The Sun. — London, England, 1855-06-20 00:00:00

by the officers and men of the British navy. He trusted that the noble lord at tha head of the Government would consent to the appointment of the committee. Lord PALMERSTON said he could assure his hon. friend (Mr. Mackinnon) that be most willingly agreed to the motion he had made. (Cheers.) ft was impossible for any man in that house not to appreciate as highly as his honourable friend did the great merits of Captain M'Clure, his perseverance, his courage, and his daring, by which he had solved the problem that for a great length of time had engaged the intense anxiety of all the maritime nations of the world. (Cheers.) Having said that much, he did not wish in the least to prejudge what might be the opinion of the committee as to the particular claim in reference to which the commit tee was asked ; but he should neither do justice to his own feelings, nor, he thought, to those of the house, if he did not give his cordial assent to the appointment of the committee. (Cheers.) The motion was then agreed to by acclamation. LANCASTER SHOT MANUFACTORY. _ _ ' hours ; there were many competent persons upon it. If the commission should produce no result, it w ou ld o f course be necessary to apply to Parliament, but it was of no use to harass them with resolutions like that be fore the house. Mr. NAPIER agreed with the hon. gentleman, that when money had been voted for the purpose of having the statute law put into a satisfactory state, they had a right to expect that some act would be brought into re medy the evils complained of. He thought that one of the objects of the commission ou g ht t o b e to exam i ne the different English and Irish statutes, and bring the law of the two countries on an imperial basis. In his opinion the statute law would never be placed in a sa tisfactory state until the re was a separate department of public justice ; the mon e y was t e d f or t h ese commissions, and the salaries of some sinecure offices like the Chan cellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster, would afford suffi cient funds for a Minister of Justice. Mr. MALINS said that the resolution referred to the labours of the commission who had prepared a list of 10,047 acts. He had reason to believe that that list was extremely inaccurate, and would require to be re vised again and again. It was not surprising that the statute law was in an unsatisfactory state, when they con sidered the manner in which acts were passed through that house, generally between twelve at night and two in the morning. When they were exhausted in mind and body, the question was put that the Speaker leave the chair, the Chairman of Ways and Means took it, and in a few minutes a most important measure passed without any member in the house knowing what it was about. He did not agree with his right hon. friend the member for the University of Dublin as to the necessity of a public Department of Justice. When he saw the way in which gr•od bills, after passing that house, were destroyed by the learned lords in another place, he did not feel much encouraged to submit them to the revision of any public officer. He was inclined to think that the evil was very much exaggerated, and that the statute law did not present any great difficulties. He was not very sanguine as to the results of these commissions, nor did he think much good would be derived from the house taking up crude schemes, the result of two or three months' labour. Mr. MASSEY said that if they were to adopt the opinion of the hon. and learned gentleman the house had better abandon the attempt to work out a reform of the statute law, and the only course for them to take was to delegate their powers to a commission similar to that before appointed. The labours of the commission were delayed chiefly by their quarrels amongst them selves. The commission now consisted of only Mr. Ker and his secretary. The Attorney-Genei al said that the work of Messrs. Anstey and Rogers required revision ; but surely the revision of the statute law of England ought not to be delegated to one commissioner and a secretary. If the hon. member for Surrey pressed his motion to a division, he would divide with him. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL wished to explain the mode in which the present commission was being worked. The different members of the commission took up sepa rate branches of law, and had a staff of clerks under them. For instance, the right hon. member for Mid hurst and Vice-Chancellor Stuart had under their con sideration the law of real property, and the Lords Chief Justices of the Queen's Bench and the Common Pleas, the criminal law. Mr. M'MAHON thought that the only proper way to consolidate the statute law was for the commissioners to take the statutes of a particular reign, and having struck out all that were obsolete, to re-enact the remain der, and then do the same with those of the succeeding reigns. He agreed with the right hon. and learned mem ber for Dublin University as to the necessity for the ap pointment of a Minister of Justice. Mr. HADFIELD did not think that the subject pre sented any such immense difficulties. The task of con solidating the statutes would soon be accomplished if it was entrusted to men of talent and energy, who had nothing else to de. It was ridiculous to expect that the judges, who had so much to attend to, could find time for such a task. Mr. CRAUFURD said that the labours of Messrs. An stey and Rogers had received the approval of the Lord Chancellor and the Chief Commissioner, yet these gentle men had been very badly treated, as they were not placed on the last commission. One of these gentlemen had since accepted a situation in the colonies, but he had been obliged to leave England without obtaining a settle ment of his claims on the commissioners. Mr. L. KING having replied, The house divided. For the resolution . Against .... siderable, that Government was disinclined to accede to the proposal. The justice of the case was clear, but the equity of the country was defective. He contended that they were bound to do something indicated by the hon. gentleman. Lord A. PAGET had brought forward a similar mo tion some time ago, having in view the benefit of the widows and orphans of officers killed in action. He did not think anything could show it to be just or right that the family of an officer under such circumstances should be deprived of the value of his commission. The least thing the country could do was to restore the sum to his bereaved relatives. He need refer only to such cases as that of Major Hulkitt, who had been killed in his bro ther's regiment, leaving a widow and three children, and whose widow would receive but 701. a year. (Hear.) Then there was Col. Moore, for whose commission, be fore he left England, 15,000/. was offered ; but having been drowned, his widow would have received only 701. a year had it not been for the bounty of her Majesty, who granted an increased allowance from the privy purse. We might still do something for those who lived to fight our battles, and he was sure the noble lord, if he considered the subject, might devise some means of mak ing a provision for the widows and orphans of officers who lost their lives in our defence. Colonel NORTH observed that the claims of officers were enhanced by the fact of the enormously increased premiums demanded for insurance in war time, and the almost utter impossibility of effecting an insurance. He thought that something ought to be done to meet the hardship of this case. After a few words from Mr. RICE, Lord PALMERSTON said that the motion of the hon. and learned gentleman was only part of a very large and difficult question, because it was obviously connected with the question whether the system of pur chase and sale of commissions should be continued in the service. That question was beset with diffi culties, and even if the Legislature determined to abolish that system, it was impossible that the change could be carried out at once, or at an early period. His ho:. and learned friend seemed throughout his speech under a misapprehension of that system. He argued the question as if the State were a debtor to an officer who was killed in the sum he bad paid for his com mission. But when an officer bought his commission, it was not the State but another officer who sold him that commi , sion, and received the purchase money. The mo tion of his hon. and learned friend only went to this ex tent, that any officer who died at the seat of war should receive the value of the commission that he might have purchased. He was, however, at a loss to disconnect the first part of the resolution from the last. For unless the house aereed to make good the payment, he could not see from what fund the Government could pay the officer the value of his commission ; since, as he had already said, the money paid for the purchase of commissions did not go for them. He thought, therefore, that the first part of the resolution would be a nullity without the last. He was quite willing to admit that there was a great deal in many of the considerations urged by his hon. ana learned friend, but still he thought that the resolution as proposed would necessarily go far beyond the point sanctioned by the house and the country. He thought, however, that neither the housenor the country would ob ject to such an arrangement as this—that an officer should during his life make a choice whether, if he was killed in action, his family should receive the pension and other allowances now granted to them in that case; or whether in lieu thereof his representatives should receive the re gulation value of the commission which he held and was entitled to sell at the time of his death. There were many cases in which it would be more advantageous to his family to receive the value of his commission, while in others it would be more desirable to receive the pen sion and other allowances. He believed, whatever might be the amount of expense entailed upon the public by this