d to bid dearer. Barbadoes, 42s Gil to 47s Gd for heavy brown to bright grocery, and 47s Gd to 48s for c r y s t a li se d. J ama i ca sold publicly at 4ls to 43s Gd for brown, and 42s 6d to 45s for grey and yellow. East India.—Mauritius kind of Bengal realised 46s to 47s for mid to very good yellow. Mauritius has been 6,1 dearer. Brown low to good went at 37s Gd to 41s 6,1, and mid to good mid yellow at 43s 6d to 455. Foreign.—Porto Rico has been about id higher, heavy brown to good bright grocery selling at 43s to 43s per cwt. Yellow Havannah wont at 42s (id to 41s. Refined brown lumps have been 53s 6d to 51s per cwt. COFFEE. —A large business has been done in Plantation Ceylon, but prices have declined Gd per cwt, except the lower kinds, which are at full rates. Small greyish to good mid bold coloury realised 53s to 65s 6d, good, 70s, and triage 43s to 53s Gil. Native Ceylon has declined to 50J Gd, and 50s for good ord. .RlCE.—Madras has sold at stiff prices—viz., at 14s Gd to 15s 6,1 for mid to good pinky. SPICES. —Pimento mid coarse mixed to good small even bright realised 5d to sd, being cheaper. Pepper brought 5d to 54d for stalky to fair sifted Singapore, and 5d to sid for good heavy white Malabar. Singapore Nutmegs brought 3s 3d for good mid bold brown, and Mace 2s 2d for mid slightly mouldy. Jamaica Ginger sold at 46s to 81 6s for small to good bold white. SALTPETRE has been steady. Bengal low, 20 , } per cent., brought 33s 3d ; and 10 to 16i per cent., 36s 6d to 37s 6d per cwt. INDIGO.—The public sales have proceeded with some flatness for some descriptions. Kurpahs, however, remain firm. TALLOW.—P.Y.C. is 63s per cwt. on the spot. GREEN FRUIT. --Several cargoes of new nuts from Spain have been received, and have exceeded 3s per barrel from the opening price. The importations of Lisbon grapes are of a limited character. Some parcels of Madeira oranges have been offered at public sale by Keeling and Hunt, bat not being sufficiently matured the sale trade has purchased cautiously. LLOYD'S SHIPPING---(THIS DAY.) lONDON, Oct. 19.—Wind this day at noon, W. ; light breeze and fine clear weather. PORTSMOUTH, Oct. 18.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—James Fernie, from London, for Sydney, N.S. W., and proceeded for Southampton. PLYMOUTH, Oct. 18.—Wind W.N.W.—Arrived—F. W. Barna, from Havre, for New Orleans was in contact last night, off the harbour, with H.M.Str. Transit, from the Crimea ; both vessels damaged ; the latter .las pro ceeded to Spithead. Sailed—H.M.S. Rosamond, for the West Indies. STUDWELL ROADS, Oct. 17.—Arrived—Lillius, from Quebec for Barmouth. CROOKHAVEN, Oct. 16.—Wind E.N.E.—Arrived—To. ronto, from Sunderland, for Constantinople, leaky. (PER ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.) SOUTHAMPTON, Friday Morning. Arrived.—John Wesley, from Newport; Brunswick (s.), Plymouth ; James Fernie, London. bailed.—City of Limerick (s.), for Dublin. LIVERPOOL, Friday Morning. Wind W. Sailed.—Emma, for Newfoundland ; David Brown, New York. The Thomas Clifton, of and from Preston, for Drog heda, wai run down last night off Point Lynas by the steamer Royal William ; crow saved. (BY SUBMARINE AND TI3MSII TELEGRAM.) GRAVESEND, Friday, 9.33 a.m. Wind W.N.W. ; tide, three hours' ebb; weather fine. Arrived, Oct. 18.—Weet Friesland, from Medemblik. Arrived, 19th.—George, from Gothenburg. DEAL, Friday, 9.30 a.m. Wind, N.W. ; moderate and fine. Passed.—Delicia, from London, for St. Michael's ; So phia, London, for Cardiff; Sarah, Hartlepool, for Ports mouth ; Philo, London, for Cardiff; H.M.Str. Perseve rance, Heligoland, for Folkestone ; Sylph, London, for Barbadoes. _ _ Sailed.—Gengbis Khan, and. Mary Anne, for Calcutta ; Panama, Aden ; brig Anne, Bordeaux ; with several ethers outward bound. The discount houses have not yet issued their notice of an alteration in the rates for money at call. The various joint-stock banks have increased their allowance for deposits to 5 per cent. THE WAR IN THE EAST.—An illustration has come under our notice of the complete secrecy which is ob served by the Allied commanders with regard to their plans and contemplated operations. Even the more distinguished Generals of Division too are kept in igno rance of what is intended until they receive their orders to act. A letter from a near relative to Sir Colin Camp bell was yesterday received f rom t h at d ist i nguishe d gene ral, dated the 6thinst., in which ho states that there would be no more war this year. Two days afterwards the gallant officer was sent to Eupatoria, with the com mand of a considerable force o infantry and artillery.-- Af onting dvortifff. THE QUARTERLIES. The Westminster Review. No. CXXVI. Half-a-dozen elaborate articles, followed by the usual modicum of reviews under the head of Con temporary Literature, constitute the number for the last quarter of 1855 of the old Benthamite Westminster. The most captious must admit that these six principal contributions possess at least the merit of variety, and two or three among them the evidences of extraordinary research. A sketch of " Marcus Tullius Cicero," partly biographic and partly critical, may scarcely satisfy the student versed in Latin history and letters with new lights thrown upon the darker recesses of the Roman past as from the lantern of Niebuhr, aided by the "re flector" of our present Chancellor of the Exchequer. But at any rate it can hardly fail to gratify the literary appetite of the general reader by present ing to contemplation a succinct epitome of the career of one of the most remarkable of the great statesmen of antiquity, and a true analysis of the, genius of perhap s , among all men who ever lived, the most illustrious of rhetoricians. The paper is genial and scholarly throughout. It appears to have beet' suggested by a new translation of Dr. Abeken's " Cicero in seinen Briefen," or Cicero as revealed to us through his Correspondence. Speak ing of Tully's Greek Education, the reviewer ob serves epigrammatically, "Neither Bolingbroke nor Chesterfield, Dryden nor Pope, was more frenchified in his taste than Cicero and his contem poraries were hellenised. The impeachment of Verres by the great orator in his capacity as advo cate of the Sicilians is justly spoken of as perhaps the most honourable of the forensic and political triumphs of the future proconsul. In re ferring to the Conspiracy of Catiline • and Cicero's prominent