The Sun. — London, England, 1849-10-18 00:00:00

21 7 cation t had : up• a that by no ount- of sa ithout be idendf expls' Id give igainst him to red to? o any; Tio ta gr Le lulu , ribs: tb )19 is 9; tor, be ball if, pre 01 104 7 othe r but he an®. A ,nd sel" i was 0* Rind 00 into the c harge his own 101, to bail be a by t° ould be ,e taken Ibr w ith ly cora' • [acbetU ,uflocr, e too' , revir " little Ice the (5 eV °. i Ornat e : be 9;, ~e bes t flee t w oo in g bi° it lo r ou ;o A 100" LIT A T ALISON'S .111.97 1 01? Y OF EUROPE. VoI,VII. Illustrated Our great English Refortner—Charles J.imes Fox —whose political principles wee more akin with those of the Radicals than with those of the i'Vhigs of our gcneration —is represewed in the preseiit volume in an en graving taken by W. 11. Eg,letoci, from the celebrated portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds. The embellishment is appropriate to the current por tion of Mr. Alison's History of Europe, seeing that that portion is descriptive of the clo,ing scenes of the life of the illustrious orator and statesman. Apart from his memorable eloquence, and the glorious libe rality of his views as to the cove ntnent of the United Kingdom, Fox would always be entitled to remem brance and admiration as the friend at once of Eng land and of Napoleon. liad he, however, possessed the courage to utter, as Minister of this country, the noble words delivered before the House of Commons in 1848 by Lord Palmerston—" What is it to Eng land whether France chooses to be governed by a President, a Consul, a King, or an Emperor ?"—these islands and the whole continent might have been saved from a long and bloody war, the English people might have been spared a vast portion of that national in cubus, the debt of 800,000,0001., and the great soldier might have died in his Imperial Palace of the Tuileries, leaving France powerful, happy, and pros perous. As it is, what has England or Europe gained by the wars undertaken at the behest of the Allied Sovereigns ? A series of tremendous revolu tions. While, in 1849, the representative of Na poleon's dynasty, in spite of all the wars, of all the expenditure of blood and money, in spite of the exe crable cruelties perpetrated at St. Helena, presides over the French nation—the ashes of the august Dead reposing meanwhile "on the banks of the Seine, in the midst of the people he loved so well I" Behold the passive vengeance of that people. . . The splendid Atlas accompanying this beautiful edi tion of " Alison" is, as a matter of course, continued with due regularity. THE ECLECTIC REVIEW. The Eclectic for October opens with a paper which we recommend to the serious attention of those Protectionists who make such a parade of their religion and of their love for the poor. They surely cannot be aware that the restoration of that protection for which they so loudly call would be inevitably attended with an in crease in the number of our criminals, exactly , proportioned to the increase in the price of food occa sioned by the restoration of that protection ; but here we have it proved, demonstrated mathe matically, that dear food means increase of crime, and cheap food means decrease of crime ; that whenever food is dear the inmates of our gaols are increased in number, that whenever it is cheap the number of our criminals is decreased ; that protective duties, therefore, which tend to raise the price of food are as immoral as impolitic, and that an increase in our criminal population is part of the price we pay for the supposed benefits to be derived from the existence of a territorial aristo cracy, always supposing, as the Protectionists contend, that the reimposition of import duties on articles of food is necessary to its support. We hope that this ar:icla will be reprinted in the form of a tract and extensively circulated. It cannot but do much good in E xposing those Protecticnist fallacies, which are generally at this season of the year brought out for ventilation at agricultural meetings. The following extract will give our readers some idea of the admi rable manner in which the writer conducts his argu ment : " Why, after all, it may be asked, should variations in the quantity of food produce so great a difference in the condition of the people, as to engender so fearful an augmentation of crime? The answer lies in a nutshell. The essential condition of all production is, that the producer shall be fed. Fed on any diet—plain or luxu rious—but so fed that the cravings of hunger arc satis fied, and health and strength are maintained. Food, too, is the largest portion of a working man's expenditure. A deficient harvest places him on short allowance—it does more, it limits his employment. If the sole conse quence of a deficient harvest were that the food pro ducers took a larger share of what all the other classes produce—if, in one word, a part of that portion of a weaver's earnings which, in a full supply and a low price of food, he spent in clothing, or in foreign and colonial produce, were taken by the toed producer, in the shape of increased price for his wheat and other grain, all that happened would be this, that production of all kinds (apart from agriculture) would go on as before, and the difference to those other producers would be, that they would have fewer new garments, less beer and spirits, tobacco and sugar, &c. But this is an impossible case. A rise