arrangement, that the country would cheerfully bear it, and that the house would have no difficulty in sanc tioning it. Whatever regulation. was made must be a general one, and be made applicable to all officers in all parts of the world, and under whatever circumstances they might fall in action in the performance of their duty. It could not be limited in its application as was proposed by the motion of his hon. friend. He then came to the case of officers who died not in action. What would bethe effect of extending the regulation to cases of this kind ? There was no difficulty in drawing a line with respect to officers falling in action. But if they extended it to the case of officers dying of disease on foreign service, what distinction could they fairly draw between officers dying at home or abroad during a time of peace or war 1 What distinction could they draw between a disease which might terminate the life of an officer in one part of the world and in another ? Therefore, if they ex tended the operation of the regulation to cases of this kind, it must be applied to almost any case of an officer dying on full pay, unless it could be shown that his death was the consequence of some malady which was consti tutional, and independent of the performance of his military duty, and which it could be shown he would have had if he had been in civil life. He must say he thought there would be great difficulty in extending the operation of the resolution to that extent. (Hear, bear.) He could not quite agree in the grounds on which this question had been very much argued. The hon. and learned gentleman behind him had talked very much as if this was a mere matter of commercial speculation. He compared the annuity purchaseable by the sum given for a commission with the pay received by its holder. Even looking at the matter in that light, the purchaser of a commission did not seem to be placed in so disadvantageous a light, since his hon. friend found that the difference between the annuity and the pay was only that between 2271. and 2131., without taking into consideration the pension to which an • officer's widOw was entitled. But he altogether denied that we ought to look on the motives that induced a man to enter into the army or the navy as the same by which a man was guided when he made an investment in railway shares, in Three per Cent. Consols, or upon mortgage, or upon any other security by which he might seek to obtain in terest for his money. The motives that induced an officer to enter the service were the desire of distinc tion, the desire of an hon. condition in life, and of that reputation and consideration which belonged to the military service --(hear, hear)—and therefore the pound to which he had referred was certainly not one On which this question could be properly argued. (Hear, hear.) He hoped, after the statement he had just made, that the hon. member would leave the question in the hands of Government with a view to their carrying out the arrangement he bad mentioned, and which he hoped would meet the concurrence and prove in accordance with the feelings of the house. (Hear, hear.) Mr. M. CHAMBERS said that he knew of no misery equal to that of an officer being sent to a foreign station in an unhealthy climate during time of war. He cer tainly though that officers dying in such circumstances should be entitled to privileges at least equal to those dying of disease at the seat of war. Mr. HEADLAM said that after the statement of the noble lord at the head of the Government, which he had heard with great satisfaction, he thought he ought nof to press the motion. Captain L. VERNON, pursuant to notice, moved for copy of report of Major-General Harding, assistant in spector-general of fortifications, on the building erected fur the Lancaster shot manufactory at Woolwich ; and the report on that building forwarded to the Clerk of the Ordnance by Sir C. Fox, of the firm of Fox and Render son, the contractors for its erection. He said he made the motion in the interest of the public and also in that of the corps of Royal Engineers, to which he had the honour to belong. The building in question was estimated to cost 25,0001. ; but it was not so much the amount as the principle that was mainly in question. He complained that in this case there was a principle adopted of work ing contracts irrespective of departmental supervision, which after all was the only protection that the public had in these matters. He should like to know why that was, and why the firm of Messrs. Fox and Henderson bad been relieved from supervision in this instance ? During the 24 years in which be had served as lieutenant of Engineers, and that, by the way, was a pretty strong exemplification of the system of promotion by seniority —(loud cries of " hear, hear")—he had had great ex perience of Government contractors, and his experience had taught him that that contract was best executed which was most narrowly looked after. (Hear.) The building was to be erected at an estimated cost of 28,0001. rather an important sum, even in the present time of necessarily very large expenses. But it was not so much the amount of the estimate as the principle upon which the contract was entered into that he was anxious to bring under the notice of the house. It was a new principle of carrying out contracts without departmental supervision ; and this innovation had been introduced by a department of the Government which had more to do than any other de partment with public contracts. He was certainly curi ous to ascertain why it had been that Messrs. Fox, Hen derson, and Co. had been relieved from the usual super vision. If it was on account of their being either a large or a highly respectable firm, he contended that that would afford no sufficient ground for such exempt*. The hon. and gallant member proceeded to direct the atten tion of the house to the fact that the corps of Royal En gineers, to whom was entrusted the supervision of con tracts of this kind, had distinguished themselves greatly in many branches of art and science, and he considered them to have been insulted by the course which had been taken by the Board of Ordnance. If the house would consent to the production of the correspondence for which he had moved, hon. members would have an op portunity of judging whether the departure from the ordinary principle had or bad not been attended with advantage to the public. The hon. and gallant member concluded by moving for a copy of the report. Mr. I. BUTT moved as an amendment to add to the motion the following words :—" Also of the letters ad dressed to the Board of Ordnance by Fox, Henderson, and Co., dated respectively the 23d and 24th of April and the sth of May, and of the report to the Board of Ordnance of Mr. John Anderson, inspector of machinery, dated the 11th of May, on the subject of the building for Lancaster shells." Mr. MONSELL had no objection to lay upon the table of the house the correspondence referred to in the motion of the hon. and gallant member, and the amend ment of the hon. and learned member for Youghal (Mr. Butt). He stated that the Board of Ordnance had had no intention whatever of casting any slight upon the corps of Royal Engineers in the course which had been taken with respect to the new Lancaster shell manufactory. The facts were that Colonel Foster was called upon to prepare, in conjunction with Messrs. Fox, Henderson, and Co., a plan for the erection of the Lancaster Foundry. Some days after the Lan caster Foundry had been commenced, Colonel Foster came to him (Mr. Monsell), and said that from the light ness of the structure, which was being erected, he could not be answerable for its safety. Upon the other hand he said this was a building which required to be completed with the least possible delay, and that Messrs. Fox and Henderson bad stated that they could not complete it within the stipulated time unless the work were executed in the way in which they had arranged to execute it. He (Mr. Monsell) stated that some difficulties would arise under these circuinstances, and he finally suggested that Messrs. Fox and Henderson should be allowed to com plete the work upon their giving a guarantee that the building would stand for 12 months. Col. Foster said that he thought a guarantee for six months would be quite long enough, for considering the heavy Nasmyth hammers which would be employed in it the whole building would certainly tumble down within a less period than that. He considered that the arrangement made was a per fectly satisfactory one ; and he thought the house would be of the same opinion when they saw the correspondence wl•ich would be produced on the subject. Colonel DUNNE complained of the interference of the Board of Ordnance in making this departure from the usual mode of supervision, and attributed many of the disasters which had occurred in the Crimea to the con duct of the Board of Ordnance in interfering in matters of which it could not possibly possess any knowledge. The motion was then agreed to. POSTAL COMMUNICATION WITH WATERFORD. On the motion of Mr. MEAGHER a select commit. tee was appointed to inquire into the postal arrange ments in the city and county of Waterford, and counties of Tipperary, Cork, and Limerick, with a view to ascer tain and report how they may be improved. STATUTE LAW COMMISSION. Mr. L. KING submitted to the house the following resolutions :—" That, in the month of March, 1853, a paid commission of five barristers was appointed by the Lord Chancellor, to proceed without delay in the work of the consolidation of the statute law' (First Report, p. 209), of which the first process wuuld be to ascertain precisely the text of the statute law, as it then exist e d, by determining what st a t u t es h a d been repealed, ex pressly or virtually, what had expired, and what had be come obsolete or unnecessary in the present state of society ; whereof a special and detailed report should be made, and should form the groundwork of a declaratory bill to repeal such statutes, to be introduced, if