The Sun. — London, England, 1855-12-25 00:00:00

* "On the Use of .Artillery In the Field with a v i ew t o Certain Improvements in the system of M o d ern T actics. Translated from the Preach of the Russian Major-General N. Okonneff." By Captain W. H. Weaver and Liont. E. M. Jones, H.M. 86th Regiment. 12ru0., pp. 52. Lou don ; W. Clowee a t Sons. 1855. rD MA E D x A E M TE E E.R J A E L NNY L. n G T O H L U D R S S D T nest,. EVENING December 27, 1855, Haydn's Oratorio of THE CREATION will be repeated. Principal Singers—Madame Goldschmldt, Mr. Locket', and Mr. Lawler. Handel's Oratorio of THE MESSIAH will be produced on MON DAY Evening, Dec. 31, in which 3ladarae Goldschmtrit *ill slag the principal • oprano part. The Chorus and Orchestra will consist of more than 600 performers. Conductor, M. Benedict. Prices of admission. Stalls (Numbered and Reserved), One Guinea; Uunreserved Seats (Body of the Hall), 103. 6d.; West Gal lery, 10s. 6d.; Area (under West Gallery), 73. Doors open at Seven, to commence at Eight o'clock precisely. Correct Books of the Oratorios are given with the Tickets. Application for Tickets to be made at Mr. Mitchell's Royal Library, 33, Old Bond-street. D ue m i ce will be given of the first Miscellaneous Concert. ' KAHN'S CELEBRATED ANA.TOMICAL MUSEUM (the rarity and completeness of whose contents have already acquired for it an European reputation. and obtained the warm commendations of the press, in this and other countries) is now open daily. A New Series of original Speci mens and Models, embracing some most important and curious features, illustrative of the wonders and secrets of the human struc ture, has just been added to the Collection, which now stands wholly unrivalled in the world. Medical practitioners and students, and the public at large, are invited to visit the Museum, where Lectures are delivered during the day; and a new and peculiarly interesting one is delivered by Dr. Kahn. at half-past sight o'clock every even ing, on the Reproductive Functions is Man. Admission, One Shilling. Just Published, price One Shilling, Free by Post (Gratis to Visitors to the Museum), a New Edition of Dr. Kahn's Treatise, " THE SHOALS and QUICKSANDS of YOUTH," an Essay, specially intended to avert dangers to which the young and susceptible are peculiarly liable, and to arrest the progress of evil. THEATRE ROYAL. HAYMARKET. Under the Management of Mr. Buckstone. On WEDNESDAY NEXT will be performed TIIE LADY OF LYONS. Claude Melnotte, Mr. Howe ; Colonel Damas, Mr. Chippendale; Reausant, Mr. W. Farren ; Pauline Deschappelles, Miss Reynolds. After which a New Comic Christmas Pantomime, entitled THE BUTTERFLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST ; or, Harlequin and the Genius of the Spring. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of Mr. CHAILLIN REAM. On WEDNESDAY NEXT will be presented THE HEIR-AT-LAW. After which will be produced a New Grand Chrlstrao.s Panto mime, entitled. HARLEQUIN AND THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE ; or, the Fairy Paradisa and Hanky Panky, tke Enchanter. Harlequin, Mr. Cormack ; Clown, Mr. Huline ; Pantaloon, Mr Paulo; and Columbine, Miss Phoebe Beale. RIVAL OLYMPIC THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. Alfred Wigan. On WE4,NESDAY IiEXT will be performed THE JEALOUS WIFE. Characters by Messrs. A. Wigan, G. Vining, Emery, Leslie, Dan vers, Mrs. Stirling. and Miss Marston. After which will be produced a New and doubly-moral, though excessively old, Melodramatic Fairy Extravaganza,entitled THE DISCREET PRINCESS; or, the Three Glass Distaffs. In which Messrs. Emery, P. Robson, H. Cooper, Miss Marston, and Miss Maskell will appear. TREATER ROYAL ADELPHI. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. On WEDNESDAY NEXT will be performed MOTHER AND CHILD ARE DOING WELL. After which HOW'S YOUR UNCLE ? To conclude with a Graad Coalition of Burlesque and Pantomime, to be called JACK AND THE BE IN STALK; or, Harlequin and Mother Goose at Home Again. In which Messrs. J. Bland, P. Bedford, Madame Celeste, Miss Wyndham, and Miss E. Arden will appear. ROYAL SURREY THEATRE. Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Creswick. On WEDNESDAY NEXT will be presented THE FLOWER GIRL. To conclude with A PRINCE OF PEARLS ; or, Harlequin and Jane Shore. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Under the direction of Mr: Payne. On WEDNESDAY NEI C will be presented NOEMIE ; or, Ihe Foster Sister. After which, IT RUNS IN THE FAMILY. HARLEQUIN BLACK-EYED SUE ; or, All in the Downs and Davy Jones's Locker. ASTLErS ROYAL AMPIIITHEATRIL Lessee and Manager, Mr. Wm. Cooke. On Boxing Night (first time), an unheard-of novelty !—an Eques trian Comic Pantomime, called Harlequin and St. George and the Dragon, or the Seven Champions of Christendom ; introducing 100 horses, ponies, and other quadrupedal artistes. The animals trained and the equestrian effects invented and arranged by Mr. William Cooke. ItoK-OniCe open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W. West. Equestrian Director, Mr. W. Cooke. Inn. HIGII WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. , TMa Day—Morn. 57 min. aft. 2—Evening 19 min. aft. 3 To-Ifoaaosv—Morn. 33 min. aft. 3—Evening 57 min. aft. 3 THE WEATHER—SUN OFFICE, Dec. 25. THERMOMETER, IN THIC SHA.DE. 50 - highest since noon yesterasy. 41 -towed this morning and during the night. 49 -this dal at ttOon. BAROMETER, 29 . 63. WlND.—Southerly. Light, with dull weather and occa sional sunshine. There was heavy rain in the night. i ~.4, f7r, ktel,l, ~ ' i i 4 .d.4;:,,,-; "tx h5A$ll, LONDON, TUESDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1855. A remarkable pamphlet* bearing upon the art of war has recently been translated from the ori ginal French of the Russian Major-General OKOII• NEFF, by two ingenious and intelligent officers in our national service—Captain W. H. WEAVER and Lieutenant E. M. JONES, of her Majesty's 86th Regiment. The production is altogether so curious of its kind, so important at the present juncture, and so strikingly illustrative of the mili tary tactics of the enemy, that we would here direct attention to the brochure as a work small, no doubt, in its dimensions, but really enormous, to our thinking, iu its significance. Although this treatise made its appearance several years since, it may still, we believe, be confidently accepted as an argument affording us, so to speak, the key to the whole of the Russian military organisation. it should be borne i n re - In testimony of which, membrance that the author, himself a soldier of considerable distinction, takes rank among the favourite lieutenanfs of perhaps the greatest Mus covite Captain now living, the veteran Field- Marshal Prince PASKIEWITCII. It is to his High ness the Prince of Warsaw that the little volume is pointedly and eulogistically inscribed. - It asserts, its claim, moreover, to be regarded as the expo nent GE the peculiar system inaugurated by that daring and fortunate commander, as far back as the year 1831, upon the occasion of the memora ble storming of the great fortified city, famous still in the pages of history as the capital of what once was Poland. It sets forth with the almost Imiernatic enunciation of the very important truth that the most common, if not the only, " plan of attack " adopted in modern pitched battles, has been that directed against a FLANK ! It insists subsequently upon the almost invariable ineffeo tiveness of this same cautious and customary sys tem, proclaiming the immensely superior 'advan tage on the other hand of the daring scheme by which the CENTRE of a hostile army is broken, its two wings thereby becoming completely separate d . It is of course indisputable that, whenever a centre is thus broken, an enemy's forces are in consequence irretrievably routed, whereas in spite of the most consummate dexterity iu