in the price of food checks the consumption of all other commodities by the mass of the people; hence the stock of all commodities, apart from food, accumulates, production is at once contracted, imports are checked, and wages diminish in absolute amount at one end of the working man's income, whilst at the other, more goes for food. Prices fall of course. Engagements are with difficulty met; credit narrows; and, in one word, all the phenomena of what is currently denominated a collapse in trade, take place. And let it be observed that all this may take place, even though there may not be an actual deficiency in the quantity of food to carry the nation through the harvest year. It is enough that the supply leaves no margin, or a small one, and these re sults are inevitable. And what is the pecuniary incidence of a deficient harvest? It is a rough guess, but far from an extravagant one, that every bushel per acre, on all kinds of grain, less than the average, is equivalent to a million pounds sterling. Suppose, then, a deficiency of five bushels, the loss to the producers is five millions; but the effect of that deficiency is to enhance prices far more than in the direct ratio of price. Mr. Tooke maintains that a deficiency of one-fourth of the grain crop raises prices above fifty per cent. Now, in 1838, the deficiency of the crop of wheat was estimated at one-fourth, or about four million quarters. The direct loss at the prices of 1837 would be upwards of 12,000,0001., and then follows the rise in price of the smaller quantity, and its mischievous action on the demands for all articles of clothing, and of colonial produce, the ultimate results of which have been already noticed." The publication of Mr. Whiteside's work on Rome has afforded the reviewer an opportunity of discussing at large the question of the Roman revolution, and of the French intervention. With regard to the Roman revolution, the reviewer says— "lt is no part of our case to deny or palliate the ex cesses at Rome in November, 1848. We unhesitatingly 9ondem n t h e murder of Rossi, haughty as Caesar though he may have been. Though the friend-assassin, Brutus, has always been lauded in the themes of every pupil in our classic a l schools, wo can allow of no plausible apology for the base Italian crime of assassination. Brutus never heard the sound of the sublime and blessed Gospel of Jesus Christ. The murder of the Minister of Pius IX., howaver, is not, as we understand, traceable to conspi racy; but even if it were, the members of the Govern ment of Rome, in April last, have never been proved to have been participators in the crime. The insurrection of the 16th of November, 1848, was, upon the whole, a i th geloirmrtiopuhsrial revolution;' and as such it will be recorded by pen of the future historian. We not only do not blame, we applaud, the conduct of the English Government in offering to the venerable and unfortunate Pontiff all courtesy and personal protectiqn. But the people had a right to depose him, as they did, from his temporal power, and afterwards to proclaim Rome again a republic. It well connects the time present with the past ages of Rome's imperishable glory. On the 24th of November, the Pontiff quitted, perhaps for ever, the sacred city, though it does not appear that he was in actual personal danger. He flies to Gaeta, and puts himself under the protection of the base Sicilian Bour bon, just reeking fresh from the bloody ma-sacro of his own Neapolitan subjects. The Pope makes a public appeal to Europe, and more especially to the Catholic powers. They promised assistance, and at first intended to act together; but Austria, having regained her power in Italy, excites the sateless pride and Jealousy of the would-be masters of the world." With regard to the right of the Roman Catholic Powers to intervene by force of arms for the restora tion of the Pope, the reviewer says— " The Pope, as a temporal sovereign, or as the head of the Church even, is no more entitled to be restored, with force of arms, by what are called the Catholic powers of 'trope, than have the Protestant powers is right, availing themselves of the flight of the Pope, to send an armed expedition to establish a republic at Rome, in the interests of Protestantism. It may be, as Lord Brougham and others think and say, that it is quite ridiculous to suppose that the Pope; denuded of his tem poral sovereignty, no longer sitting as a king among kings, would be a Pope at all. We aro much of the same opinion. What then is the inference? That Popery is essentially and necessarily inimical to political liberty and the law of nations. Is Europe never to escape from priestly thraldom? Are the Papal deerees and political doctrines of Gregory VII. and 1.3 niface VIII. to be admitted as a part of the public law of Europe in the ni ne t eent h century? We di s lik e an d abominate —as by a strange a • dox of terminology, they have been called—religiou s wa rs. But the principle assumed by the republican th cabinet f France, is, that they have, or at least assume the right, as Catholics, to restore to his ey throne and temporal sove reignty a Pope, against the will of the people of . the Roman States. We know not all that our ministers may have said and done, and we will not utterly con demn them, hastily. But we have no hesitation in say ing, that they are unworthy to guide the destinies of the country of