possible, at the end of the then session' (Parliamentary paper, No. 78, of Session, 1855) ; and that, in pursuance of the said commission, a special and detailed report, embracing every entire act of the descriptions abovernentioned, and containing in all ten thousand and forty-seven acts, was prepared by Messrs. Anstey and Rogers, two of the said commissioners, and submitted to the Lord Chancellor in the course of the same session, under the title of Expurgatory List, and by way of appendix to their joint minute of the 25th day of July, 1853. That it appears from the papers communicated to this house by her Majesty, that no bill of which the said Expurga tory List is the groundwork has as yet been prepared, although in an undated Report of 1854, made by Mr. Brickdale, the commissioner to whom (First Report, p. 109) the task of careful revision by a fresh hand was assigned,' by Mr. Bellenden Ker, the chief commissioner, the list itself bag been certified to evince the great fa miliarity of his two colleagues with the Statute Book,' and to cause him `to feel hardly any doubt that they had not entered as obsolete any act which had in fact been repealed,' and although Mr. Ker has reported it to be 'a very laborious, useful, and valuable paper,' and to have shown their industry and familiarity with thestatute book.' That it is the opinion of this house that it would greatly conduce to the improvement of the statute law of this country if the preparation of declaratory bill, of which the said special and detailed report shall form the ground work,' were no longer to be delayed, and that such bill ought to be forthwith prepared, for the purpose of being laid before Parliament." He said that it was time Parlia ment should show that it was in earnest on this important subject. Great expense had already been incurred with out any practical result, and it appeared to him that the commission bad only trifled with the question which had been committed to their charge. Taking into considera tion the great progress which this country had made in other respects, it was undeniable that we were u naccoun _ _ 43 26 Majority ARMY COMMISSIONS. Mr. HEADLAM said the proposal he was about to make was a simple one, and would not require any lengthened statement on his part. He was about to ask the house to do an act of purely simple justice to a class of men who, he thought, in ordinary times were entitled to the favourable consideration of the house, inasmuch as they were in the habit of performing duties of no ordi nary responsibility in maintaining the character and dignity of the country. But if that were true under ordinary circumstances it was still more true at the present time, when they all knew that regimental officers in the army had been sub jected to dangers and exposed to privations almost unexampled in the history of this country. They all knew, too, from concurrent testimony that these officers had risked the dangers and borne privations with a spirit of gallantry and patience which had won them the admi ration of the world and entitled them to the lasting grati tude of their fellow-subjects. Under such circumstances, he appealed rather to the justice than the generosity of the house in their behalf. According to the regulations of the army now in farce, if an officer died in the perform. ance of his duty every portion of the money he had paid either for promotion or otherwise would be absolutely forfeited. A lieutenant-colonel's commissioncost 4,5001., and an ensign 4501., and it frequently happened that an officer died long before be had received back the money in the shape of pay, leaving, therefore, the country a debtor to his estate. An officer, therefore, who purchased a lieutenant-colonel's commission not only put his life in danger, but risked his 4,5001. ; but if they looked at the matter in a mere pecuniary sense, it would be found that if he paid an insurance on the 4,5001., the country would be still his debtor whether be lived or whether he died. (Hear.) The other day an officer serving in the Crimea was found guilty of misconduct, and allowed to sell out, but suppose this officer had died in the trenches, the money which he paid for his commission would have been forfeited to the Government. This system might be all very well in a time of peace, when there were ample opportunities of selling out, but when war came the fear of exciting public feeling deterred, if it did not altogether prohibit, officers from selling out. But he wam not going now into the general system of purchase, as he wished his motion to be taken and considered as perfectly distinct from that general question. (Hear.) Officers coming back from the war unwounded would benefit largely by the adoption of the measure he ad vocated, which would occasion no additional expense to the public. The bravest of men were also the most tender-hearted, and they might rely upon it that there were many who felt the hardship upon themselves, and the injustice of depriving their families of all provision. He called upon them to adopt this motion as an act of justice. The hon. member con cluded by moving " That this house do, to-morrow, re solve itself into a committee, to consider of an bumble address to her Majesty, praying that she would be gra ciously pleased to direct alterations to be made in the rules of the military service to the effect that the regula tion value of the commissions of officers in the army, dying or having died in active service during the pre-tent war, may be paid to their representatives and deemed part of their personal estate, and to assure her Majesty that this house will make good the same. Mr. PEEL observed that there was some inconve nience in the form in which the subject had been brought under their notice. If the principle of the re solution were a sound one, he could not understand why it should not be made quite co-extensive with the whole range of cases covered by it. He did not quite understand whether the honourable gentleman meant that officers dying in any part of the world should be enabled to bequeath the value of their commission, or whether the boon should be confined to officers on active service in the Crimea. The other day there was an officer killed i❑ the colony of Victoria, during the insurrection of the diggers, whilst storming an en trenched position. He could see no reason why such a case as this should be excluded from the operation of the proposed measure. If it were adopted there could be no doubt that similar claims would be addressed to them on the part of relatives of officers who had perished in similar wars, as that with the Kafirs. It Should be recollected that, if the risks of the Crimean service were greater, the opportunities of gaining distinction and acquiring honour were also more considerable than in many other wars. (Hear, hear.) He contended, therefore, that there was no reason for restricting the principle, if it were a good one, to a particular class of cases. Let the house con sider whether some provision were not already made for those who most needed it, the surviving relatives of officers who had been dependent on them for subsistence, by a pension warrant. Pensions granted under warrants were, to a certain extent at least, intended as compen sation to the families of officers for the loss of the value of the commission. If they were to grant, besides the pension, the regimental value of the commission, it would ne difficult to resist a proposal to grant pensions to the widows of private soldiers. In the case of a young per son it might be advantageous to receive the value of the commission in lieu of a pension, but the present arrange ment was more advisable in a great number of cases. The value of a captain's commission was 1,8001. ; and under the hon. gentleman's plan this would be the sum payable to his relatives in the event of his death. By the recent pension warrant the maximum amount of the pension to be granted to a captain was 1501., and it could not be said that such a yearly sum as this was not a full equivalent. If this proposition were adopted, the co►n. missions must be sold, and could not be given away with out purchase, so that it would be necessary to set apart a sum to enable Government to purchase commissions when it was desired to reward a deserving officer. He did not think it advisable to do what must be done if the mo tion were adopted, to recognise the idea of property as con nected with a commission. He looked upon it as a per sonal thing, and naturally all interest in it ceased with the termination of the holder's life. In the course of the last few days a warrant had been issued granting an in creased rate of pension to the widows, mothers, and chil dren of officers killed in action, as well as extending the number of cases in which pensions were granted. He would suggest that the hon. gentleman should examine the warrant. with the view of seeing whether its terms conside ration the enstulyb j a e m et p w le e . nt, A h s e fa w r ae as ne h t is fa p v r e e e se re n b t I c e o t n e si t d h e e - Gil. DUNNE thougelantewtheercji• objsct recommended by the hon. l: g e en fh t e leFa b a y n t . he 110 e. at War. The truth was that the number gen tleman had not been ee rof e Under-Secretary ffi ee r officers killedor dying was so large, and the amount required so con- The motion was then withdrawn. The Justices of Peace Qualification Bill passed through committee. The house then adjourned at half-past ten o'clock. ably behind hand in the simplification and arrangement of our law. It was true that the laws were now written in the English language, but taken as a whole they were as in the old time, when they were written in bad Latin and bad French. It was impo.sible, with the vast amount of obsolete acts which still eucum bered our statute-book, for even a man bred to the law to know what the law really was ; they were such an undigested mass of enactments—some repealed, some ob solete, and some irreconcilable with subsequent acts. Within the last century the number of public acts had increased enormously. In the reign of George I. there were 377 public acts passed ; in the reign of George 11., 1,547 acts ; in the reign of George 111. there were 6,953; in the reign of George IV., 1,066; during William IV.'s reign, 678 were passed ; and in the present reign, 1,864 had already been passed. The opinions of great lawy ers wyers and statesmen in ti mes p as t were f avoura bl e t o .h consolidation, arrangement, and digest of the sta n:jtutes,u.