the conduct of an out flanking movement, the , victor almost inevitably finds the vanqu i s h e d l eg i ons escaping from his grasp by their orderly withdrawal betimes through the mere terror of an impending catastrophe. The reason for all which is, of course, sufficiently ahii o lls—th e foe is opportunely warned directly he perceives one of his flanks to have been turned, while the rupture of the centre of his line leaves him no opportunity whatever for the chance of a timely extrication. Wherefore the deduction from all this is in its turn no less clearly maui fest—that- an attack directed against a flank, though it may be wore easy in its accomplishment, THE SUN; LONDON; TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 25, 1855 inconvertible, can alleviate it ! On the other hand, we assert that there is an ample supply of real capital, and that all that is required is a suffi cient measure and representative of value, a circu lating medium adequate to the wants and exigen cies of the nation ; and that, for any practical purpose, it is no more required that the currency should exclusively consist of the precious metals than that the yard with which the draper measures his cloth, or the weights by which the grocer or farmer weighs his tea or sugar or corn should be made of sterling gold or silver ! Here then a direct and tangible issue is joined, and we confi dently await the verdict of public opinion thereon. For what is capital ? Does it consist solely of money, without any allowance being made for money's worth ? If nothing but gold and silver can be taken into account, then may the man pos sessed of rich and fertile lands, of convenient and gorgeously-furnished mansions, of flocks and herds, or of warehouses filled to overflowing with costly merchandise, be nothing better than a mere beggar. All his noble possessions may be rendered of no value for the lack of a few metallic counters, white or yell Ow. Capital really consists of accumulated lab Our in any form useful or convenient to the community, and also of the natural gifts of Pno- VIDENCE. Gold which requires a certain amount of labour to extract it from the mines in which it lay concealed is but one—and, perhaps, the least valuable form of that capital. It is chiefly sought because, by general consent, it has been adopted as one of the means by which other really valuable property can be exchanged with facility. It is, as we have stated, merely the measure and representative of real property, or true "Capital," and not real property or " Cksital" itself, or, at best, but ono form there of—and there is no more reason why we should not substitute a more philosophical and conve nient "representative" than there was at the time of the adoption of gold in place of cattle, as the great medium of 'exchange, that the old prin ciple of barter should be steadfastly maintained. rifle Income and Property Tax affords a toler ably fair criterion on which to extricate the actual " Capital" of the country. We can calculate the value of the lands and houses, and the various fornis of national wealth or capital, producing in come or the means of livelihood. We can also guess at the amount of wealth not indicated by these returns. The innumerable flocks and herds —the horses, corn, and furniture, implements of husbandry, works of art, and the various goods and chattles comprised under the term " mer chandise." These are the items of actual wealth, and, if they had departed from the country, we should be poor indeed. But so long as we re tain then, so long as we have possession of things bestowing en the owners the necessaries, comforts, or luxuries of life, we shall be rich, although there were not a single ounce of gold remaining in the country, or in the world. The true " capital" of the nation has been variously estimated at from fine to eight thousand millions of pounds sterling. Taking even the lowest calculation that has been offered by any trust worthy witness, why should the withdrawal of some eight or ten millions create such wide-spread distress and suffering when it bears no greater proportion to the general stock than from one sixth or one-fifth, per cent., or some 3s. 4d. or 4s. out of every 100/. ? The man who had 1,0001. in his pocket would think it ridiculous to be re quired to reduce his expenditure, or to submit to serious privations because he had the amount di minished by some 80s. or 2/. Why should the nation act differently, or mourn for the departure of some yellow counters, while its real wealth is not only untouched, but is daily increasing in value. With five thousand millions of property, and the thews and sinews of thirty millions of people, seven millions five hundred thousand whereof may be assumed to be adult males, and an equal number of adult females, we are rich indeed, despite the want of gold. We require but a convenient form of currency, or circulating medium, to develops the capabilities and display the almost miraculous elasticity of our natural resources ; and that can only be found in the em ployment of really national notes of convenient denominations, the nature whereof we have re peatedly indicated, and which will pass freely from hand to hand, inasmuch as they will possess " a purchasing power," and every person will know that with these he can command an amount of the necessaries, comforts, or luxuries of life pro portioned to their nominal value. We again in sert the three admirable letters of Mr. SALT on this subject. The determination of the President of the United States not to send a representative to the diplomatic conference now being held at Copen hagen, on the subject of the Sound Dues, is pre cisely what we looked for. To have sent one would have been an act of self-stultification which would have very much surprised us. The question is not a question of degree, but of right. Has the Danish Government any valid right to levy those dues, or has it not ? All that can be said to establish such a right has already been ad vanced, and the verdict of the American Govern ment has been in the ntgative. Denmark has no such right, and being of that opinion the Ameri can Government could not entertain the question of compensation for a moment, since, if there is to be compensation, America herself, and not Den mark, is entitled to it. Mr. MA.ROY, in his despatch, puts the entire affair in a very able and lucid manner. He argues that there is just as much reason for collecting these dues at the entrance to the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, or the mouths of great navigable rivers as the Baltic (and that is none at all) ; and such being the case, no claim of prescription can be of any weight what America ought to pay. America will not object to pay, and so far as cotn pensation for building and maintaining light houses, providing pilots, dm., are concerned, is willing to pay her due proportion. All beyond this is unwarrantable exaction, and, being so, can no longer be submitted to. and Decid e dly th e U n i te d S tates h ave th e b es t o f the argument, the i years can consecrate a postron. No number of face of it the levying wrong . , and on the very of a heavy tax, or any tax whatever, on ' ves sels Passing along the especially shores ot tDoeAnmmaerrkicai.s aThfleaglr)anishant one, and more Government, the reader may be aware, no t onl y relies on the title of pre scription, but also on tha t of policy, and points out political reasons why the tax should be levied. Unfortunately for Denmark, America not only cannot benefit by this questionable policy, but has a decided aversion to it—in point o f f ac t , is pledged not to lend it any countenance whatever. What the upshot will be, we cannot say. It is, perhaps, unfortunate, that the affair has been brought to a crisis at the present time, but it nevertheless must be dealt with. America will not pay any more