share in its exposure, the Westminster reviewer remarks with reason that itr was at once, to the object of his scrutiny, the cause of his exal tation and of his bitterest calamities. Upon the inscrutable mystery of the plot we must let the writer speak for himself through the medium of the subjoined quotation. It will be perused with interest, we doubt not, as perhaps the happiest selection that could be made from the entire article, indicating as it does simultaneously the eloquence of the critic and his unforced fertility of illustration. He here observes : " The Catilinarian conspiracy is one of the most obscure and provoking of historical enigmas. It is impossible, but it is also unimportant, to discover what was the secret which Somerset, in the great oyer and ternsiner case of poisoning, held like a sword over King James's neck, and thereby cast the English Solomon into such a pitiable per plexity. It is very likely that the authorship of Junius may never be brought directly home, even to Sir Philip Francis; but it is quite immaterial for any benefit which accrue from the detection. The prime motors in Thas Oates' Plot may never be disclosed ; but it matters little, since the only satisfactionfrom the disclosure would be the discovery of some greater scoundrel than Oates or Danger field. It may never be found out who cut off all the cur tain-fringes in the Luxembourg, and flung them on the supper table of Louis XV., thereby occasioning his sacred majesty a sleepless night and a fit of indigestion. We may rest in peace without ascertaining who wore the iron mask, or whether Perkin Warbeck were really Richard Duke of York, or no :—none of these problems involve any great social phenomena, or, if solved, would throw much additional light on the times in which they occurred. We need not break our sleeps for them. Bat it is not so with the Catilinarian plot. It was universally admitted in its day to be a good plot, good friends, and full of expectation.' It is related most pictorially by Sallust ; it is dissected minutely by Cicero; it has exercised the wits of commen tators in every age ; and nevertheless, neither its final ob ject, nor its true origin, nor the roll and count of the conspi rators, nor its extent, nor its plan, have ever been satisfac torily explained. That the head and front of offence Ser gius Catalina himself was a man of mark and likelihood is beyond dispute ; that he reckoned among his adherents many persons with a large stake in the Commonwealth is also clear ; as well as that their design was known to ex ist and suffered to proceed long before any steps were taken to prevent or to crush it. An intolerable insult, and a contumelious compensation for it, drove the hot-blooded Faliero into rebellien against the Venetian oligarchy ; but it does not appear that he proposed to burn the arsenal or even to massacre the council of forty. The daggers ct the Pazzi were directed against the persons of the Medici; but we do not find that they designed also to decimate the guides, or throw open the gates of Florence either to the French or Spanish king. Of the Catilinarian conspiracy we know only that its ramifications were wi le, its objects subversive of the existing constitution, and its most effici ent supporters, if not of its actual contrivers, the most powerful and wealthy men of Rome. But whether it de signed reaction or revolution, whether its motives were social or political, whether its basis were the mob or the oli garchy, whether what is told be merely the mask, and what has been surmised the real visage of someatrocious spectre, are questions which, if answered, would throw a stream of light into one of the darkest nooks of Roman annals, but which, with the documents before us, defy answer and elude probable conjecture." Scarcely enough is said upon the subject of Cicero's death, that most cruel and dastardly of assassina tions. The incidents accompanying the murder, as recounted by the hand of Plutarch, have always appeared to our mind as invested with the very sublimity of pathos. It is hardly enough, there fore, to close so generous and picturesque, a memo rial of Tully as the one here alluded to, with the brief but admiring sentence, that although " the death of the great Athenian orator may have been more befitting the tragic stage [an opinion with which we cannot for one instant coincide] : yet we rate higher and more august in itself, and more ac cordant with the precepts of philosophy, the compo sure which awed and nearly diverted from their mis sion the assassins of Marcus Cicero." The " compo sure"—it recalls to us, that one phrase, the picture as revealed through the loophole of history, look ing out from it upon that spot consecrated to the sympathies of after ages upon the classic shores of the Roman peninsula. Where the litter was set down in the highway by the slaves of the fugitive, and whore, from the window of the litter, that glorious wanderer awaited with the serenity, less of despair than of resignation, the death-blows from the captain of the cut-throats. old, weak, ill, upsilon, his chin resting upon his hand, as had been his wont in the senate house and in the ros trum, at his desk and in the chair of the arch magistracy, gazing calmly with his grand and mournful eyes upon the face of the master-mur derer as the latter approached with uplifted sword to strike off the head of the great Conscript Father—the noblest of Rome's orators, and the most illustrious of her philosophers. Remember ing that heroic close of the lofty drama of his life, we are willing to forget whatever may have seemed ignoble in its antecedents—his avaricious courting of his ward. Publilia, his corrupt flattery of Dolo bella, his mendicancy of praise from Lucceius, his inconsistent defence of Fonteius after being the accuser of Verres, his scarcely reconcileable eulogi u ins upon Ciesar after his having been the satellite of Cneius Pompeius. We forget everything but what was noble in the life so nobly terminated. We re member only the glory of th e ca reer, and the ma jesty of its conclusion. Immediately preceding this biographic -criticism upon Cicero, appears a very pretentious tr ea ti se u p o n " Theism"—the " leading article" in the new number of the West. minster. Its style throughout, to our thinking, is both crabb e d and affected. The writer evidently aspires to the dignity of a theological metaphysician. It