- ina' and the removal of all that w ere s l ee pi ng or force ; and Lord Lyndhurst had testified to the vast quantity of useless rubbish which encumbered the statute b^ok, and which he thought should be swept away. We had th e example of the - great Code Napoleon, which showed what could be done in consolidating the law—a code which had been adopted inin a ß y!at part of the world, and which was t aken e um wor s d o bodily, that they had even omitted to change 41 1 Francais de Belgique. He had in his hanafnywde thaic-nchhoepawypnenorfntnhlye French Code, a small volume, the coat a franc, and he understood there was edi tion published at 75 centimes. When other countries had done so much it was disgraceful for England t o b e so many centuries behind had in a matter of such, great importance as the intelligibility and compilation of our statute law. The commissioners who had been appointed had only trifled with the subject, and had never at tempted to do anything practical, and there was not the least prospect of seeing the Declaratory Bill brought in, which had been prorni.4ed in 1853. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL quite agreed with the h° ll - gentleman that the statute book of this country re qthne irect most careful revision ; but regretted to state that factor expurgatory li s t was a t presen t i n suc h an unsatis y condition that it was impossible to make any Practical use of it. He thought the best course for the i resent was t o l eave the commission to pursue its 13* g THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 20, 1855, the Brevet rank converted into Substantive rank of Major in conformity with the memorandum dated War-office - Ist May, 1855. STAFF. Thomas Baldwin Snmmerfield, Esq., to be Paymaster for Army Services. BREVET. Thomas Rhys, Esq., to have the local rank of staff- Surgeon of the First Class in Turkey, while attached to the Turkish contingent. Dr. Richard Sarell, attached to the Turkish Contingent, to have the local rank of extra Staff-Assistant-Surgeon in Turkey. Lieutenant and Captain and Brevet-Major William Gor don Cameron, of the Grenadier Guards, being attached to the Foreign German Legion, to have the substantive rank of Major while so employed. MEMORANDUM.—The name of the Lieutenant of the Royal Engineers, who was gazetted on the Bth instant to have the local rank of Captain in Turkey, is John Popham Maquay and not Magnay as previously stated. ADMIRALTY, JuNs 18. The following promotions, dated the 6th inst., have this day taken place consequent on the decease, on the sth inst., of Rear-Admiral of the White Edward Boxer, C.B. : Rear-Admiral of the Blue Lord Adolphus Fitzclareuce, G.C.H., t 9 be Rear-Admiral of the White. Captain Peter Richards, C. 8., to be Rear-Admiral of the Blue. COMMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD-LIETTTENANTS. Northamptonshire Regiment of Militia—Captain Chas. Hill to be Major, vice Quintus Vivian, who h as res i gne d, retaining his rank. NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCA'. The Chapman sailing transport, No. 118, has been brought alongside the dockyard jetty at Portsmouth to embark and convey to Corfu the Oxford Regiment of Militia, now quartered in Portsmouth Garrison. The baggage is being shipped, and the regiment will embark to-morrow. Considerable preparation has been already made for further converting the Royal Sovereign, 120, from a sailing to a screw-ship. The Britannia, 120, fitted as a floating hospital for military invalids, was officially inspected by a board of medical officers on Saturday at Portsmouth, and will be ready for the reception of inmates in a few days. She will accommodate 300 patients very comfortably. It will be satisfactory to the friends of those gallant suf ferers now patients in the General Military Hospital, Portsea, to hear that they are all doing well —many far better than coald have been expected under the many drawbacks of treatment they have experienced. Dr. Burgess has been unremittingly attentive, and has pro duced most gratifying results ; but it is astonishing what great good may be totally prevented by stolid adherence to routine. Major-General Sir Frederick Smith, R.E., is about to erect an hospital at the camp at Alderebott, which will be as perfect in every detail as any establish ment of the kind can possibly be made by skilled con ception, labour, and money. This, we believe, is the Queen's order. S►r Frederick and Lady Smith went over the Portsmouth Military Hospital again yesterday, and distributed extra comforts and necessaries in shirts, flannel and cotton drawers, cholera belts, comforters, and nourishing confections to the patients, who, strange to say, have never been supplied by any other agency with the necessary article of a pocket-handkerchief. The Perseverance steam-transport, belonging to the Peninsularand Oriental Navigation Company, in command of Capt. H. Harris, commenced on Monday to embark at Sheerness three companies of the Royal Artillery, and two companies from Shoeburyness ; the latter were brought by the steam-vessels Alban and Myrtle. Each company consists of 120 men, 14 non-commissioned officers, and 1 trumpeter—making a total of 675, exclu sive of officers. The names of the officers embarked are —Lieutenant-Col. N. E. Harison (in command), Cap tains A. C. L. Fitzroy, Ciifford, Lennox, Newton, Mil ward, Curtis, Sievwright, and Adjutant Boyle ; also Subalterns Heberden, Smith, Brown, Tyler, Still, Wor tham, Marshall, De Moleyns, Hill, and Pearce. In addi tion to the surgeon of the ship, Staff•surgeons Dr. J. Rimner and Dr. Betts go out in medical charge. The Rev. S. East proceeds in her as ship's chaplain. It was an animating sight when the embarkation took place. Col. England and Capt. Cannon had the 3 companies as sembled early on parade. The parade and approaches to the place of embarkation were crowded with the inhabi tants and also a large assemblage of naval officers, by whom the different companies were cheered on leaving the parade, which was loudly responded to by them. On passing each of the line-of-battle ships Powerful and Calcutta an animated spectacle was presented. The troops manning the rigging of the African steam-vessel cheered heartily, and were responded to by the officers and crews in all parts of the ships, the brass bands play ing " Cheer, boys, cheer," and " The Red, White, and Blue." Excellent arrangements were made for the re ception of the troops on board by Captain Henry Harris, While the officers are well accommodated the troops are all conveniently and spaciouslyiberthed. The Perseve rance left Sheerness harbour yesterday afternoon amid the cheers of all afloat within hearing. The Devastation, 6, paddle steam-sloop, of 401-horse power, Commander Algernon F. R. de Horsey, arrived at Woolwich on Monday, from the North America and West India station. This vessel has been in commission ever since May, 1851. Royal South Gloucester Light Infantry Regiment of Militia—Ensign Charles Gurney to be Lieutenant, vice Stansbury, resigned. Royal - Monmouthshire Light Infantry—Charles Hum fray, Gent., to be Lieutenant ; James Browne, Gent., to be Ensign ; GeorgA Bowerbank Daunt, Gent., to be Ensign. Ist Somerset Regiment of Militia—Ensign Thomas Warry to be Lieutenant, vice Stevens, resigned ; Coventry Carew, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Newbolt, resigned. Hampshire Militia Artillery—Frederick Moffit, Gent., late of the European Bengal Fusiliers, to be First Lieu tenant. Ist or Royal East Middlesex Regiment of Militia.— Donald Noble, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Copplestone, pro moted. sth or Royal Elthorne Light Tnfantry Regiment of Mid dlesex Militia.—William Mayon, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Jaquet, promoted. Light Infantry Battalion of the Royal Sussex Militia.— Lieutenant Joseph Fiennes Blake to be Captain, vice Dickins, resigned; Ch ar l es H enry Thomas Newington, Gent., to be Assistant-Surgeon. 6th Regiment of Royal Lancashire Militia.—William Middleton Moore, Esq., late Lieutenant 15th Foot, to be Captain; Lieutenant Edward Fleetwood Hesketh to be Captain, vice Netterville, resigned ; Ensign Roger For rest to be Lieutenant, vice Hesketh, promoted. 7th Regiment of Royal Lancashire Militia—John Hamil ton, Gent., to be Lieutenant John Lomax, G en t., t o b e Lieutenant ; Frank Muckles ton Allen, Gent., to be Lieu tenant ; Francis Berry Fetherstonhaugh, Gent., to be En sign ; Charles Henry Webster, Gent. to be Ensign. East Kent Regiment o f Militia—Ensign Robert Fraser to be Lieutenant, vice Leith, resigned. Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry Cavalry- Lieutenant Chas. James Thomas Conolly to be Capt a i n , v i ce P enru dd oc k e, resigned • Cornet Jon Whittaker B us h t o b e Li eu t enan t , vice Cono lly,' promoted. . Ayrshire Yeomanry Cavalry—Cornet Sir Thomas Fer gusson, Bart., to bo Lieutenant, vice Robert Robertson Glasgow, promoted ; Cornet Hugh Hamilton to be Li3u tenant, vice George Montgomery Cuninghame, resigned; Cornet William Long to be Lieutenant, vice George James Campbell, resigned. West Essex Militia—Ensign Henry William Clifford to be Lieutenant, vice Weaver, resigned. BINIERITPTS. ► DIVIDENDS DECLARED. Win. Hill and Wm. Kemble Wackerbarth, of Leadenhall street, City, ship and insurance agents, final dividend of 7-16 d, in the pound, payable at 25, Coleman-street, City, on Thursday, June 21, and three following Thursdays. Daniel Hadingham, of Cambridge, linendraper, second divi dend of 10d. in the pound, payable at 25, Coleman-street, City, on Thursday, June 21, and three following Thursdays. Charles John Webb, of 121, Leadenhall-street, City, silver smith, final dividend of ls. 14d. in the pound, payable at 76A, Basinghall-street, City, on Thursday, June 21, and three following Thursdays. Henry Steel, of Norwich, tea-dealer, final dividend of ls. lid. in the pound, payable at 76A, Basinghall-street, City, on Thursday, June 21, and three following Thursdays. Thomas Harris, of West Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, chair manufacturer, final dividend of 2s. in the pound, payable at 76A, Ba.singhall-street, City, on Thursday, June 21, and three following Thursdays. Alexander and Isaacson, late of 151, Strand, printers, first dividend of 4s. 6d. in the pound (on the separate estate of Stephen Isaacson), payable at 76A, Basiughall-street, City, on Thursday, June 21, and three following Thursdays. John Harwell, of Manchester, tobacconist, first dividend of 3s. 10d. in the pound, payable at 69, Princes-street, Man chester, on any Tuesday. Ralph Pickstone and Ambrose Mayall, of Hurst, Lancashire, cotton spinners, first dividend of 7s. 4,3 d. in the pound, pay able at 45, George-street, Manchester, on Tuesday, July 10, and any subsequent Tuesday. Betty Baron, Henry William Knowles, and James Hey worth, of Bacup, Lancashire, manufacturers, first dividend of 2s. 4d. in the pound, payable at 45, George-street, Manches ter, on Tuesday, July 3, and any subsequent Tuesday. John Hunter, of Manchester, wholesale tea and coffee mer chant, a dividend of 9p. in the pound, payable at 45, George street, Manchester, on Tuesday, July 3, and any subsequent Tuesday. William Birch Price and John Edwards, of Shrewsbury, bankers, a dividend of 20s. in the pound (on the separate estate of William Birch Price), payable at 7, Waterloo-street, Birmingham, on any Thursday. Samuel James, of Builth, Brecknockshire, shoemaker, a dividend of 41d. in the pound, payable at the County Court, Builth. James Powell, of Builth, Brecknockshire, saddler, a divi dend of ls. 2d. in the pound, payable at the County Court, Builth. John Price, of Builth, Brecknockshire, innkeeper, a divi dend of 3s. 6d. in the pound, payable at the County Court, Builth, DIVIDENDS TO BE DECLARED 1 John Conquest, of Moorgate-street, City, money scrivener, July 10—Raffael Monti, of 45, Great Marlborough-street, and 20, Princes-street, Hanover -square, sculptor, July 10—Wil liam Cobb, of Maidstone, builder, July 10—William Fitch, of 3, Old Fish-street-hill, Upper Thames-street, City, wholesale stationer, July 10—William Kinton Gibbs, of Dudley, grocer, July 11—John Latimer, of Newcastle-under-Lyne, draper, July 11—Francis Behrens, of Birmingham, general merchant, July 11—W. Geldart, of North Shields, shipowner, July 12 —Sampson Langdale and John Eyton, of Newcastle-upon- Tyne, merchants, July 12—T. Robinson, of Hexham, currier, July 13—W. Houston, of Manchester, joiner, July 10— D. Hearn, of Cheltenham, linen draper, July 12—W. Pule ston, of Wrexham, draper, July 12 —Julius Weichbrodt, of Liverpool, merchant, July 13—W. Gibson, of Alford, Lin bolnshire, innkeeper, July 11. CERTIFICATES TO BE GRANTED. R. Monti, 45, Great Marlborough-street, and 20, Princes street, Hanover-square, sculptor, July 10—James Emmins, 6, Portland-road, Notting-hill, builder, July 11—Reinfeld Reichloser, 30, Red Lion-street, Holborn, tailor, July 11-. H. Wyatt, 40, Cha r ' woo d -s t reet, Piml i co, gentleman, Thos. Dickins, 44, Henry-street, Upper Kennington-lane, engineer, and D. E. Austin, 12, Copthall-court, City, solicitor, July 10—Thomas Salmon, Kettering, Northamptonshire, ironmonger, July ll—James Woolley, late of Manchester, coachbuilder, July 12—J. Aldred, Manchester, innkeeper, July 12—F, Norbury, Manchester, builder, July 13—M. Brown and It. Ingham, Rawtenstall, Lancashire, power loom cloth manufacturers, July 11.—E. S. Brookes, Loughborough, Leicestershire, hosier, July 17—G. I. Ward, Leicester, fish monger, July 17--J. Willmore, Leicester, woollen draper, July 17—T. Fowkes, late of Redditch, Worcestershire, inn keeper, July 12—J. C ar t wr i g ht , Bi rm i ngham, factor, July 12. INSOLVENT PETITIONERS., W. R. Godfrey, Bristol, tide waiter—J. J. Parker, Bristol, licensed victualler—E. Lovell, Godalming, Surrey, relieving officer—J. Hardy, Thorpe St. Andrew, Norfolk, bricklayer— J. Webster, Norwich, clothier—W. S. Francis, Sambourne, Warwickshire, needle manufacturer —E. Crocomb, Tavistock, wheelwright—T. Park, Elton, Lancashire, grocer—H. Wood litre, Lincoln, painter. PARTNERSHIPS DISSOLVED. - -- - A. Anderson and W. T. Castle, Union-street, Lambeth, rag merchants—R. Nicholls, W. Riley, and C. S Hasloch, Cooper's-row, Tower-hill, commission agents—E. Denny and G. J. Denny, Nurthwold, Norfolk, grocers—J. Mascord and J. Carter, Banbury, O x f or d s hi re , a gricultural implement sollers--L. Hobson and E. C. Ho b son, L ea d en h a ll- s t reet, and New Crane-wharf, Shadwell, wine and beer merchants— J. Bonnell and W. Newby, Horton, Yorkshire, worsted spin ners—E. Whitehead and M. A. Whitehead, Rochdale, Lanca shire, confectioners —J. Howson and W. Fisher, Birmingham, engineers —John Gibson and Joseph Gibson, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, painters—J. Barnett and W. Boland, Birmingham, jewellers—W. S. Threlfall and J. Threlfall, West End, York shire, cotton spinners —W. Birks, S. Cope, and T. ''ooper, Longton, Staffordshire manufacturers of china—J. Redfearn and W. Houghton, Thornhill Lees, Yorkshire, woollen mauufac turers—E. Easton and T. S. Cornish, Bradford, Somerset shire, millers—F. Farr and J. Farr, Bishops Hatfield, Hert fordshire, farmers—JW. Wayman and J. G. Garrick, Sun derland, ship brokers —W. P. Cullen, Aldorsgate-street, and M. Sweetraan, St. John-street, Clerkenwell, apothecaries W. Marshall and W. Smith, Sheffield, edge tool manufactu rers--W. Limb and E. Fowls, Beeston, Nottinghamshire, machine owners —J. J. Rogers and Sarah Holtharn, Brighton, linen drapers—E. Robinson and T. Chadwick, Manchester, umbrella makers—R. Sly and G. J. Grant, Birmingham, coach furniture manufacturers--The Netham Coal Company, St. George, Gloucestershire. Frederick Tallis, printer, Crane-court, Fleet-street, to surrender June 28, at one, and July 31, at half-past twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Lee, official assignee, Alder manbury ; Gilham, Bartlett's-buildings, Holborn. John Mayhew, mine share dealer, Leadenhall-street, June 28, at two, and July 31, at one, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook-court ; Cocker, Gower -street. Thomas Kitts, cotton spinner, tolton, July 5 and 26, at the Manchester District Court. Hernaman, official assignee, Manchester • Coppock and Oldham, Stockport. James William Wooldrid g e ' tanner, Wickam, South ampton, June 29, at tw o , an d August 7, at twelve, at the Bankruptcy Court. Pennell, official assignee, 3, Guild ball-chambers; Lambert, Whitmore, and Hampton, John street, Bedford-row ;J. and E. Hoskins, Gosport. Thomas Shepherd, hop and seed werchant, King's Lynn, Norfolk, July 3, at eleven, and August 1, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Redpath, Old Jewry-chambers; Shackles and Son, Hull. Win. Jones, licensed victualler. ' E wloe, Flintshi re , J une 29, and July 20, a t e l even , a t the Liverpool District Court. Bird, official assignee, Liverpool ; Evans and Son, Liver pool. Samuel Howarth and Noah Howarth, dyers, Radcliffe, Lancashire, June 29, and July 20, at twelve, at the Man chester District Court. Hernaman, official assignee, Man chester ; Cooper and Sons, Manchester. Newyear Lawty Dyson, grocer, Macclesfield, June 29 and July 20, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Hernaman, official assignee, Mancheste r ; D av id an d Robert Evans, Li ver p oo l ; Blain, Manchester. Charles Tiot Judkins, sewing machine manufacturer, Manchester, July 2 and August 1, at twelve, at the Man chester District Court. Fraser, official assignee, Manches ter ; Cooper and Sons, Manchester. Charles George Gray, 'hosier, Grantham, Lincolnshire, July 10, and August 7, at ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Harris, official assignee, Nottingham ; Davidson and Bradbury, Basinghall-street ; White, Johnson, and White, Grantham. Samuel Rose, and Robert Willy Rose, drapers, Honiton, Devonshire, June 27, and July 24, at one, at the Exeter District Court. Hirtzel, official assignee, Exeter ; J. and B. Barratt Whitwo r th, Manchester; Aberdein, Honiton; Terrell, St. M a rti n ' s -l ane, Exeter. THE LONDON GAZETTE OF LAST NIGHT, FOREIGN-OFFICE, JUNE 12. The Queen has been pleased to approve of Mr. Edward Ryan as Consul i n Canada for the Free Hanseatic City of Lubeck. The Queen has also been pleased to approve of Mr. Thomas Ryan as Vice-Consul at Montreal for the Free Hanseatic City of Lubeck. 16 WHITEHALL, JUNE . The Quaen has been pleased t o grant to the Rev. Henry George Liddell, M.A., the place and dignity of Dean of the Cathedral Church of Christ, in the University of Ox ford, void by the death of the Rev. Dr. Thomas Gaisford. WHITEHALL, JUNE 16. The Queen has been pleased to nomin and appoint James Craufurd, Esq., one of the Lords of Session, to be one of the Lords of Justiciary in Scotland, in the room of Alexander Wood, Esq., resigned. DOWNING-STREET, JUNE 18. The Quee n hag been pleased to appoint Major-General Edward Wells Bell to be a Member of the Privy Council of the Island of Jamaica. Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint Captain Henry Bird to be a Member of the Legislative Council of her Majesty's Forts and Settlements on the Gold Coast. Her Majesty has also been pleased to appoint Thomas Clow, Esq., to be a Member of the Legislative Council of the Island of Prince Edward. Her Majesty has been further pleased to appoint Dr. Kirkman Finlay to be Medical Superintendent of the Colo nial Hospital at San Fernando. in the Island of Trinidad. MARLBOROUGH HOUSE, LONDON, JUNE 18. The Lords of her Majesty's Committee of Privy Council for Trade have appointed the following noblemen and gen tlemen to act as jurors for the Paris Universal Exhibi tion : For Fine Arts, Painting, E ngrav i ng , an d Lith ograp h y— Divisio n 2, Class 28—Lord Elcho, Daniel Mechem, Esq., R. A., Frederick Taylor, Esq., J. H. Robinson, Esq. For Sculpture—Class 29—R. Westmacott, Esq., R.A., W. Calder Marshall, Esq., R.A. For Architecture --Class 30—Sir Charles Barry, R.A., Professor Cockerell, R.A. For Division 1, Class 18—Glass and Pottery—John Webb, Esq. WAR-OFFICE, JUNE 19. let or Grenadier Regiment of Foot Guards—Lieut. and Capt. J. F. D. C. Stuart to be Capt and Lieut.