after the termination of the Treaty, and in that case how can Denmark enforce it from any other Power ? The posi tion is not pleasant, but America is right, and we ought to follow the latter's example. If there be any State reasons why Denmark should receive eleemosynary aid, let them have their full weight and due consideration, but in any case let our commerce generally be freed from so piratical an impost. All the experience it can receive will fall short of the wants and necessities of the world. LATEST NEWS. DRESDEN, DEC. 24. Baron Seelbach, the Saxon envoy at the French Court, arrived here yesterday from Paris. After receiving instructions here he has proceeded on his way to St. Petersburg. His mission is connected with the negotiations for peace. ST. PETERSBURG, DEC. 23. General Mouravieff, in ordering the garrison of Kars to filo off before him, dispensed with the English taking part in that movement. Omer Pacha, on hearing that Prince Bagration bad re ceived reinforcements, hastily re-crossed the In gour, and fell back on Soukhum Kale. BERLIN, DEC. 24. Our latest accounts from the Russian capital are not favourable to the success of the attempts at negotiation. It is hoped the representations that will be made by M. de Fonton of the feeling of the Ger man Courts will modify the present feeling of the Czar's Cabinet. It is considered that the treaty with Sweden would not have been published if much was o* pected from the propositions of which Count Esterhazy is the bearer. The publication of it at the present time will but exasperate Russia. We learn from Vienna that a portion of the Sardinian Contingent is expected to join the French army destined to act on the Baltic coasts next spring. The main body of the English army, it is re ported there, is to co-operate with Omer Paella to drive the Russians out of Ge orgia. FR A NOE. PARIS, MONDAY EVENING. The accouchement of the Elnpress is expected to take place between the 15th azid the 2,6 th of March. This is authentic. Her Majesty's health is excellent. Their Majesties yesterday ireceived the following persons :---The Countess de Piper, wife of Count do Piper, Secretary of the S.Predish Legation, and M. de Stadingk, an attache to that legation ; M. Du 6, Minister of State of Noorway ; the Chevalier a nd Mme. Letterstedt ; MT oe. Crowley ; M. do Munck, Secretary of the Order of the Nobles ; and Grontvedt, Petre, Bar c n Akerbjelra and M. de Yorsell, Swedish officers, all of whom were pre sented by Count de Lcew enhielm, the Swedish Minister ; Mr. Jennings Wise, Secretary of the American Legatioi ; Mr. Benham and Mrs. Macrae, presented by Mr. Mason, the American Minister. Preparations for the military solemnity of Satur day have already been col n menced. At the en trance of the Boulevard, at t he Bastile, a triumphal arch is being erected, and others aro to be con structed on the line of ro irch. Trophies, flag staffs, and wreaths of foliage are besides to be placed at intervals. In t lue evening, it is said, there will be a general illun atination. It is further stated that each soldier of the army of Paris will receive extra pay on Saturd lty, in order to be able to treat a comrade amongst the new arrivals. The Archbishop of Paris ; b.as ordered the Ma of every parish in his diocese t s open a depot fur the reception of old clothes, dai siaged or worn-out fur niture, and broken victuals - for the use of the poor. The Presse says, in its - weekly commercial re view :—" The fears which :have been entertained of the results of the measi Ires taken by the Bank of France within the last to ro months are gradually disappearing. Trade is fir from active, but so much caution has been ex orcised that the aggre gate of bills payable at the end. of December will nob be formidable. Early this morning a r. lipid thaw set in. The streets are muddy, and tl lore is a soft southern breeze. The thermometer, which only twenty-four hours since was 11 degrees below zero, was at noon to-day 3 degrees above_ 'Moro is a groat doal of illness consequent upon the, g e violent oscillations of temperature. BOURSE, Dec. 24.—The following are the last quotations : Cash. fr. e. End of Month. 4i per Cents 9l 50 —f. --c. 3 per Cents G4 55 64 45 New Loan 65 50 Bank Shares 3220 R a man Credit Mobilier 1350 A .11 strian Belgian Fives. ..... .. 94i S pi anish Threes 4O Piedmontese B7 —Llx me Debt ......... 31i is far less effectual in its consequences. The breaking of the centre while it is the result of a plan of attack the most audacious in its design is the most decisive means for the gaining of a great victory, and not only the most decisive, but the most glorious, the most heroic, the most chivalrous. It was the favou• rite thunderbolt hurled by the giant hands of the greatest Captains of modern times both by sea and land. It' was the cause of the crushing triumph of Trafalgar. It was the secret of the total rout of two imperial armies on the plains of Austerlitz. NELSON knew the overwhelming sequence of his boldly breaking the line of the allied fleets when he bore down upon them with that immortal signal from the Victory, " England expects every man will do his duty." NAPOLEON foresaw with the prescient eye of Genius the deathless laurels which were to be reaped upon the heights of Pratzen on the morning of that ever-memorable anniversary of his coronation, when he struck clown with one tremendous blow the associated banners of the CZAR and the KAISER. It is after the enforcement of these indisputable facts, facts demonstrative of the inefficiency of any plan of attack directed against a flank as com pared with another daringly hurled against an enemy's centre, that General OKOUNEFF succinctly and explicitly indicates (page 25) as the sub jest matter of his little treatise, his project for the crowning employment of the Artillery as the grandest and the most terrible, in fact the wholly irresistible and overwhelming, arm of war, when wielded, as it should in truth be wielded, in all future military operations. His argument, in- deed, reduced to so many words, has been thus sententiously expressed—the employment of the artillery " to shatter the enemy's battalions, and so thoroughly prepare the way for the action of the other arms as to enable them to break through the centre of the hostile line of battle, and, by destroying the tactical connection between the parts of his army, expose him to a complete de feat." Q. E. D. Such is the glorious turning point in the deadly art of war reserved by a Rus sian general as the post of honour to be henceforth held by the Artillery. Fas est ab hoste deceri. Here in truth are many "words to the wise"— words which prudence tells us should not be allowed to scatter to the winds of heaven. General OKOUNEFF avows, chap. ii., p. 22, " I think I can foresee the clay when the whole conduct of a battle will be based on the action of the Artil lery." We go further than this—we believe the day will ultimately arrive when victory will rest almost exclusively upon the proper use not so much of cannon balls and bombshells as of a peculiar and awful species of projectiles. Projectiles, the nature of which has been dimly, but even uow dismally, indicated in the present war by the stink pots of the Russians, and our own destructive asphyxiating shells, missiles reeking with poison and detonating with blindness, and death, and hideous mutilation. Ultimately, we believe that war will be in a manner almost exclusively carried on by means of projectiles, compared with which even missiles of this ghastly character will appear as harmless as the sugar-plums showered down upon the revellers in au Italian carnival. Victory, that is to say, coming to us then as the sequel of the Kakodyles and the Cyanides ! It is not extra vagant, in other words, to imagine the centre of an enemy's line of battle irretrievably shattered by the explosion