would seem advisible, however, that he should give an eye to his syntax before entering upon studies of a more recondite character ; if we may be permitted so far to conjecture from the very preamble of his argument, when he sots out with —" Antecedence and sequence is the only relation, kc." Every now and then he is evidently floun dering in abysses of obscurity--held up, as he fancies, by bladders of grandiloquence, buoyed upon the stream by those favourite corks o f shallowreasoners, sesquipedalia, verba of rhodo montade. Professor Newman might have writ ten the arti c l e d ur i ng a n interval of more than usually hazy obfuscation. Turning f rom this stilted pretence at philosophising upon the most holy and awful theme that can b e presented to the contemplation of the Christian philosopher, the study of studies, the science of sciences, the truth of truths, the existence of the Supreme God ! the theme to the examination of which the intellect of man should come si mp l y and humbly, not as in this instance affectedly and with an air of esoteric wisdom ! We observe with no small degree of satisfaction among the remain ing contributions an iniVni"s essay,descriptive of " T.he position of Woman in Barbarism and among the Ancients." This is one of the articles to which we referred in the outset of these remarks as evidencing an unco mmon research and an 'm usual excellence, whether as to novelty of design or importance i n respect to th e deduct ions arrived at. Montesquieu and Goguet, Lady Morgan a n d Dr. Alexander—not as some might have conjectured Mr. Fullom, and the author of a recently pub lished work upon Mormonite Marriages s e . lected by the writer of this elaborated essay as the authorities upon whose words of moment the argument of the entire paper under notice may be said to have been raised. Infant betrothal, wife stealing, wife-buying, adultery, divorce such among the sectional points treated of by the essayist, whose glance turns from Greece to Rome, from Hindostan to New Zeala n d , from Mexico to Nineveh, from antiquity to nowadays, from th e Asiatics to the Europeans, in the ampl e survey of " The Position of Woman" as she was among the Ancients, and as she still is in Barbarism. Under the title of "Evangelica l Teachi ng, the r ea d ers of the Westminster will find abundant materials for entertainment in the s ha pe of a slashi ng on slaught upon Dr. John Cumming, th © pet preacher and pulpit prophet of Drury-lane. This i s per haps of all the most powerful and brilliant of the six contributions. As the most practically hu manising in its general tendency, is the article entitled " Drunkenness not curable by Legisla tion." The paper headed " The London Daily Press" might more correctly have been designated , 6 A panegyrio on the Times neyrspaper.7 Finally, we have subMitted to us, according to custom, a jumble-of loose, and for the most part . superficial, comments upon recent works relating to various matters, Theological, Philosophical, Political, Ar tistic, Scientific, Historical, and Philological, under the comprehensive title of " Contemporary Literature." And so ends the newly-published number of the Westminster. LITERATURE. The Fur Hunters of the Far West : By A. Ross 2 Vole: Smith awl Elder. This work transports the reader to an entirely new district it leaves the turmoils and business of civilised life, the ordinary risks and successes of commercial pursuits, for the war-dance of Indian chiefs, and the "hairbreadth, perils, ventures, snares" of the trappers and traders. The author is certainly qualified by experience to narrate the troubles and adventures of a settler's life, for he has "spent the last forty-four years of his life, without a single day's intermi ss i on , i n t h e Ind i an territories of North America." The first fifteen years he spent in Columbia, the extreme west of the colony, and the remaining time in the Red River Settlement, which is the most lonely and isolated. A few years ago he published an account of his adventures with the Pacific Fur Company, which was the first established on the Columbia, which after three years gave place to the North West Company, which in its turn was superseded by the Hudson's Bay Company. The favourable reception of the author's former work has induced him to publish the details of his later adventures, commencing with his entering the service of the North West Company, and ending with his settle ment on the Red River. The difficulties with which the settlers had to contend in dealing with the natives, mad the various peculiarities of Indian life are narrated in a clear and graphic style. The total novelty of the scenes and characters may be refreshing to those who are wearied with the de scriptions of the civilised world ; and the attacks,' escapes, and surprises prove attractive to the lovers of adventure. But the work will be chiefly inte resting to those who are desirous of becoming acquainted with the principles and management of the trading companies, their method of action in peace and war. It also furnishes to those who desire information on such topics an outline of the hiStory of the Oregon, affording an opportunity of tracing the effect of the settlements on the natives, and of studying their national character. Un questionably they have not gained by the intro duction of the fur trade into their hitherto de serted woods. Mr. Leith, of Cumberland, while conversing with the writer on the subject of the Indians, remarked, " the fur trade is dwindling away to nothing ; the returns even now scarcely cover the expenses, and shall we, after ruining the country and the natives to enrich ourselves, leave no other memento behind us than desolation and death ? Half a century ago this country was rich in furs and animals of the chase, the natives were numerous, independent, and happy ; but now, alas ! natives, riches, and happiness have almost disappeared from the face of this and other parts of the country." This gentleman, at least, was de termined to do something to alleviate their con dition, for on his death he left 10,0001. for the religious instruction of the Indians, which was subsequently set apart for the endowment of a bishopric in Prince Rupert's Land. The following extract describes an enterprise full of danger, a journey to the Eyakema valley, to trade for some horses, for want of which everything at the fort was at a stand