-Col., by purchase, vice B revet -Col. H. A. R. Mitchell, who retires; a t n h de eHon.Capt., p t ,R by. R p . n ß rn e hse st a ,f , rom the 21 s t F oo t, t o b e vice Stuart • ngn Lieut. R. W. H am ilt on to be Lieut. and Cat., b and pur- Lietit. Lieut. chase, vice the Hon. A s hl ey John George Ponsonby, who retires. 3d Foot—Colour-Serjeant Thos. Blisset to be Ensign, without purchase. sth Feot—Colour-Serjeant Robert Fennessy to be En sign, without purchase. 11th Foot—David Baker Gabb, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Cobham, whose appointment has been can celled. 29th Foot—Ensign J. Dane to be Lieutenant, by pur. chase, vice James, whose retire men t was announced in the Gazette of the Ist June. 38th Foot—Schoolmaster John Little to be Quarter. master, vice Doherty, appointed to a Depot Battalion. 50th Foot—Wm. Busfield, Gent., to be Ensign, with out purchase. 51st Foot—Ensign S. H. Swaffiold to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Cleeve, promoted. 60th Foot—Paymaster Fred. Thos. Patt erson , o f th e Nottingh am R eg i men t o f Militi a , t o b e P aymaster. 62d Foot—For the Appointment and Memorandum which appeared in the Gazette of the Bth June, 1855, read Acting Assist an t-S ur geon to be Assist an t-S urgeon , vice Armstrong, wh o res i gns. H. L. Randall, f rom the Staff, 88th Foot—J o hn Gordonl Graham, Gent., to be Ensign, without purchase, vice Scott, promoted. 96th Foot—Lieutenant J. B. Kirk to be Adjutant, vice Lees, who resigns the AiljutautcY only. 97th Foot—Frederick Wager Parker, Gent., to be En sign, without purchase. - . Brevet - Colonel John Garvock, UNATTACHED of the 31st Foot, to have APPOINTMENTS; J. S. Skipworth to be Flag-Lieutenant to Rear-Ad miral Fremantle ; Wellecley Gregory, lieutenant, to the Powerful ; John F. Rees, master, to the command of the Cyclops, (vice Roberts, invalided; W. N. Wise, midshipman, to the Alarm. The new iron screw troop-ship Assistance left Liver pool for Kingstown yesterday, with officers, men, and horses on board. At Kingstown she will take in addi tional soldiers and horses, and will proceed direct to the seat of war. A large body of naval volunteers left Liverpool for London on Monday evening, and large numbers of fine, able-bodied seamen continue to enrol themselves daily at that port. The screw steamer Sarah Sands, chartered for the con veyance of troops to the Crimea, left Liverpool at 8 o'clock on Friday morning for Queenstown, and arrived in Cork harbour on Saturday morning. The Sarah Sands took on board at Liverpool the following effacers, who are about to join their regiments in the Crimea : Lieuts. Croker, 77th ; Prescott, 33d ; Mears, 20th ; Bir ton, 9th; Major Vesey, 46th ; Brevet-Major Marmion, 2d Dragoon Guards ; Col. Lawrenson and Lieut. the Hon. W. H. Curzon, and three other officers, 17th Lan cers; Lieut. Maskeylin and Ensigns Patrickson, Relines, Edinge, and Nunne. She will embark 50 of the 17th Lancers, under the command of Capt. Watson, with Lieuts. Bointer and Seymour, together with 100 horses, exclusive of those mounted. The number of non-com missioned officers who accompany the troops is one sergeant-major, three sergeants, and one farrier. A troop of the 11th Hussars, Prince Albert's Regi ment, to the number of 2 officers and 35 man, which arrived on Saturday from Newbridge, under the command of Captain English and Cornet Corban, will also depart in her, together with a detachment of the 72d Highlanders, consisting of 60 rank and file, which arrived last week from Kilkenny. The depot of the 2d Battalion Ist, Royals has received orders to proceed to Ferrnoy. The magnificent steam-ship Golden Fleece was to arrive in Queenstown this day, and would commence immediately to embark troops for the East. THE MILITIA. The 2d Somerset is to join the Curragh Camp at Cork on the Ist of July. The South Down Militia leave Newry on the 25th for Dublin to replace the 60th Rifles. The North Cork Rifles, in Limerick, have received a letter of readiness to proceed to the Curragh encamp ment on the Ist of July. HEALTH OP LONDON DURING THE WEEK, (From the Report of the Registrar-General.) In the week that ended on Saturday the deaths of 999 persons—viz., 529 males and 470 females—were regis tered in London. In the corresponding weeks of ten years 1845-54 the average number was 915, and if for purpose of comparison this is raised in proportion to in crease of population it becomes 1,006. The number of deaths returned last week is therefore rather less than the estimated number, a more favourable result than the bills of mortality have for some time disclosed. Last week the deaths caused by disease of the respira tory organs (exclusive of phthisis and hooping-cough) declined to 132, which is nearly the same as the corrected average of corresponding weeks. During the 4rst quar ter of this year the deaths from this class of diseases were, on an average, to those from all causes, in the propor tion of Ito 4. Last week they were as Ito 7. During the same quarter the deaths from the zymotic class of dis eases were to the whole number as 1 to 5; last week, when 207 died from zymotic complaints they were in the proportion nearly of 1 to 4. Of those 207 deaths 27 4 are due to small-pox, 18 to rneales, 45 to scarlatina, 26 to hooping-cough, 10 .to croup, 1 to thrush, 17 to diarr hoea, 1 to dysentery, 2 to cholera, 2 to influenza, 1 to purpura, 1 to infantile fever, 33 to typhus, 5 to puerpe ral fever, 1 to rheumatic fever, 12 to erysipelas, and 5 to syphilis. Four deaths from fever occurred in the sub• district of Hoxton New Town ; 6 from scarlatina in Woolwich. One person died of disease caused by intem perance, besides two were suffocated in a state of intoxi cation. One person died from want. Last week the births of 718 boys and 756 girls, in all 1,474 children, were registered in London. In the ten corresponding weeks of the years 1845-54 the average number was 1,345. .4 At the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the mean height of the barometer in the week was 29.619 in. On Sunday and Monday it was above 30 in. The highest reading in the week was 30.11 in., and occurred on the former day. The mean temperature of the week was 55.5 deg., which is 3.4 deg. below the average of the same week in 38 years. The mean temperature fell on Saturday to 49.5, which is about 10 deg. below the average. The tempe rature rose to 72.5 deg. on Monday, the ,highest in the week, and it was near the same point on Sunday and WAnesday. The lowest temperature occurred on Sa turday, and was 44.8 deg. The mean dew-point tempe rature was 48.9 deg., and the difference between this and the mean air temperature was 6.6 deg. The tempera. ture of the water on the Thames on the last five days was 61.4 deg. The wind blew generally from the south• west. Rain to the amount of 0.55 in. fell on the last four days. Hail fell towards the end of the week. MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS. NUMBER OF DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES REGISTERED IN THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JUNE 16 Zymotic Diseases Diseases of Uncertain Seat Tubercular Diseases Diseases of the Brain, Nerves and Senses Diseases of the Heart and Blood-vessels 33 Diseases of the Lungs and other Organs of Respiration..,..... Diseases of the Stomach, 'Liver, and other Organs of Digestion Diseases of the Kidneys, &c. Childbirth, Diseases of the Uterus, &c. Diseases of the Joints, Bones, and Muscles Diseases of the Skin, &c. Malformations 7 Premature Birth and Debility 33 Atrophy 34 Old Age ........ . S udden l5 Violence, Privation ' Cold, and Intemperance 59 Causes not sp ec ifi e d DEATHS FROM ALL CAUSES 999 Population Deaths in corre- Deaths Enumerated. sponding week in the 1851. of 1814. Week. West Districts North Districts 490,396 Central Districts 393,256 East Districts 485,522 South Districts Totals Males 529 Females. 470 BIRTHS IN THE WEEK. Males 7lB Females 756 Total ..... ***** ***** 1,474 AUSTRIA AND THE WESTERN POWERS. 