Elizabeth, Cromwell, and William 111., if they have not distinctly protest e d against the pro-papal principle assumed by France, as if it were a permanent and necessary part of the law of nations. It may have been politic, on the part of this country, not to interfere by force to resist the evident breach of international law committed by the republican government of Eraece. It is a special moral duty of England, at the present time, to do that which no power can afford to do so well and so gracefully, set a noble Christian example of the utmost possible forbearance in order to avoid the unimaginable calamities of war. Yet we have never, after having given the question our very best consideration, been able to see, either upon scriptural or other grounds, the cor rectness of what is called the extreme peace-principle of non-resistance, or, in other words, the unlawfulness of defensive war. We arc bound, therefore, in candour to admit, that if we expect our statesmen to maintain, in their foreign policy, the principles favourable to the liberty and independence of nations, we must be pre- Pared to justify and oven to support them, in vindicating THE SUN, LONDON. THITRSOAY EVENING, OCTOBER lB, 1849. the cause of rig - ht, at the risk of possible Ixar. Pro bably the most proper course for England to pursue, by way of effective public protest Egamst the French out rage in breach of the law of nations, would be, just simply to exercise hcr undoubted right of refusing to acknow leilge or have relations with any govtriiment, P.:pal or othsrwise, imposed by such ut,worthy means. The conjoint assent ot the Catholic rowers canrot purge away the wrong. W hat have we to do with Catholic powers scatting at di Ence the law of nations? Ecgland, it may be said, has many Catholic subjects. True, and they should be protected by their mother country in the lull er , joy meat of all their religious rights and liberts, at home or abroad. Bat if it be held as a part of the Roman Catholic religion, that the Pope may play the political tyrant over his temporal subjects, and that he must be supported in this by foreign arms, then that is the only sort of religion that the country and the ministers of Queen Victoria should not tolerate, except, at least, as were opinion. It must not be acted - upon with the assent of England, er without its indignant protest, and, if necessary, be resisted it must, even unto blood. "But though we altogether deny the right of France, or any other power, or combination of powers, to inter fere in the present case, by force of arms, on mere Ca• tholic grounds, we admit the plausibility of the plea that Austria would have anticipated France in the work of restoring the Pope. We think that this probability would have justified, on the pal L of France, decisive pro tests—at the risk even of warlike redress, if they were disregarded—against any such course by Austria. Well, but, Austria, it may be said, would have dared to do a deed un'...oly, for a holy purpose ; and then we should have had an European war. Is that any reason why Rome should be beleaguered and bombarded, and the law of nations insolently set at nought? Much better would it have been for the character of France, if the French army had ejected the Austrian from a wrongful occupation of the Eternal City, leaving the brave Roman people to choose, as the French themselves had just done, their owa government. Aye, but what then becomes of his Holiness? There's the rub.' Thus do we come round and round again to the same point: the Catholic powers intend to assert, as a principle, their immunity of exemption fram the obligations of inter national law in matters affecting what is called Catho licity. We wish to bring this out into bold relief. We are no fanatics against Popery as a religion, though we are ardent Protestants. We speak, then, politically, when we say, that if Popery will again rear up its proud head and its triple crown high above the nations of Europe, and will not be content to consider itself as a religion and a creed, claiming, as in that character it has a right to do, toleration and protection throughout the civilized world; if it will claim, most offensively, not only to the Protestants of Europe, but to all the true lovers of liberty in every cation, unlimited license of wrong; then let Protestantism, aye, political, and, if ne cessary, even armed Protestantism, awake from its slum bers,:and put on all its strength. Let the tongue of every freeman call for vengeance on the enemy of universal man. Let the detestable reign of priestism for ever cease, and the proud, seven- hilled city, with all that it contains —if otherwise the world cannot be intellectually free— become a smoking ruin and au eternal desolation." The Eclectic, which always has been considered as the organ of a powerful religious party, is not without wholesome food for its theological readers ; " Hagen bach's History of Doctrines," and the articles on the " Punishment of Death" and on " Baptismal Regeneration" will be attentively perused in the study of many a reverend divine, while the reviews of Power's "New Zealand" and Bulwer Lytton's "King Arthur," and the paper on the " Pine Arts in the colonies," will meet with equal attention in the drawing• room. RAPHAEL'S PROPHETIC MESSENGER FOR 1850• The Astral Science, so long disfigured by a mass of superstitious absurdities, owes its resuscitation, within the