still. Many warlike tribes assemble at this valley in the spring, to lay in a stock of their favourite sweet potatoes, and hold their councils, and settle peace or war for the year. Horses can easily be obtained there, but, from the vast concourse of mixed tribes, there is always risk in attending it ; and, on the present occasion, the danger was greatly increased by some fatal encounters between the Whites and Indians. The author, however, persevered in his exploit, though cautioned by two of a friendly tribe to return. He was accompanied by two men and their wives. The women he subsequently sent off by them selves, and they travelled for three days and nights, without food or fire, 138 miles I On their arrival they found the camp extended six miles in every direction, councils, root gathering, hunting, horse and foot racing, gambling, yelling, singing, and ditncing being vigorously carried on. " Our reception was cool, the chief were hostile and sullen, they saluted us in no very flattering accents. These are the men,' said they, who kill our relations, the people who have caused us to mourn.' And here, for the first, time, I regretted we had not taken advice in tirne, and returned with the couriers ; for the general aspect of things was against us. It was evident we stood on slip pery ground , we felt our weakness. In all sudden and unexpected rencontres with hostile Indians, the first im pulse is generally a tremor or sensation of fear, but that soon wears off ; it was so with myself at this moment, for after a short interval I nerved myself to encounter the worst. " The moment we dismounted we were surrounded, and the savages, giving two or three war-whoops and yells, (trove the animals we had ridden out of our sight ; this of itself was a hostile movement. We had to judge from ap pearances, and be guide.i by circumstances. My first care was to try and direct their attention to something new, and to get rid of the temptation there was to di<pose of my goods ; ad, without a moment's delay, I commenced a trade in horses ; but every horse I bought daring that and the following day, as well as those we had brought with us, were instantly driven oat of sight, in the midst of yelling and jeering ; nevertheless, I continued to trade 'while an article remained, putting the best face on things I could, and taking no notice of their conduct., as no in sult or violence has as yet been offered to ourselves per sonally. Two days and nights had now elapsed since our arrival, without food or sleep ; the Indians refused us the former—our own anxiety deprived us of the latter." "The day after the women went off, I ordered one of the men to try and cook something for us ; for hitherto we had eaten nothing since our arrival, except a few raw roots which we managed to get unobserved. But the kettle was no sooner on the fire than five or six spears bore off, in savage triumph, the contents ; they even emptied out the water, and threw the kettle on one side ; and this was no sooner clone than thirty or forty ill-favoured wretches fired a volley in the embers beforeus, which caused a cloud of smoke and ashes to ascend, darkening the air around us ; a strong hint not to put the kettle any more on the fire, and we took iL At this time the man who had put the kettle on the fire took the knife with which he had cut the venison to lay it by, when one of the Indians, called Eyacktana, a bold and turbulent chief, snatched it out of his hand ; the man, its an angry tone, demanded his knife, saying to me, ' I'll have my knife from the villain, lite or death.' `No,' said I. The chief, seeing the man angry, threw down his robe, and grasping the knife in his fist, with the point down wards, raised his arm, making a motion in advance as if ho intended using it. The crisis had now arrived. At this moment there was a dead silence. The ludians were flocking in from all quarters ; a dense crowd surrounded Its. Not a moment was to be lost ; delay would be fatal, and nothing now seemed to remain fur us but to sell our lives as dearly as possible. With this impression, grasping a pistol, I advanced a step towards the villain who held the knife, with the full determination of putting an end to his career before any of us should fall ; but while in the act of lifting my foot and raising my arm, a second idea flashed across my mind, admonishing me to soothe, and not provoke, the Indians, that Providence might yet make a way for us to escape ; this thought saved the Indians' life, and ours too. Instead of drawing the pistol, as I in tended, I took a knife from my belt, such as travellers generally use in this country, and presented to him, saying, " Here, my friend, is a chief's knife, I give it to you ; that is not s chief s knife, give it back to the man." For tunately, he took mine in his hand ; but, still sullen and savage, he said nothing. The moment was a critical one ; our fats hung as by a thread : I shall never forget it ! All the bystanders had their eyes now fixed on the chief, thoughtful and silent as he stood ; we also stood motion. less, not knowing what a moment might bring forth. At last the savage handed the man his knife, and turning mine round and round for some time in his hands, turned to his people, holding up the knife in his hand, exclaimed, She-augh Me-yokat Waltz '—Look, my friends, at the chief's knife : these words he repeated over and over again. He was delighted. The Indians flocked round him : all ad mired the toy, and in the excess of his joy he harangued the multitude in our favour. Fickle, indeed, are savages ! They were now no longer enemies, but friends ! Several others, following Eyacktana's example, harangued in turn, all in favour of the whites. This done, the great men squatted themselves down, the pipe of peace was called for, and while it was going round and round the smoking circle, I gave each of the six principal chiefs a small paper-cased looking-glass and a little vermillion, as a present ; and, in return, they presented me with two horses and twelve beavers, while the women soon brought vs a variety of eatables. "This sudden chaege regulated my movements. In deed I might say the battle was won. I now made a speech to them in tarn, and, as many of them understood the language I spoke, I asked them what I should say to the great white chief when I got home, when ho asks me whore aro all the horses I bought from you ? What shall I say to him ? At this question it was easy to see that their pride was touched. Tell him,' said Eyacktana, that we have but ono mouth and one word ; all the horses yon have bought from us are yours ; they shall be delivered up.' This was just what I wanted. After a little counsel ling among themselves, Eyacktana was the first to speak, and he undertook to see them collected." THE TRAGICAL OCCURRENCH IN THE FOREIGN LEGION AT GOSPORT.