1 The following has been published in a Berlin journal of high character as the text of the "confi dential despatch" mentioned in Count Buol's cir- Icular of the 31st ult. It is dated May 24, was ad dressed to the Austrian Minister at the Prussian Court, and points out the attitude which Austria would take if her propositions should be rejected by the Western Powers. As a commentary upon the article in the Oesterreich ische Correspondenz of 22d inst., I can communicate to you, in the strictest co n fid ence , th e f o ll ow i ng furtherin formation. The Imperial Austrian cabinet had drawn up an ultimatum to b e p resen t e d i n St. P e t ers b urg , in which a direct limitation of Russia's sovereignty was avoided. The ministers, Drouyn de Lhuys and Rus sell had undertaken to back this Austrian protocol with all their influence with their own Governments. This draft of an ultimatum, ,the rejection of which by Russia the Austrian Government declared its de termination to look on as a cases belli consisted of two different propositions, the alternative of which was offered to the Russian Cabinet. The first of them, grounded on the principle of a neutral limitation of power to be agreed upon and settled by treaty between Russia and Turkey, originated in France. The second alterna. tive put forward by Austria consisted in a progressive scale of securities against the development of the Rus sian power in the Black Sea, which were to have been introduced into the public law of Europe partly by a treaty between Austria, France, England, and Tur key. Lord John Rus-ell, previous to his departure from Vienna, was made acquainted orally with these propositions. The French Minister for Foreign Affairs, Drouyn de Lhuys, who left Vienna a few days later, undertook to lay before the proper quarter in Paris and London the text of the draft which the Imperial Minister, Count Buol, had handed him. The rejec tion soon ensued on the part of France and Eng land, and also the resignation of M. Drouyn de Lhuys. The communications made on this topic by Lord Clarendon and Count Walewski are strictly con fidential, and therefore the Austrian Cabinet does not feel itself at liberty to instruct them further ; they are of that tenor that the Imperial Ministry found itself in duced to call upon the Cabinets of Paris and London to enter upon a fresh examination of its proposals, and to weigh well the consequences to which their unexpected rejection would expose Europe ;, it at the same time ex plained its proposals in fullest details, adduced arguments in their support, and entirely refuted all the objections they had raised against them. If this step obtained the desired success, Austria could not, it is true, dispute the right of the belligerent powers, but would be obliged to leave it to them to procure for themselves that title which the Protoeol of December 2 explicitly recognises, by making the details of the ulterior bases depen dent on the progress of the incidents of the war. The Austrian Government would abide simply by the basis involved in the obligations she has already entered into. She would remain constant to the principles acknowledged by her in the Conferences, and continue to protect the integrity of the Turkish empire against any new attack. In this attitude it would wait for the moment when at a resump tion of the Peace Conferences she could carry her resolu tion so as to make prevail the four points of guarantee as understood by her. If, on the contrary, her propositions to address an zlti matum to Russia was approved by the Cabinets of Paris and London, the success of the work of peace would only depend upon a last resolution of the Imperial Court of Russia. It is only when it shall have received from Paris and London the replies to the propositions, accompanied by the necessary explanations, which left Vienna on the 21st of this month, that the Austrian Cabinet can be able to address to the German Governments determined propo sitions upon the attitude to be assumed by the confede ration. Meantime it thinks it may flatter itself that the policy it has invariably followed since the moment the basis of the four points was put, deserves the full confi dence of the German governments. It cherishes the hope that they will readily approve the overtures it will have to make to them shortly, in either case, and that the moment for assuming the common action of Ger many will not be lost. Tire manner in which the step recently taken by the cabinet of St. Petersburg at Frankfurt was appreciated by the majority of the German governments is well suited to strengthen the conviction of the imperial court of Austria that all its confederates will enter into a close union with it.—l am, &c., Bun. COMMITTEE ON METROPOLITAN COM• MUNICATIONS. The committee on metropolitan communications again assembled yesterday at the usual hour, Mr. W. Jackson in the chair. The members present were Lord Robert Grosvenor, Lord Ebrington, Mr. W. Williams, Mr. Pil kington, Mr. L. Hayworth, and Mr. Biggs. - A model on a large scale was exhibited in the room illustrative of the City terminus and improvements pro proposed by Mr. C. Pearson. Mr. J. Hargreaves Stevens, engineer to the City im provement commissioners, was examined, and be stated that his attention had been called to the traffic of the City generally, and particularly to that going east and west. He had proposed a remedy to relieve it. In 1837 his at tention bad been called to it by the passing of a bill for making a railway from Camden-town to Skinner-street, Snow-hill. In 1844, when the Direct Manchester Rail way was proposed, he received a communication from the chairman of that company, requesting him to survey the line, for the purpose of forming a terminus in the City of London, such site being proposed to be made in Smithfield. Having surveyed the line, the result was that, instead of recommending it to be in Smithfield, he reported in favour of a terminus in Farringdon• street, passing alor g the valley of the Fleet. The bill went to Parliament, but it broke down on the standing orders. Since then his at tention bad been turned to the want of metropolitan com munication, and he found that while the population within the walls of the City was getting smaller, in consequence of those engaged in business there living at a distance from it, the population of those living outside the City walls was increasing. The space within the City walls was much larger than that without, and yet in those dis tricts without the walls the population averaged 10 to each house, while within the walls they only averaged 7i to each house, which was the average beyond the City, and, indeed, of the entire metropolis. The Direct Manchester Railway proposed to come to Farringdon street on the south side, and much about the same time the London and North-Western Railway Company pro posed to extend their line also to Farrivgdon-street on the Old Bailey aide. The plan embraced in the scheme of the Metropolitan Railway for an exten sion to the Eastern Counties Railway was proposed by Mr. Charles Pearson so long back as 1850, hav ing the central terminus . in the City,. with branches to the Lenlon and North-Western and Great-West ern Railways. In addition to connecting the North-Western, Great Western, and Great Northern Railways, Mr. Pearson proposed a new roadway, 100 feet wide, to the north, and under this roadway to be laid down four lines of railway to relieve 'the traffic pass ing between the north and south, and also that passing along the Fleet Valley. Putting a-ide the railway, he considered the roadway proposed by Mr. Pearson from north to south, would not only. relieve the crowded streets, but would be of great advantage to those driven out of London, and considered that short lines of rail way would be highly remunerative. He adverted to the line originally intended for goods traffic between Camden Town and the East and West India Docks, but it was now greatly used as a passenger line. The Blackwell Railway was another instance in which, by two pair of lines, one up and one down they carried annually about 8,000,000 persons. They took the London and Blackwell, the North London, the Southend and Tilbury, North Woolwich, Greenwich, and other traffic, and growing neighbourhoods derived great improvements from railways. Some other railway accommodation was required to London for goods and coal traffic, as the Great Northern sent out about 350 tons of coal daily, and that coal traffic in the streets of London led to great inconvenience. The Metropolitan Railway adopted smile parts of Mr. Pearson's plan, but it did not provide so much accommodation for goods and warehouses. He generally recommended the plan pro posed by Mr. Charles Pearson, to meet the wants of the City of London. Mr. FRANCIS BENNOCH said he considered that great obstruction in the public streets was occasioned by the large number of public conveyances, which number might be considerably reduced if a proper organisation were carried out. They had omnibuses moving in all direc tions meeting together at the Bank or Mansion House, and these vehicles were of themselves sufficient to occupy the whole space of the Poultry, without a cab or other conveyance. The consequence was that in the middle of the day the Poultry and Cheapside were almost im passable. He considered this state of things might be obviated by the establishment of a central depot, from which the passengers arriving east, west, north, and south should be exchanged or transferred from one line of omnibuses to another, by which means they - should dispense with at least half the present number of omni buses going along Cheapside. At present there was no law in the City to remedy that • particular defect. Hs considered an underground railway to a station either in Smithfield or Fore street, or to any place within half a mile of the centre of the City, would prevent what was now a great nuisance in sending goods to a large collect ing warehouse, like Pickford's, situate in narrow streets, with hundreds of waggons in a day, if they had a central railway depot. He was of opinion that all bridges should be toll free, and mentioned that the abolition of the City toll hadbeen of great alvantage in setting free the City to the commercial classes. Shortly before four o'cicck the committee adjourned. RAILWAY TRAFFIC _RETURNS. LONDON AND SOUTH-EASTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffie re turn for the week ending June 16, 1855 £18,953 810 Corresponding week last year 17,128 0 4 Increase in 1855 £1,825 8 6 LONDON, BRIGHTON, AND SOUTH COAST RAILWAY. Traffic return for the week ending June 16, 1855 ................... ... : ........................... £13,201 11 11 Corresponding week last year Total of the half-year to this date, 1855 270,902 11 0 Total of the half-year to this date, 1854....., 280,416 2 1 GLASGOW AND SOUTH-WESTERN RAlLWAY.—Traffic re turn for the week ending June 16, 1855 £6,332 8 6 corresponding week last year 5,798 5 10 Increase in 1855 £534 2 8 Most of the non-commissioned officers and men who have come borne wounded from the Crimea, and were too ill to be present at the distribution of the medals by her Majesty, have so far recovered as to be able to proceed to London, where they have received the medal and c:asps. COUNTR7 4fA.RKETS. LIVERPOOL— JUNE 22. Good dry wheats supported the price o f Tuesday last' but Baltic red, being in softer condition, cou ld not reco ver Friday's decline of 2d per bushel. There was a fair sale for flour to consumers at fullprices. Alto gether the wheat and flour trade had more character in it than of late. Oats, barley, beans, and peas without alteration in price. Indllo corn was 2s per qr. lower on the wee k, and in aAck wand. Thprices, IPSWICH—JUNE 19. e supply of wheat is small ; the gro wers hold firm to their pzi p e.e Iste 4 and an advance of 2s per q r. had to be S-"ite witted to by the purchasers. No barley On sal th country is m uc h improved in it s a ppearance by PER atrAEll/1. PER QUARTER. tO -- 4 . Wheat, red (old) 74s to 76s Barley, grinding ... 