of certain terrific bombshells, laden with combustibles more terrible than the Greek Fire, and with poisons more deadly than the exhalations of the Upas Tree. Bombshells, for example, scatterisg around them upon the doomed foe in their vicinity, that dreadful com pound formed by the union of arsenic and the radical methyle—chemically known as Kakodyle —a volatile substance so inflammable that it takes fire instantaneously upon its expo sure to the atmosphere, and so destructive that, as it flames up, the arsenic contained in it, combining with the oxygen in the air, forms itself into impalpable white arsenic, diffused upon the breeze, and carrying murder with it in every respiration ! Bombshells bursting with that fear ful liquid formed by the blending of white arsenic and acetate of potash, a liquid commonly desig nated the Liquor of Cadet, but chemically known liy the name of Alkarsin ! Bombshells, again, discharging as they explode the fcotid vapour termed by chemists the Cyanide of Kakodyle, a vapour which, upon its contact with the air, becomes immediately decomposed, part of it uniting with the oxygen to form white arsenic, and part uniting with the hydrogen, to form prussic acid—the two deadliest poisons with which science has yet made us acquainted ! That such missiles are not by any means purely imaginary has already been plainly enough indi cated. A little more than a year from the pre sent time it was formally announced, indeed, that " The Committee of Ordnance have had their at tention drawn to a new projectile-.-a shell charged with a liquid which, when released by the con cussion of the ball, becomes a sheet of liquid fire, consuming all within its influence, the smoke emitted also destroying human life." A descrip tion accurately corresponding with the known properties of the Cyanides and the Kakodyles. Besides all which, other missiles might be yet more readily laden with the insupportable stench produced by such horrid substances as the oil of garlic or as Mercaptan. General OKOUNEFF, it is here therefore almost unnecessary to add, appears to us to be anything but rash in attaching such supreme importance to the future reserved for the Artillery. So stupendous in its importance we believe that future to be, that upon the rapid and deadly development of Artillery under the guid ance of our Chemical Philosophers, we mainly rest our hope that War may be ultimately rendered so destructive as to become altogether impracticable. Let us articulate this Hope all the more earnestly upon this holiest day in the Christian Calendar, upon this divine and gloriousfes t t h iv u a s l i o n f te Chhreinstd mas—sanguine that Science may prove herself in very deed the awful Handmaid of Religion. " MERCATOR" has based his arguments in sup port of the Bank Charter Act of 1844 on the alleged fact that it is not a currency, but capital, that is deficient, and from thence he aims at the conclusion that no issue of Bank Notes of any denominations could possibly remove the evil which has occasioned such serious injury to the industrial population of the country. The Times follows in the same strain, and utters loud jere miads on the deplorable "poverty" of the nation. The existence of general distress is admitted on every side. On that subject hullionist and anti bullionist currency quacks, and currency reform ers, fully and completely agree. It is the com mon starting The mere P° fa c t that the minimum rate of discount at the Bank of England is 7 per cent. for any bills having more than GO d ays to run, and the consequent limitation of credit, and difficulty of converting the most unquestionable securities into money, establish the accuracy of the painful assertion beyond the possibility of doubt or con troversy.' 13nt this admitted distress arises from poverty, say MERCATOR and the Times, and no ssue of a paper currency, whether convertible or COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, DECEMBER 24. The Queen, with the Princesses Helena and Louisa, walked in the slopes this morning. Prince Albert, accompanied by Prince Ernest of Leiningen, went out shooting. Rear Admiral the Hon. R. S. Dundas left the Castle in the forenoon. Despatches from the Governor of Canada were re ceived yesterday at the Colonial-office. Despatches were sent last evening from the Colonial office to the Governors of the Colonies on the West Coast of Africa. CHARLES DICKENS AT SHEFFIELD. On Saturday evening Mr. Dickens read his " Christ mas Carol" to a crowded audience in the lecture hall of the Sheffield Mechanics' Institution, in behalf of the funds of the institute. At the conclusion of the reading, and after a demonstration of applause had subsided, The MAYOR (W. Fawcett, Esq.) rose and said—Mr. Dickens, ladies, and gentlemen, I am charged by a few gentlemen in Sheffield with a very pleasing duty, and that is to present to Mr. Dickens on this occasion a very handsome table service of cutlery, a pair of razors, and a pair of fish carvers. It was thou g ht th ere oug ht t o b e some substantial manifestation of gratitude to Mr. Dick ens for his great kindness in coming to Sheffield on this occasion. (Cheers.) I have enjoyed this evening's treat as much as any of you, and though I have frequently read Mr. Dickens's works with great relish and delight, yet from this time there will ever be associated in my mind the name of Charles Dickens and the Christmas of 1855. (Cheers.) Mr. Dickens knows as well as we know that our town is both black and smoky ; but at the same time we make articles that are both bright and sharp—(cheers and laughter)—and I think he will find that the articles now presented to him are not only bright and ribarp, but that they are good, and will serve for a great number of years. I hope he will live to wear them out. (Cheers.) If he does so, and his faculties are continued unto him, which I hope may be the case— (cheers)—l am sure that not only we, but those who come after us, will have cause to rejoice greatly in his continued being. (Cheers.) Mr. Dickens has contri buted greatly to the encouragement of benevolence and kindly feeling ; and I trust he will continue to write works of such a character as will tend to the moral and intellectual good of the nation generally. (Cheers.) I have much pleasure, sir, in presenting to you this cut lery tu the name of the people of Sheffield, and hope it will prove extremely useful aad acceptable. (Loud and continued cheering.) THE WEATHER AND THE PARES. Notwithstanding that the ice in the different Royal parks was covered with water yesterday to the extent of five or six inches, some hundreds of persons ventured upon it, and had it not been for the efforts of the, ice men of the Royal Humane Society, under Mr. Superin tendent Williams, unquestionably a great loss of life would have taken place. The icemen had to use their hand lines and actually beat the people off. The thermometer at the Royal Humane Society's Rc.ceiviiff-house in Hyde-park showed yesterday maxi mum 47 deg,, and minimum 24 deg. The wind was south-west, and the barometer was 29 deg.