—PORTSMOUTH, Oct. 18.—The inquest on the body of Joseph Goltswaltz, a Frenchman, private in the 31 Rifle German Legion, stationed at Haslar Barracks, Gosport, whose death was caused by a bayonet wound inflicted by another private in the same corps, was held to-day at the canteen of the above-named bar racks, before J. C. Longcroft, Esq., coroner for the county of Hants. The jury, after hearing nu merous witnesses, returned a verdict of "Justifiable homicide , " it being their opinion that the prisoner had pimplY done his duty. At the request of the coroner, Captain Cars: tensen, who acted as interpreter, explained to tl o ie_Pp e Boner the finding of the jury, and their opwn_ _crilthhe propriety of his conduct, and of the manner in hl bad done his duty as a soldier, The prisoner exhibited some emotion on receiving the communicatir. M y ee d of the legionaries were present, but they hartoys to comprehend the publicity that was given the pro ceedings, and Captain Carstensen bad several times to invite them, ' at the . suggest i on of the coroner, to enter the room, and had to assure them that such publicity with the )3ritish publi c . was only customary thing THE LATE MEETING OF THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION A T GLASGOW. The following paper, "On sonic points connected with Agricultural Chemistry," by J. B. Lewes, F.R.S., and Dr. J. 11. Gilbert, F.C.S., was read at the late meeting of the above association : The author explained that their subject was necessarily somewhat controversial, for Baron Liebig had recently published a criticism on their experiments and opinions, which had been circulated very freely in England, France, Germany, and America : and, from the well-merited re putation of that distinguished chemist, his statements and opinions had been echoed almost unexamined by ninnerous writers, both in the technical and general press. To those statements and opinions, therefore, the authors now pro posed to address themselves. They would first call atten tion to the unfairness of an article on the question at issue, in a recent number of the "Journal of the High land Society of Scotland," * as by so doing they would be naturally led to a proper definition of the subject before them. They explained that it was agriculture, not nor mal vegetation—that is, the growth of plants, under culti vation, and nut their growth in circumstances under which every element necessary for their development had to be specially provided. In other words, they pre-supposed, as the preliminary conditions of their inquiry, a soil under ordinary cultivation and an atmosphere—each yielding, unaided, their quota to the result. Indeed, Baron Liebig had defined the province of agricultural chemistry to be that of producing more corn and more meat, and not sim ply corn and meat, which had been produced for centuries without her aid. Looking at the subject in this point of view, the authors maintained, as a fundamental fact, that the composition of agricultural vegetable produce was no di rec t gu id e i n th e choice of manure for the various crops grown in rotation— that which was required being simply the resultant deficit for the artificial production of that margin of produce which distinguished agriculture, as practised in this coun try, from natural vegetation, or from produce obtained for the purposes of export, without any return to the laud by home manures. Those of their experiments which had been passed under criticism by Baron Liebig were taken, with others by their side, to illustrate the conclusions to which the authors had arrived. They first brought a summary of the results of their experiments on the growth of wheat, by different chemical manures, during many consecutive years, and they maintained that, inasmuch as by means of such ma nures they could raise the produce by from 10 to 20 bushels per acre over the unmanurod produce, and, indeed, far ex ceed the result obtained by the annual supply of farm-yard manure; that this being the case, the objection of Baron Liebig that their soil was naturally so rich as to be unfit for experiment, must be considered to be entirely without foundation. They then illustrated by tables and diagrams of results, by reference to which Baron Liebig had endea voured to prove the contrary :—l.st, " That the mineral constituents of wheat cannot by themselves increase the fertility of land ;" and 2d, " That the produce in grain and straw is rather proportional to the supply of ammonia." So far as it went they fully accepted the above definition of their conclusions as given by Baron Liebig—subject, of course, to the qualifications which their own papers would indicate. But they utterly repudiated that definition when understood in the manner assumed by Baron Liebig, when summing up and giving his verdict on their opinions at the conclusion of his treatise. They next showed by reference to tables that nitrogenous manures, whether ap plied in the form of ammouiacal salts, nitrate of soda, or rape-cake, had a great effect in the increase of produce of barley also the next in importance of the cereal grains. Turning to turnips, the type of the root crops grown in alternation with the cereals, they submitted that Baron Liebig's statement, that the phosphates were the only Manures which they had found to increase the growth of the turnip, was directly contrary to the whole tenour of their papers on the subject, in which they bad maintained the absolute necessity of matters yielding both assimilable carbon and nitrogen within the soil, for the production of a full amount of the crop in question. They did main tain, however, that phosphoric or phosphatic manures had an action on the development of the underground fibrous fee era of the plant, and, consequently, on its rapid growth and development, which could not be accounted for by the mere supp isition of supplying the actual constituents of the crop to be grown and removed from the land. They illustrated that in