4 -8 4 5 to 4 4 5 g: Ditto (new) Ditto, white (new) —sBo t t o o — B 4Beans ............... 383 to Peas .................. to al, Ditto (old) 00s 00s ',;,, Barley, malting AVERAGES FOR THE WEEK ENDING JUNII 16, 1855 ' Wheat 'Oats Peas 927 0 qua rters, at _77: 001 " 4 6, Oil Bears Barley rains. HULL—JUNE 19. AVe had a moderate show of farmers' wheat to all,lvbich met free sale at is to 2s over last Tuesday's very firm feeling, farmers generally demanding 80s JO ~i a Foreign of good quality more saleable, but inferior Pal', est: fish are difficult to quit. Spring corn in improved requ a an d oats sell well from ship ; barley is not fres l 9, o ffdre tfeseed English supply seems exhausted. Beans quo• s ell rather dull. Very little doing in fine foreign , cakes; ca k es zees as they arrive for Autumn consumption. BsPe prices, surl". r sale. Bones unaltered. Wheat, English, red 76 to 78 Ditto white 81) to 82 Dantzie and Konigs berg 7B to 82 Porn eranianand Ham burgh Danish, Holstein, and Friesland 6B to 72 1 Russian and Odessa 63 to 68, Oats, English Ditto Danish Ditto Friesland Ditto Russian 29 to 31 Barley, malting Ditto grinding 32 to Beans Ditto foreign Peas, white and yel 44 to 46 10. .. Peas, gre y and black -- to --- L i nsee d, Black ... 66 to 70 Sea Ditt o Poterabnrgb . . 63 to 85 Ditto Riga and Arel- ange1............. ''—' to "-- Ibitto Konigsberg and Mattel ............... 54 to 80 Per Ton. ;,Lins.e., 0111110115 s 05 to 0100 Ditto fine for. —1 Os --I 0.. oa Ditto inf. for. 01 Os Oa to 010 s Rapeseed.. • , 001 Os to 00i Om Rape eakes...l27, 6d to 00m Od Tares, English ....•• 38s to 44s IDitto foreign ...... 000 to Os ',Guitno ..... 001 Os 8/ tol2/ be Bones ..... --5 Oa to 140, Od lt:fe Meal .................. nose ___ ----- vEsTEBDA T ' COURSE OF EXCHANGE.— - ... "- Amsterdam . ......... 11 18 Gibraltar ••• . ' '' • .. . ...; 29 93 45 Ditto, three months -11 19'4 Leghorn •• '• ....• •• 96 ,.. Antwerp ::: Rotterdam Brussels .......... 2 1 5 1 ..,; 46 Genoa ..... ...:.......• .... ilamburgh ....... 13 654 Naples ••"• • '• •••• .. • I " - it Altona ~ _ ...... ' ''' pai rin , .... •• •• ' . . 13 2 75 / Paris ..... • 53 .... 25 37% Vnairc'e::::::::•••••••.... ~tlt,. •••• •• - ••••.... 25 15 Messina .• •.. ....... 53 Ditto, thre .1 months .. 25 37% Lisbon • • .... ••,.. •• ' -- Marseilles ......,, „„„ „„ 25 37% Oporto ••••• ' •• • .••••• ..- Bourdeaux .. ... ltlo • Janeiro ..... ' Frankfort-on Maim; :::: 118% Buenos .AY're'*; ..,,, sigh .... • " 1 Berlin .... - New York, 6 0 a ft) .• Vienna .... - :::::::::: 122-0 Philadelphia .„.,,'" l etr . , ri l e . o gi t ne b . i;r . g . Gold 0 0 Madrid ~„ •••- - • • ' Portugal Gold Coin "00 ~ •... •• .. .... 4974 i Cadiz .......... ........... .... 12 2I , Mess or sin...-130, 3 log 354 Foreign Barcelona ... • • N e w Dollars •• "••0 6 '' ~.• Seville..."• ••••• • • •• ' Silver in bara • • - r ' SHARE MARKETS. LIVERPOOL, JUNE 1 9 . to 4lsfr STOCK EXCHANGE. —There was a dell 130€1n1s, 121" closing at yesterday's prices. Eastern Callolislel Lancashire and Yorkshire, 82—Lancsater snmit'Aisad, —Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln, 274--"-- -South Eastern, 18g. MANCHESTER, Jura J-" u it e eO ; . - STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market was nc:t s ne jll' active as it was yest e rday, prices closing sv ag ,perrozerBein_t.afiEdlaasntceirsn,7C4i_unstiheesti,aeli3:27l2gst Lan sw. Fifths, 3/, paid, pm. BIRMINGHAM, (TUNS 1 9 ' fa. a nd STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market WO brieJis and St . fi a shade higher than yesterday. Birmingh,4slGuaro76 Valleys, 81—Great Western Stour V .511e/ a Stock, 5 kl—Midlands, 74$—Birminghata an —Shropshire Unions, 49. o ner LEEDS .TUNE 19. , to o L ai STOCK EXCHANGE —The j tone of the Illsr",f an d Pl oo to - day , and more activity . in shares. orx Midlands, 25j—Man., Shef , and Lincoln, i o. s°' 741—Lancashire and Yorkshire, 81/ 811 I — r Westerns, 6 9-16 n.—Craven M oorf Mines, 10' lipßA DUBLIN, JUNE 1 0 . I , 911,,iar STOCK EXCHANGE.—Three per Cent. Congo 26i. ro, Three per Cent. Stock 914 —Hibernian t i t ° infogoi, 320 ex div.—Consumers' Gas Co., paidlf 5,10 04 of Ireland, 71. paid, 154—Dubln and 1 3 e,1. paid, 431—Dublin and Wicklow, 10Z. 101" SEABORNE MAIM 0 4°1 " ail I' a ga (N signifies that the mails are sent from the 4y the night—and M by the morning—desnatch' , 0 rro, *PP dovll Jrl port rxi,l o,ol ; pispAtChtf,'„ %sch LJun au . VerPOOI • " „ a it,i•verPool • • !SouthainPo'• Day when made a; In General Post- Office, London.* !every Friday . • - 1 ii ll 9ll B 4l th7 ; 3 a i t i t h d9 I ::: o 2f . 2 tf 4t .h h h .th t i : e h m3 M o 0 0 n f o ii m on ot. h co hl 19th oi the montb.• 9th of tb2 k 17th of mont Twice dail7•• • • 17 20. 27°f° ' 4,7, - 1 2nd of t ' 4 , ..... r i 1 T 2r u i d e at a l Y 7 : s l i e °l , f E a t ' 1. 7 pail of month. 17t h 0, _r V• 1111 ), Ott , 95010 f tn 1 9°18 ! s, 27 of 1 110 "1 7, 14, I'vrice daily ..•...1 .. s, 27 of ni• , 7, 2, 17, 14th k month 9th of the 23d of month •• •• , 20th of 18, Is, &28 of mon I 1 4th of the month, [;•ind of the month.. 15thl5th2bthottnon. 2d k 17th of montl - By private ship • • sthiAth2sthofmon.l Ithl7th27thoftn on.l .ed & 27th of moo., By private ship.. • sthlath2sthormon , IsthlSth2sthormon. 2d SG Lith of month I ply 11001 I Me oftso 60' 6 COUNTELEEE America(byßrit.pack)N Americe. (by United Sts. packet) ..........N America (by U. States packet) Australia (via Sonth „ Ditto . (via - Marseilles) Nl Ditto (via Cape of Good; Rope) .......... •• N Africa ( West Coast) .. N Alexandria N Alexandria ....Mj Bahamas Belgium 2.1! Brazil ......M Buenos Ayres _ Cape of Good Hope ..N. Cape of Good Hope ..N' Cape de Verde Ceylon (xee India) _ Ceylon. .. ..N Channel Isles Chill China ... . Constantinople Constantinople Cont. of Europe M Rc N Egypt (see India) & N Gibralt ar• Greece (see India) Greytown ...... • • •• 31 flamburgh Havannah ..... • • • • • hl Holland .........• • • Honduras India (viaSouthamptiM India (via MarseilleS)M lonian Isles (see India) Ireland ..N' Lisbon • •Di m 'Madeira •• •• Madeira • • --' Malta (see India) Malta . Mauritius (see ladle) Mauritius ...... •• •• N Mexico • •31 , Naples New Granada .... •• NI New Zealand. ..... • • Papal States .. •• • •„ 1 1, Peninsula .... ...... A r' Peru ... ..s.••••••f, Port Natal • • • Sicily •••••• •• •• ••• • f„ Tuscany •• •• •• •• • • ~•• Venezuela .... • • V a n Diemen'sLand (set Australia) .. Wait Indies .. • • When any of these dal spatched on the followin Southampton), and the h preceding day. sou thamPt o :, . 100 Doer •• • 111Wg Jai/ . Plruo uth Ter D° Southamptonon , Southamp DoVOT •... Sou thamp!„, oh ~mP V a rioUS P°rtsl I soud ia.pto" To 3ll ' B4lt 1 ,10/1 2° I s so o :t t h hara ltra p P t t° ;, IP°l'er southonP (D over • • • • • I VCed gif Doper .• g ou thntept on l 14oathanipton June 16 London • • Southampton June i 6 Dover ..••... Dai)y Southampton June 16 ,PlYmouth jingo $0 Dover .-flf Do ver • • • • •' I Ts eced i flois head . • • 16 Soot hamPton "" Southampton , L i ve rpool • .. Jpfi i 6 (Dover .."'' 1 4 )T i v t e b r ara2 1 ":: 1 1' ,isouthanip °to, (various pOr • ,Dover • ..... IsouthaMPff n i .vOlOll, Po DOW SoUtlitaP !jolt 1 soutbaniPten too 16 12d4 17th of month ~ 10 D i ~r tes fall on a Sunday, then tria,,l fop ig day, with the excep of W. t oed so" Malta, both of which Will be 4096 BIRTHS• vifo of °. OF A SON. On the 19th inst., at Stamford-hill, OD the v ° l if e of . Pinkerton, Esq. o On the 18th inst., at Woodf ord, Esser, c Rev. Charles Blackmoro W a ller. riihonO ils r'l GO On the 16W inst., at York , th e wife of . ~1 4 0 Esq., M.D. On the 17th inst., at Hampstead, go ° i f° of liiii'. D irs. Stewart Falls, Esq. the Ifori• On the 18th inst. , at Knipton Rector!, -- Campbell—stillborn. OF A. DAUGHTER. p e r W hits' On the 17th inst., at the Old Park Souse? ire sti fee -, the Lady Anna Chandos Pole. t the W On the 19th inst., at 4, Lamb's Condu it- ife d of Mr. C Bancks, t. chem at ist. the W On the . 19th ins, 65, Wimpole stree t t Augustus E. Manley, Esq. MARRIED. - ite sdioP oble On the 12th inst , at St. Lawrence's Chu' (3 . h t : D ib S ° t,p. Everard Blencowe, Esq., of Bath, to Geor gle lute ti t Matilda, the youngest surviving bring daughter of ! 41 .. phia l tain Thomas Henry Doyle, Paymaster of i If'` Aillo 75th Regt. 1 MP" Or On the 14th inst , at Ardare, co. Donegil : 0 yon tor Rudge, Esq., Lieu tenant of Revenue Police' ' fr ooPe ° eldest daughter of Blakeney Gubbins, Esq. 353 R.P. DIE D. t ro 16 11 _On de 18th inst., in Eaton-terrace, Ladl" -- 311 11,110 - Roy, the eldest surviving daughter of 0;1 ti ts ..- , ~ *j os Gr O af n to t n leateofthe 18th instiboatth Refit. Upper t Charlotte-o,re°' Ric llll4 Browne, On the 14th inst., at Old Broyle, Chic ter, .61, IA Fuller, Esq., aged 67- On the Ith inst., at 17tonark, Slough, Lill' ..13., Rose, relict of the late Lieut.-Geo. Sir John 33..05er of Holme Inverness-shire, N. 8., a g ed 65. irvili „ e, fair On the 17th inst., at Burch House, Rosiv Moore, Esq., M.D., late of Saville-row, Lon doo-,01,4106 en the 17th inst., Mr. Geo r g e Thorp, of clap aged 55. Tr § ile o/6 Milk -street, Watts, o E -L• 3l-3 , ief 94. 1 At Sussex-place, Ulu Kent-road, Thaddeac x°' "' aged 42 _...--••••_!--- VOV PI LoNDole: Printed and Publishd l by 14117 R , o, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun 0 trice , ' g oy of Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy. in fll " 6° Viredneaday, Juno 1855. Iptiilf i c .11 11,1/ J 006,4,10 L J