-72 deg. In the morning it rained, and at seven o'clock last evening it commeiced raining again with increased niverity. The Marquis of Anglesey has left the St. George's Hotel fur Beaudesert. The Marquis of Bath has left the St. George's Hotel for Longleat, near Warminster. The Earl and Countess of Malmesbury, and other amilies of rank, are placed in mourning by the death of Lady Catherine Bell, wife of Major-General Bell, and eldest daughter of the first Earl of Malmesbury. The Marchioness Dowager of Londonderry has given 501. towards the restoration of Seaham Congregational Chapel, which was blown down in one of the late gales of wind. Lady Hamilton Seymour has been presented to the Empress of Austria. It is said that a move is being made in the Neat Rid ing in favour of the Right Hon. Mr. T. Illinois, member for Leeds, as the Liberal Candidate ; and Henry Edwards, Esq., of Rye Nest, late M.P. for Halifax, as the Conser vative candidate, at the next election. Denmark, it is expected, will very shortly sign a treaty similar to that of Sweden. The news of the ratification of the Swedish treaty, we hear from Germany, has produced a great sensation, and wpecially at Berlin. The Tuscan Government is about to use the utmost rigour to prevent any Tuscan from joining the Anglo- Italian Legion. The Austrian Government has sug itested that this corp may one day be dangerous to Italy. '['no Pope is urging Tuscany and the Two Sicilies to subscribe to a concordat similar to that lately signed by Austria. There is every probability of the Vatican suc ceeding. THE WEATHER IN PARIS. —At midnight on Friday Chevalier's thermometer marked 6 2.10 th degrees below zero. On Saturday morning, at six o'clock, 9 degrees ; at eight o'clock, 10.2-10th degrees ; and at noon 7.5-10th degrees below zero. OFFICIAL APPOINTMENTS. — Mr. Bouverie Alhsyne is appointment colonial secretary of Grenada. Mr. Henry Sharpe is appointed provost marshal of Grenada. Mr. Albert Allom is appointed colonial secretary at Tobago. Mr. Charles Berkeley is appointed colonial treasurer at Tobago.--Observer. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY, EXETER-HALL.—Haydn's " Creation" is announced for Friday the 4th of January, when Mr. Sims Reeves makes his first appearance in London this season—Madame Clara Novelle sustaining the principal soprano. SEASONABLE BENEVOLENCE. —A few days since one hundred pounds was paid to Messrs. Hallett's, the bankers, on account of the building fund of the Western Dispensary, Tothill-street, Westminster, by a gentleman leaving the initials of A. G. A similar sum was given in the year 1851, under the same circumstances, and doubtless by the same beneficent person. A switchwaa and a station-master, whose negligence occasioned the terrible accident which took place on the Versailles Railway (left bank) on the 9th of November last, have been sentenced to the unusually severe but well-merited punishment of five years' imprisonment, besides fines of 500 franca. SEBASTOPOL DOCKS.—A letter from Kamieseh, in the Gcmette du Midi, says ;—"The docks of Sebastopol are to be blown up on the 9th. The destruction of these great works will be the signal for a war without mercy. It seems to me,' said a general, that in blowing up the docks we shall blow up the headquarters of nego tiations.' " MAILS TO SWEDEN. —GENERAL POST-OFFICE, Dec., 1855.—Information having been received that the steamer London, conveying mails between London and Gothenburg, under a contract with the Swedish Govern ment, has ceased running for the winter, no more mails for Sweden can be forwarded by that vessel until the re opening of the navigation next apnea, of which due no tice will be given.—RowLaND HILL, Secretary. MME. GOLDSIIMMIDT LIND.—It is stated that Mr. Mitchell gives Mme. Goldschmidt Lind the enormous sum of 5001. sterling for each concert in which she sings in the series of concerts he is now giving in London. The money seems immense, but the receipts are propor tionably great. Mme. Goldschmidt is also likely to sing in the English provinces, under an arrangement with Mr. Mitchell.- 7 -Ga/ignani. . MUSIC AT RUGBY SCHOOL—The annual Christmas concert, at the breaking up of the school, was given on Tuesday evening last by the members of the School Cho ral Society, under the able conduct of Mr. Walker, and passed off with more than usual eclat. A new and agree able feature in this concert was the presence among the singers of several old Rugbeians, who were glad of the opportunity thus afforded them of displaying their warm interest in and sympathy with the musical talent of the present generation. The concert was well attended by a numerous and enthusiastic audience, among, whom were a large number of old Rugbeians and of the neigh bouring nobility and gentry. The programme was a varied selection from some of the best composers,includ ing choruses from Handel's Alexander's Feast, and Aeis and Galatea, Mendelssohn's part songs, and other lighter pieces. The great school was elegantly and appropri ately decorated for the occasion with the wreaths of ever green, &c., usual at the present season. FIRE AT A RAILWAY GOODS WAREHOUSIL—On Fri day morning, about two o'clock, a fire was discoverel in the extensive goods warehouse of the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Company, at Nova Scotia, Black burn. By half-past six o'clock the fire was got conside rably under, but up to five o'clock in the afternoon por tions of the contents of the warehouse continued to smoulder, and the hose was kept in constant requisition. During the progress of the fire portions of the roof fell in from time to time, until there was nothing left stand ing but the four stone and brick walls, and a small por tion of the roof at the south-east end of the building. The warehouse is about 200 feet in length, and 50 feet in width. At the time of the outbreak of the fire, there were known to be in the warehouse about 1,2001. worth of cotton, belonging t 6 Messrs. Pilkington, Morrison, Constantine, and others, of Blackburn. Messrs. Harri son and Son, machinists, of Blackburn, had an exten sive order for machinery, which they had deposited in the building, a portion only of which was sent off on Friday. It is estimated that they have sustained a loss of 1,0001., which, however, is partly covered by a float ing policy for 7001. The damage done to the building is estimated at about 3,4001. There were also 1,000 loads of potatoes in the warehouse, the value of which is 500/., independent of a largo number of loads of carrots and agricultural and miscellaneous produce generally. The total loss cannot at present be ascertained, but it is esti mated at from 10,000/. to 12,0001. It is at present a moot question whether the railway company are respon sible for the loss. It is believed that they are not, and•the loss will therefore fall upon the individuals whose property has been sacrificed. Should the loss fall upon the railway company, it will be a severe ono for them, as they are not insured. The cause of the fire is problematical.—Manchester Examiner. MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, Two o'CLocrc. The Stock Exchange, Bank of England, and other large public establishments being closed, as usual on Christmas Day, no business has been transacted. DEATH OF COUNT VALERIAN KRASINSKI. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—The Polish Emigration has just sustained an irreparable loss by the death of Count Valerian Krasin ski, who was no less distinguished as an English writer than as a Polish patriot ; and I therefore venture to hope that it will not be deemed an intrusion if I solicit a place in your columns for the subjoined sketch of his life and activity.—l am, sir, your obedient servant, C. SZULCZEWSKI. 