their experiments, they had the very circumstances provided which hat been demanded by . Baron Liebig as necessary for the support of their conclu sions; and thus it was proved that even where existed in the land a residue of phosphates from previous manuring, more than would be contained in many heavy crops, still an annual additional supply gave annually a consider able increase of produce. They further pointed out that Baron Liebig had endeavoured to substantiate his objec tions by comparisons, which they showed to be quite inad missible, whilst one main argument he had founded upon a mere misprint, which reference to the succeeding tables would at once have explained. His argument on the point in question was therefore simply reversed. They next illustrated by a collective table the action of manures on some of the most important crops of rotation, including wheat and barley as cereals, turnips as a root crop, and beans and clover as leguminous crops. From this table it appeared that, whilst mineral manures alone had little or no effect in increasing the produce of wheat and barley grown respectively in succession, nitrogenous ma nures, on the other hand, yielded most striking results. And hero attention was called to the fact that these manures bad a similar effect on a corn-exhausted soil on the farm of the Earl of Leicester, at Holkham, of which the surface soil was poor and li g ht, b u t th e subsoil somewhat rich and loamy; and, also, at the farm of the Duke of Bedford at Woburn, on a soil and subsoil naturally of the poorest pos sible description. And they further maintained that these results of direct experiment on different soils wore perfectly in accordance with the general experience of practical far mers all over the country, as to what was the predominant characteristic of corn exhaustion. In the experiments quoted mineral manures were, of course, found to give a further increment of increase when the nitrogenous manure em ployed was in excessive quantity. With turnips, again, superphosphate of limo had given an average increase during a series of years of more than 7 tons of the bulk ; the addition of alkalis to this had even diminished the amount of increase. Ammonia salts alone, on the other hand, had only given a few hundredweights of increase, instead of more than as many tons, by the phosphatic manure. The mixture of both mineral and ammoniacal manures bad, however, given a better produce still ; though not equal to that which would have been ob tained had there been also a liberal supply of carbonaceous organic matter within the soil. Turning to beans and clover, nitrogenous manures which had been so beneficial to the cereals, and phosphates which had been so much so to the turnips, had here comparatively little effect. The constituent of manure which acted in the most charac teristic manner with these leguminous crops was the alkali potass, which, when used as a direct manuro to soil of a similar description, had comparatively little effect on the increase of growth of the cereals or turnips. In these remarkable facts, though the experiments cited were by no means to be taken as examples of manuring, the authors considered there was afforded an interesting clue to the principles involved in manuring, fallow, and the rotation of crops. They next called attention to the analysis of three actual rotLltions • the course in each case being turnips, barley, clever, and wheat. In one instance, the rotation com mencing without manure; in the second with super phosphate of lime alone ; and in the third, with a mixed and pretty full manuring. It appeared that, in each case, the clover grown between the barley and the wheat (the intervention of which, instead of the immediate suc cession of the wheat, would greatly increase the produce of the latter), removed from the land very much mere of phosphoric acid, of potass, of lime, and of magnesia—in fact, of every important mineral constituent except silica —than either the preooding barley or the succeeding wheat. Hence it was maintained that the effect of this leguminous crop, in rotation as a preparation for wheat, could not be, according to the theory of Baron Liebig, to increase the available supply of, or to conserve within the soil, the im portant mineral constituents of the crop. Unless, indeed, i❑ the case of silica; which, however, Baron Liebig had himself maintained would never be wanting in sufficient quantity in any soil provided there were a sufficiency of available alkalies present. Taking these facts, together with those indicating the most important manuring for the cereals, as well as with others relating to the composition and known circumstances of growth of the leguminous crops, it could only be concluded that the clover had accu mulated from the atmosphere within the soil—a supply of available nitrogen to a great extent exhausted by the growth of the previous cereal, barley, and so essential for the succeeding cereal, wheat. Finally, attention was called to the fact, that but a comparatively small proportion of the nitrogen supplied in manure for the growth of cereals, was recovered in the increase produced. They showed by a table that the loss of nitrogen was greater or less according to the amount of it supplied in manure, and to the condi ions favourable or otherwise as to mineral supply, character of the season, &c. Under the most favourable supplied conditions—that is, with a full supply cf minerals and a limited supply of nitrogen, they had only recovered in the increase about half the nitrogen contained in the manure. But when nitrogen was supplied in quantity sufficient to yield a full crop for any given season, they had only obtained about one-third of the supplied nitrogen in the increase. And, inasmuch as, when the amount of nitrogen employed was not very great, the one-half or two-thirds which was not recovered in the increase obtained in the year of the ap plication of the manure had little or no effect on the next crop, it could not be supposed that the excess of nitrogen still remained within the soil. It was worthy of remark that vegetable physiologists had frequently observed the evolution of nitrogen from the leaves of plants during their growth, beyond that which was due to the atmosphere with which they had been supplied. But as it had not yet been clearly shown that the cereals gave off more nitrogen in this way than the