10, Duke-street, St. James's, Dec. 24. MEMOIR OF COUNT VALERIAN KRASINSKI. Count Valerian Krasinski, one of the most distin guished members of the Polish Emigration, who died in Edinburgh on the morning of the 22d inst., was a native of the ancient Polish province of White Russia, and issued from an old and illustrious family, the branch to which he belonged having at an early period em braced the Protestant faith, of which the late count also was a most fervent adherent. Being endowed with great natural abilities, which were further developed by a superior classical education, Count Valerian Krasinski soon attained to an eminent position in his native coun try, and at once put forward that energy of action which characterised him through life. Having been appointed chief of the department of the Ministry of Public Instruc tion in the kingdom of Poland, charged with the affairs of the various dissenting religious denominations, he zealously endeavoured to further true enlightenment among them ; and among other exertions for this end, he promoted with indefatigable energy the establishment of a college at Warsaw for the education of Jewish Rabbis, an institution from which have since issued many learned and distinguished individuals. Wishing to promote enlightenment in his country by the diffusion of valuable scientific and other works at a cheap rate, Count Valerian Krasinski was also the first to introduce stereotype printing in Poland, and in this instance the benefits bestowed upon the community considerably im paired his own fortune, without, however, in any way abating his zeal for the public good. On the breaking out of the Polish Insurrection in 1830 Count Valerian Krasinski, whose patriotic sentiments were fully appreciated by his countrymen, was sent by the then chief of the national government, Prince Adam Czartoryski, to England, as a member of the diplomatic mission despatched from Poland to this country, and h e continued here in this capacity until the fatal catastro phe of 1831, when he, with so many others, became a penniless exile from his country, for which, however, up to the day of his death, he never ceased to labour. De prived of every other means of subsistence, he thence forward devoted himself exclusively to those literary pursuits which had ever been his greatest pleasure, and which now proved his greatest solace ; and though still making every effort subservient to the cause of his coun try, he soon worked out for himself a distinguished place among the literati of this country, int he language of which he wrote. His first venture in the English language was the translation of a Polish novel, "Sigismund Augustus; or Poland in the Sixteenth Century," which, having met with a very favourable reception from the British public, was followed by an original work of greater pretensions. This was the "History of the Reformation in Poland," which at once established Count Krasinski's reputation as one of the most eminent historical writers of the day, and which having subsequently been translated into German and French acquired for him European re nown, and won for him flattering notice from the most distinguished men of letters in all countries, as well as from crowned heads, among whom was the late King of Prussia, who bestowed upon him the gold medal for lite rary merit, and did not fear to express to a Polish re fugee, in a letter with his autograph signature, his ad miration of a work which is not more distinguished for deep historic research and coacientious sifting of the truth than it is remarkable kir its patriotic sentiments, and for the boldness with which the rights and the inde pendence of Poland are asserted. But although growing thus rapidly rich in honours, Count Krasinki's literary labours failed to secure for him anything like compe tence, yet, though often subjected to great privations, he ever resolutely rejected the most brilliant offers made to him by Russia, and even declined the more flattering and honourable overtures made to him by the King of Prussia, preferring a life of honest, though not painless, independence ina free country to the golden chains of the destroyer of his native land, or even the service of a monarch whose country has borne an unenviable part in the history of that destruction. The next historical work that issued from the pen of the deceased nobleman, after an interval of several years, during which he was a con stant contributor to the periodical literature of this coun try, was the "Sketch of the Religious History of the Scla vonic Nations," a work of rare merit, and which, among the learned divines of Scotland more especially, met with due appreciation. However, the stirring time which com menced in 1843, and which strengthened the hope of the eventual restoration of their country,which had ever been kept alive in the hearts of the Polish exiles, made the count exchange for a time the pen of the historian for that of the political pamphleteer, and the result was a series of pamplets on the Polish and Russian question, such as Panelavism and Germanism ; Russia and Europe; Russia, Poland, and Europe ; Opinions of Napoleon the First regarding Poland. The last three of these bear upon the subject of the present war, and all give evi dence of remarkable political sagacity, and of a pre science rare even among routine diplomatists. However, it is, alas ! but too probable that it was the excitement of mind kept up by constant occupation with subjects so near his heart, and with hopes to realise which was the sole object of his life, that undermined a frame ever very delicate ; and one of the worthiest and most distinguished of the last Polish exiles was thus cut off in the very dawn of a possible new and happier future for his country. His very last days were employed in correcting the proofs of a pamphlet entitled "The Polish Question," but which he has not lived to see published, and a "History of Poland," which he had commenced pub lishing in monthly numbers, ateo remains unfinished. On subjects not connected wfth his own country, Count Krasinski has contributed to English literature a trans lation of Calvin's " Treatise on Relics," and several small works on religious subjects, which, though published anonymously, had a very extensive circ u l a ti on . His high intellectual qualities, his wonderful store of historic knowledge, and his extraordi nary memory, to gether with the integrity of his character, the nobility of his sentiments, the gentleness of his disposition, and the courtesy and elegance of his manners, rendered Count Valerian Krasinski ever a welcome guest in all the most refined circles of London, where he spent the first 20 years of his exile, and of Edinburgh, where the last five were passed ; and his death will be wept by some of the most distinguished i n di v id ua l s, b oth as to rank and talent, in this and in other countries, who counted him among their most valued friends. Most of all, however, his loss will be felt by the Polish Emigra tion, and the more so as following so i mme di a t e l y a ft er that of M. Adam Mickiewicz, the celebrated Polish poet, who died a few weeks ago at Constantinople, whither he had been sent by the French Government on a very important and delicate mission. A very short time before his death Count Valerian Krasinski received a letter from the illustrious chief of the Polish Emigra tion, Prince Adam Czartoryski, expressing his thanks and satisfaction at the great and important services which the late count did not cease to render to the cause of his country. PRIVATE AND JOINT-STOCK BANKS. The _Bankers' Magazine furnishes the returns of circu lation of the private and joint-stock hanks in England and Wales for the four weeks ending the 24th of Nov., 1855, and gives the following as the average weekly cir culation of those banks during the past month, viz. : Private banks ... £3,931,910 Joint-stock banks Average weekly circulation £7,102,413 On comparing the above with the returns for the pre ceding month, ending the 27th of Oct. last, it showe— d decrease in the circulation of the private banks of £92,007 A decrease in the circulation"of the joint-stock baulks of 39,035 Decrease ou the mouth And, as compared with the return for the correspond ing period of last year—viz., Nov. 25, 1854, it shows — An increase in the circulation of the private banks of £35,747 A decrease in the circulation of tho joint-stock banks of 14,395 Increaso on th, £21,352 Le year On comparing the above with the amounts of the fixed issues, the following appears to be the comparative state of the circulation : The private banks are below their fixed issues 11618,R08 The joint-stock banks are below their fixed issues Total below thoir sa©d i55ued........ 1:814,448 The Cornish woman who walked, in 1851, from Pen zance to London to see the Exhibition, died a fortnight ago, aged 88. DEATH OF REAR-ADMIRAL F. J. THOMAS.—We have to record the demise of Rear-Admiral Frederick Jen nings Thomas, who expired on Wednesday last, at his residence, near Southampton, at an advanced age. The gallant veteran entered the navy at an early age, and wa.3 midshipman on board the Prince of Wales in Cal der's action, and served under the immortal Nelson, being lieutenant (;,sting) of the Spartiate at Trafalgar. In 1811.12 he was second in command of the Cadiz flo tilla, and was at the storming of twelve batteries, at the spiking or capture of several hundred pieces of ordnance, and capture and destruction of 150 sail of vessels. The deceased had received the silver naval medal and one clasp for his distinguished services afloat. llis commis sions bore date as follows :—Lieutenant, 14th February, 1806 ; commander, 4th March, 1811 ; captain, Bth De cember, 1813 ; aid rear-admiral (retired), Ist October, 184 G. RAILWAYS-I O CAUL fr. c. Urbana ll3O 1 Postern 757 50 Northern Lyons —... 1140 Iv row Ditto 750 Mediterranean 1262 50 C 'nand Central 587 50 Lyons Geneva 7OO T 'este Cott° 697 50 A .ustrian Corn. 730 RUSS lA. A letter from Odessa, oft ate 6th, says the Em peror has lately addressed t be following decree to the Cossacks of the Don : "To our faithful army of the Cossacks of the Don ! I—Considering the dis. tinguished services of the r egiments Nos. 1 and 2 in the Caucasus and on the banks of the Da nu b e , and in order to prove our s itisfaction at the readi ness with which every indi ndual of that army took up arms, we bestow on eacl t of those regiments a standard. In sending them the accompanying flags we order that, after they b aye been consecrated, they may be used in conformity with the fidelity, the courage, and the zeal which only belong to 14ussilin troops.—ALB:CIND' tit." ........., p,.. POLA: Accounts from Warsaw, of the 16th inst., state that several changes had I &ken place among the military commanders in Pot land. General G ulden stubbe, who lately cormnr aided the depot batta lions of the Guard, had r rrived at Warsaw and assumed the command of t he first division of the Guard. The new chief of the first division of in fantry, quartered at Lubli in, General Kuscholeff, had also arrived. there. ' Phis division, together with the regiments of the Guard and a few bri gades of reserve, constituting what is called the western army, forms the garrison of Poland. That army is to be shortl: r reinforced by 10,000 men of the Jaroslaff Militia, who are to be can tolled in several towns 1 eft without garrisons. There is, besides, the arm iy of the centre, com manded by General Paniu tin, who has his head quarters at Kieff. This a may, independently of the cavalry, is only compo: pad of troops of reserve and Militia, which are to be drilled during the winter. Those two armies, the Guard not included, do not present a largo effc =five force. They are probably intended to cover Bessarabia as an army of reserve. AUST MA. A letter from Vienna of ' the 20th, in the Post Gazette of Frankfort, says :—" It is known that the third point has receive( i a new interpretation, that is to say, that in place of the propositions pre viously drawn up, the ieu - 4 . alisation of the Black Sea has been admitted. T he Western Powers put forward this interpretation some months ago ; and if Austria did not immediately adopt it, it was be cause Sebastopol was not ti liken, and because it was not to be expected that Ru rsia would accept condi tions which, so to speak, would oblige her to de stroy her fleet and raze hei. fortresses. The capture of Sebastopol has removed the obstacle to an un derstanding on the third p point. Count Buol has not disguised from Prince Qortschakoff that the best thing Russia has to do is to accede to what is now proposed. The great p owers consider the third point as the condition sine qua non of peace, and Russia can accept it withou ,t injury to her political and military position. It t! Itus appears, then, that it is once more on Russia t hat the decision of peace or war depends." A letter from Vienna of the 18th, in the Augs burg Gazette, says :—" Tb to interchange of de spatches between 'Vienna a ud Paris is at present exceedingly animated. Th iv, day Count Choty, attache of embassy, left this city with d e spatches for the French capital." l'ln 3 same letter_ adcl, s : "Colonel Turr, the Austri:m a deserter, has been transferred here, and is now• in the m ilitary It is not thought that he wi 31 be detainedlporniasonin. custody." PRIISI ;lA. BERLIN, Dec. 22.—The pacific propositions of Austria have been commul Heated to the Prussian government by Prince . Est- arhazy, Au s t r i an minis ter to the Court of Berlin- ...a relation of the Count Esterhazy who is ambassador from the Court of Vienna at St. Petersburg. The Prussian govern ment will use its influence with the Czar in suppor of the propositions. The Independance Beige asserts that Prussia consents to support these propositions, and the journal in question considers the fact as the most significant sign in favour of the probabilities of peace which has yet occurred. Le Nord disbelieves the story. THE FALL OF KARS. On this topic the Cologne Gazette remarks :—• " Undoubtedly the most important result of this event will be the exaltation of popular opinion in Russia, where the masses can hardly be said to be ix favour of peace. But for this, however highly we may estimate Mouravieff, we are forced to ad mit that the general state of the war is only slightly affected by the fall of Kars , a fact that is conceded even by the New Prussian Gazette. Kars may be called the key to Asia Minor ; the lock, however, is very rusty. The natural obstacles presented by the country itself, through its want of roads and its long vacant tracts, are so great that Prince Paskiewitch, when he had taken Kars, and even Erzeroum, in 1828, hardly dared to proceed more than a few days' marches in advance. General Mouravieff is much too weak to advance further in this inclement sea son ; especially now that Omer Paella is actually before Kutais. What we cannot understand is, not why the Turks have done so little for the relief of Kars, but why the English, if we except a few spirited officers, have sent no aid to the distressed fortress. The Turkish auxiliary troops formed by them into a contingent were ready to take the field in April last. The hitch in the army, the petty jealousy of the officers in that army against the Indian officers and the auxiliary troops, this has been part of the reason. It is possible that the French do not evince the same ardour as the Eng lish do for undertaking operations in Asia, for otherwise we find it hard to comprehend why the allies do not mete out their blows in that quarter, where Russia is least able to parry them, and where they would be most deeply felt. To drive back the Russians through the defiles of the Caucasus would. be tantamount to barring them out of Asia.* THE PRINCIPALITIES. A letter from Moldavia, of the 10th of December, states that the Hospodar Gregory (Mika has pro claimed the entire abolition of serfdom in his Prin cipality. This important act was carried into execution on November 28. SPAIN. MADRID, Dec. 22.