leguminous crops of rotation, f ur ther experiment was ne e d e d b e f ore th e l oss i n q uestion, and consequently the varying characters in this respect of the different plants in rotation, could with full confidenc;b_ . be explained by re f erence t o th e f unc ti ona l ac tion in quest The only expl ana ti on w hi c h h a d b een sug gested asspe'_! special to the cere a l s was th a t p ro p ose d by K r . Way, " To e double the silica required by these plants is taken up: silicate, of which ammonia is one of the bas the and that this alkali or its constituents is evolved ¢t least not in of the silica within the plant. was fa vour of the view that the autho i r t s had less silica than pure containing salts of ammonia dissolved en ftound that water bulk of soil. It water when percolated through g? must be admitted, however, thateaearletnevlosuithigthhte rexplanation of this loss of nitrogen with etheeuth ors had hoped to devote then investigation, which th of other crops, they had recovered to it, yet, as in the vas©, proportion ogbfuletehnoteriostyeepooluiveladd. in a series of years a much e la' nitrogen, they consider ; of bu a t f t u h il at er t e h p e not be wholly due eitherdttohdatirsaitenhfaegnelioirfssionlu he producotgioeini poration of volatilbelecolmeepsoiunnti fact of a considers ; list be looked uen of the cereal gra-9 ra • the p as au im portant and fundamental item in stud ying rationale of agricul tural practicwesolo h they concluded -lU.PTabsit"t-he manure indicated by the resultant require n3ents o f British agriculture has no direct connection with com position of the mineral substances collectively the foun d in the ashes of the produce grown on or exported from the farm ; and that the direct mineral manures which are required are not a dvantageously applied for the direct re production of the exportable corn, but it should be used for the green or fallow crops, the office of which it is to collect from the atmosphere., or to conserve on the farm, nitrogen for the increased growth of the saleable cereal grains. 2. That the nitrogen required to be provided within the soil for this purpose is far greater than that contained in the increase of produce obtained by it. 3. That the effects of fallow in increasing the growth of the saleable cereal grains, chemically considered, are not measurable by the amount of the additional mineral food * Professor Anderson, on the part of the Highland Society, repudiated its responsibility for the article in question, :lid Mr. Robt. Russell, of Kilwiaiss, also digs:Lamed all connection ?rah 45 authorship. of plants liberated thereby, these being, under ordinary cultivation, in excess of the assimilable nitrogen existing in, or condensed within, the soil i n th e same per i od of time ; the amount of which latter, therefore—the avail able nitrogen—is the measure of the increased produce of corn which will be obtained. 4. That the beneficial effects of rotation in increasing the production of saleable produce, chemically considered, is not dependent "on the fact of one plan taking from the soil more of the different mineral constituents than an other ; but on the property of the so-called green or fallow erops biinging on, or 'conserving upon the farm, more nitrogen than is yielded to them in manure, whilst the crops to which they are subservient are both largely ex ported from the farm, and yield in their increase consi derably less of nitrogen than is given to them in manure. 5. In a word, that, in the existing condition of British agriculture, a full production of the saleable cereal grains, with, at the same time, other exportable produce, is only attained—whether by manures, fallow, or rotation—by an accumulation of available nitrogen, nominally an atmo spheric constituent, within the soil itself. A lengthened discussion followed the reading - of the paper, in which Baron Liebig, the Marquis of-Tweeddale, Professor Anderson, Dr. Daubeny, and Mr. Russell took part ; after which Dr. Gilbert replied. WHY SHOULD AN ALLIANCE !miff NORWAY' AND SWEDEN BE OF PO.RTANCE ? TO THE EDITOR OP TUE T/IfES. Sir,—l am induced to prop ose this question, as I be lieve it is generally admitted that the time has not yet arrived, nor is it even at hand, in which a lasting peace is possible, and, consequently, England and France may ' yet strengthen their position and advance the objects of war by fresh alliances. In suggesting an alliance with Norway and Sweden I trust I may justly be allowed to claim for those countries an exception from the reproach of a " dishonourable neutrality," with which your Prime Minister recently charged the greater European Powers who have thought it consistent with their position to stand aloof from the contest, for the former States stake their very existence by co-operation, which I presume neither Prussia nor Austria would be inclined to admit as the explanation of its inaction. Your Prime Minister, in the speech to which I have above alluded, did not indeed mention Norway and Swe den, but, if I am not greatly mistaken, this forbearance may be attributed to the still less flattering supposition that their accession or non-accession to the policy of the Western Powers is comparatively of little value. And here, then, you have the second reason for the appear ance of these lines,—namely, that although there exists some floating idea, that Norway and Sweden, by their position in the very lion's mouth, might be applied to a better purpose than mere neutrality, yet the opinions generally entertained by the English public as to the service which they could render are very indistinct. The only advantage English politicians seem hitherto to have promised themselves from a Norwegian-Swedish alliance, is that an army from Sweden might be thrown into Finland, and that such fa diversion would, in a direct manner, assist the blockading fleets in the Baltic, and indirectly second the operations of the allies on the shores of the Black Sea, by preventing the Czar from sending the flower of his northern army to the Crimea. It cannot be doubted that a Scandinavian army in Fin land would have had an important influence on the course of events ; and it may not be too presumptuous to suppose that by its judicious employment Sweaborg, as well as Sebastopol, might now have been wrested from Russia, while the Swedish arms might have found an opportunity of washing off the shame of