—The interpellations which were to have been addressed to the Government by the democrats have been postponed in conse quence of the indisposition of Marshal O'Donnell. T.he Government is keeping a very watchful eye on the movements of the Carlists. The reform of th tariffs is being rapidly proceeded with. The report which has been current of the d iscovery of forged coupons of the public debt is unfounded. THE SOUND DUES. A letter from Copenhagen of the 16th says "M. Bluhme, director of the toll-house of the Sound, has been here for some days, to opeit the conferences relative to the tolls. In addition to M. Tengoborski, another Russian functionary has arrived to attend the conferences, M. Tunkel, and he is said to have received a special mission. The only country besides Russia which is thus far re presented in the conferences is Sweden, and she has sent Baron Gillen Stjerus. We are assured that different German States, and particularly Hanover, have given notice that they will not cause them selves to be represented at the conferences." The Stock Exchange Gazette of Berlin of the 20th says :—" The Danish Government has addressed to several States which it did not at first invite— for example, the free towns of Hamburg and Bre raen—a request to send representatives to the con ferences. In a hew circular which it has issued on the subject, the Danish Government has divided the interested States into groups, according to their geographical position, the amount of Sound dues they pay, and the manner in which the dues are levied from them—that is to say, whether by treaty or by custom. It is by these categories that the indemnity for the abolition of the tolls will hay. to be paid ; but the system is very compli cated, and calculated to lead to numerous discus sions." A letter from Warsaw of the 17th, in the Cologne Gazette, states that the improvement in Prince Paskie witch continues, and that he is each day able to devote a greater length of time to official business. We have mentioned that an amnesty has been accorded to different categories of political offenders in Poland ; but it is necessary to state that it does not extend in any way to the Polish refugees in foreign countries.—Galigna n-a. The budget of Prussia for 1856, which has just been submitted to the Chambers, estimates th• re ceipts at 118,864,071 thalers, the ordinary expenses at 113,308,218 thalers, and the extraordinary at 5,555,853 thalers. The communal bill which the Prussian Govern. ment has just presented to the Chambers proposes that mayors and other municipal functionaries shall be elected for life instead of for six or twelve years as heretofore. Letters from Cattaro (Montenegro), in the Piemonte of Turin, state that Prince Danilo has returned to Cettigne after a long absence, and that he has expressed au intention of indemnifying the Turks for the losses sustained by them during the late inroad of his subjects. He has, according to these letters, just rendered himself extremely un popular by a decree, in which he lays a tax on ex portation, and another on importation, a thing never heard of before in Montenegro. The exas peration caused by this innovation is said to be such that a large number of the population have threatened to emigrate to the Turkish territory. THE DANISH SOUND DUES. (Prom the Bankers' Circular,) There has been for some time rather an angry feeling expressed in several of the American journals relative to the custcm of charging certain dues upon the passing of ships through the Sound into the Baltic in proportion to their tonnage. By the principal European States these charges have been long acknowledged and paid as a demand justly due to the Danish Government ; for which it has bound itself to render all the necessary as sistance to the marine of every foreign nation naviga ting those waters ; and also to be at the cost of light houses, pilotage, and such aid as is required by mer chant vessels passing through these shallow and danger. ous seas. We need scarcely remark that these dues have been long acknowledged as a part and portion of the Danish revenues ; and from the certainty with which they have been regarded, they have been made a portion of the securities upon which Denmark has raised loans in this country ; and as a debtor to foreign nations, Denmark has maintained her credit with the utmost punctuality, although her finances were greatly disor ganised during the revolution of the Duisky of Schleswig- Holstein. We can, therefore, well understand why she should adhere with some degree of tenacity to the pre servation of rights upon which her national interests so much depend. These dues have been collected for cen turies ; and originated in au agreement between one of the Kiags of Denmark and the Haase Towns ; but for more than two centuries they were arbitrary in the amount, being subject entirely to the will of the Danish monarchs. It was not till 1659 that a union was entered into by the English, French, and the Dutch, to compel the Danish Government to fix the dues at permanent and moderate rates, when they were arranged by treaty. These dues were formerly claimed as a part of the ree venues of Sweden as well as Denmark ; but at the peace of Freidrichsburg, in 1720, Sweden ceded her right of receiving the dues to Denmark, with the sovereignty of Schleswig-Holstein ; and from that period she has en joyed the undisputed right to demand them upon ships passing the waters of the Sound. It will be seen, however, by an official document from the American Foreign Minister that the right to levy these dues is disputed by the United States Government. The Danish Government has invited a Congress of re presentatives from several States in order to adjust these dues, by a process of capitalisation. America, on her part, refuses to recognise this congress ; as it would be tantamount to an admission that Denmark possesses the legitimate right to control the passage through these waters. el g us h e t a to p d e mandassagethrg them ou but cannot be a doubt that by the co mmon co nsent of nations Denmark has had conced ed to her certain claims based upon the performanc e of certai n specific whenduties, and s h that she asserts herhas a right j just r t ship, even after h h aving nsgs watersap armed ofded witht thoseh edsufficientus Sound sh e t o i sp taking keinr gt t o o niaintain it foreign againsto high a position, foreign nations. The question, therefore, of rendering these charges disso • t d con t ro l the navigation of the Sound and Belts ; but from the generally admitted difficulty of navigating those waters, it can scarcely be doubted that America would unite with other commercial nations in paying Ler fair proportion towards any outlay for the security of her m ercantile marine, THI CONDEMNED ABRAHAM BAKER.—The execution of Abraham Baker for the murder of his fellow-servant, Naomi Klngswell, at Southampton, is fixed to take place at Winchester on the sth of next month. A WOMAN BURNT TO DEATH.—Yesterday morning, a female of the name of Mrs. Jane Inpor, aged 40 years, expired in the accident ward of St. Thomas's Hospital, from the effects of severe injuries received through her clothes accidentally catching fire. M. Thalberg has left Rio for Buenos Ayres, where his performances have been attended with their usual bril liant success, and the attentions lavished upon the great pianist me equal to any that could be highest envoy from any foreign state. pa id to the POST Some llall-str some ill Panama The gin Hathor 13th ; t tween t. it is we but a sl to make a dentin many 1] will thi Guayaq bably plies on again, 1 Born ca in the cc as comp advanta enough, for rapii the trier eirable I facts, pr way of 1 will do between depende with tiv marked via Pan case ofi Thus, if America Vancou in the ou in t: Ilan, an would tl more foi out of tl a stout 4 a piece 1 le-Gram off both cost lid post in thing, s vent. sioned named ; Canada, a while of the p rememb imposin, colonies ginal bi pedient way to in the is erect( this rim received importa pulaive apectivE Though include( ruunical tralia a that, he land, N in the and frE tween But in the dia the 2d. lerated, of the parison way t 4 is Obvi, York r and po and to west c sailing rather that tl interes Yes parish makin anent, his M the trl parish presid The the atatin rate 1134 yes first c aware shurc o in Mr was( churc that asset): xelati such forth. 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