the igno minious surrender of that stronghold in 1809. I am convinced, however, that it would be in the power of Norway and Sweden to play a far more im portant part in the present war drama than has been generally assigned to them. It will, probably, at the first glance, appear to most persons a strange and even absurd statement, yet I trust to prove it not the less true, that the most effective means of cooperation of these two kingdoms lies not in their power to raise an army of from 40,000 to 50,000 soldiers, but in their ca pabilities as maritime nations, and I the less hesitate to propound this opinion as, by private communications, I find that such has not altogether escaped the attention of persons in this country. When we ask why is it that Russia, with the excep tion of the destruction of Bomarsund and the conflagra tion of the magazines at Sweaborg, is still in the Baltic as strong in a military sense (for I speak not of the effect of the blockade on her trade) as when the war began ?- why are all her formidable strongholds in that part still in her possession ?—why is it that Cronstadt has not been so much as struck by a single shell t—why is it that the glorious but incomplete operations of the allies at Sweaborg could not be followed up ?—and, finally, why have tho allied fleets, so justly the objects of so much pride and confidence, done so little in the waters of the North ? Th e reiterated answer is that the allies are in want of small and suitable vessels—a fleet of gun-boats, fit for rapid ma nceuvring among the intricate banks, rocks, islets, and narrow firths of the Baltic Sea ; and that such ves sels England and France have not possessed, and could not build and bring up in time for effective operations. But just such a fleet Norway and Sweden could have furnished, and in number probably superior to the need. The two kingdoms have together about 400 gun-boats and mortar-vessels of different sizes ;* and if that num ber be somewhat reduced—a part of the Swedish gun boats., I understand, not being afloat—ib is, at all events, certain that the two countries could have furnished a fleet of at least 300 gun boats and other small vessels, purposely built and adapted for the Russian stores in the B.dtie, and that might, without difficulty, have been brought to their appointed places. Nor is it generally known in England that Norway and Sweden have in scribed on their rolls 68.000 men as liable to the service in the fleet. Of these Norway alone has about 50,000 (all men born and bred in the seaport towns, and accus tomed to the sea), and I assert only what I believe is generally recognised among seafaring men when I state that these men are among the best sailors in the world. Now, sir, I ask if the matchless fleets of Eng land and France in the Baltic had been supported by such sea forces as these, or a part of them, and on the land side by a Scandinavian army of 40,000 men, how would it in all probability have fared with the Russians in those waters t and might not the most im portant operations in their effect on the war have ere this been successfully accomplished ?. With these facts before us I think it will at once be conceded that an alliance with Sweden and Norway would be chiefly desirable for the sake of their fleets, and, if so, it is to be remarked that they are the only States in Europe which are able to supply that assistance to the allied cause. I will not attempt to lay down the conditions on which such an alliance is to be purchased ; but in the Sardinian alliance we have seen that terms are to be made to meet the exigencies of each of the contracting Power?. In my next letter I should wish, with your perrnis- Elan, to represent a piece of Russian policy towards Nor way, which would seem in itself to afford a sufficient mo tive for the two kingdoms to j , in the c , mtest, even with out asking guarantees or subsidies. Until then, I remain, Sir, your obedient servant, A NORWEGIAN (R). * 79 Norwegian gun-boats are supplied with two tiOlb. mortars each; 55 part with one 241 b., part with two 211 h. guns each. WIND ND WEATHER REPORT. THURSDAY, October 18. Stations, Course of Wind. State of Weather. Greenwich N.W Overcast. Lothbury. Manchester........, S.S.W Cloudy. Sheffield S.E Cloudy. Stoke-on-Trent.... S.W Frosty. Carlisle W. Frosty —Windy. Lancaster IV Rain. Alaryport.. E. Whitehaven Leeds S.W Cloudy. Dublin S.W Cloudy. Liverpool Holyhead Brighton N.W ......... Fine. Bristol W .......... .. Fine. •Plymouth ......... Fine. Exeter.-- Haverfordwest s S :eiv lV".. ........ Fine, h SwanseaGloucest Gloucester Fine. Cardiff N.E. S.S.W . Fi ne. Derby............... Nottingham ...... S ' W Leicester ............ W L ea mington 1 1 .. ..1V W .................. Fine —Cold. S. ....... . Lowestoft Shrewsbury C Y s a m r tri clu d t g li e ......... Cold Cowes,Sll3)lipooooa rsuosrtttois Ipswich . :he. in... Harwich •:: : .. Portsmouth........ t . ..... h o: .. .. I 1 ... : ....: ....... .... : : 1 NN N NN .... I ww : , .V : : : : : : : : : . 1 U FFl r i l : e : t t l e d . Cloudy. Gainsborough ..... ... ... .. WN N . -: •• ....... Fine. Cloudy. Fine. Fine. Great Grinisby... N.E. Fine. Amsterdam . E York null. Dundee Darlington S.W Fine. Berwick S.W Fine. Glasgow W... Rain. Sunderland W Cloudy. Newcastle Perth Scarborough Edinburgh W. Very fine. Whitby Aberdeen . N. Fine--Cold. Tonbridge Strood 5.W.......... Overcast. •4.1_ two anchors The large hired transp ort Simla, fro m Constantinopl e , was, on t he Varna 27th ult., in Bay, 1vi,..., d waitin 0 seasondon riding out a strong gale, accompanied by a heavy a lee shore, an of g pportunity to disembark her freight, consisting 420 b — orses, 300 men, 30 wag -50 tons of gunpowder, and other materials, belong. gone, ing to the arm y of the Tu r ki s h Contingent. The damage received by her collision with the Cleopatra bad been repaired, an d the Simla will probably be j e e t da y ll the wint er i n the Black Sea. occupied The new screw steam gun-boat Chub, built in the dry was put out of the fitti ng b as i n yes tdeorodkay, a t S heernes s, andwill leave to-day for Woolwich, in tow of the steam tug•vessel Fearless. The engine, machinery, boilers, &a., for the Chub are already at Woolwich. S i 2 , l _ is to be fitt e d and attaehed immediately to cue of to ahipe is the Blick pea fleet. TILE SON, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING OCTOBER 19; 1855 ,