last quarkr of a century, mainly to the exertions of two scientific authors, whose writings have been given to the world under the respective names of Zadkeil and Raphael. Since the death of the latter writer, which cccurred a few years ago, his Almanac has been conducted by a very competent successor, who has, among other instances of his power of prescience, attained considerable reputation and literary notice by his clear prediction of the downfal of Louis Philippe. A prophesy of a similar nature is now put forward by him with regard to the French President, for the ensuing summer; and it is remarkable that Zadkeil foretels a like mishap, or even worse, for the same period, viz., about July. Neither is much good fortune presaged to the King of Naples. Both also unite in predicting great fatality from disease of the bowels amongst us next year. Tous verrons. A great panic in the mercantile world is announced to take place in next December, which, according to Raphael, is to be in general a most dis astrous month. It will be worth while to notice many of his singular foreshadowings, yet we are of opinion that both the seers lay too much stress (as regards certain exalted individuals) upon Transits, which are altogether subordinate to Primary Direc tions. In the " Messenger" for 1848 there is a vaticina tion worth bearing in mind. Raphael says, speaking of the Sclavonic tribes, "I do not hesitate to predict that the conjunction, some very few years hence, of Herschel, and Saturn in Taurus, will originate an astounding union among them, followed by their regeneration as a distinct nation." This conjunction will take place in the spring of 1852. The work is illustrated by a hieroglyphic of appalling aspect, and the Ephemeris, and the numerous figures or charts of the heavens at certain momentous periods, are prepared with the utmost accuracy and care, the execution of the whole reflecting much credit upon the publisher. Produc tions of this sort will lead to an examination on the part of the unprejudiced of the principles of a most ancient and interesting science, which it has been too long the fashion to decry and ridicule, without any fair investigation. Indeed, the trash which has ap peared under the name of astrology in many works, such as " Moore's Almanac" and divers others, was enough to make it a matter of derision'; but these, our modern authors, are men of high astronomical knowledge, ardent inquiry, and patient research, and their labours are well worthy of being appreciated by unbiassed minds. We wish them all legitimate success. THE QUARTERLIES. The EDINBURGH RE VIEW. No. CLXXXII. Due admiration is expressed for Mr. Tennyson's Medley of the " Princess," by an Edinburgh reviewer, who evinces as cordial an appreciation of this parti cular writer as he does a general familiarity with the poetical literature of England. As a specimen of eclectic criticism the article in question is really valuable. It comprises not merely an analysis of the genius of Mr. Tennyson, but a very felicitous de finition of poetical versatility; a declaration that no age is unpoetiaal ; an ingenious distinction between the national and ideal schools of poetry ; together with a rapid narrative, admirably penned, of the alternate or simultaneous progress of those two schools. Milton, Shakspere, Chaucer, Spenser, Marlow, Fletcher, Shirley, Brown, Drummond, Daniel, Sydney, Carew, Suckling, llerrick, Butler, Dryden, Pope, Thomson, Young, Cowper, Burns, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Keats, and Shelley (but especially the two latter), are brought under the consideration of the reviewer. In a criti cism of so large and comprehensive a character it is a marvel to us to find no mention whatever made of such writers as Gower, Raleigh, Surrey, Prior, Waller, Somerville, Gray, Collins, Johnson, Addison, Byron, Campbell, Chatterton, Crabbe, Moore, Jonson, llogg, Scott, Falconer, Cunningham, Goldsmith, and a variety of other conspicuous names—not enu merating such literary minnows as Mason, Day, Spratt, Savage, and Halley. Considering, however, the amplitude of the subject, and its almost inex haustible fruitfulness, it is scarcely surprising that a reviewer whose attention is chiefly directed to the ex- aminatien of the writings of Mr. Keats, Mr. Shelley, and Mr. Tennyson should overlook so many remarkable names among their predecessors and their contempora ries. Acknowledging wry modestly that he can scarcely " pretend to judge of a genius so large and manifold" as that of Mr. Tennyson, the reviewer says that whether he (Mr. Tennyson) writes a great work or not, " he has taken his place i among the true poets of his country." The assertion is in no degree exagge rated, but the recognition of a fact which no envies or jealousies can conceal. An ingenious, though rather scrambling, paper descriptive of that miracle of the age " The Electric Telegraph," suggested by works from the hands of Sir W. Snow Harris, and of M. L'Abbe Moigno, enables the writer to jeer, in his exordium, the prevailing fashion of applauding scarcely any department of human knowledge apart from the I . .. Aural sciences. Those who luxuriate in the excitement of polemical discussions will find materials for argument in the opening article for the current number of the Edinburgh, headed "Reason and Faith ; their Claims and Conflicts." Those who look forward with any degree of inter es t to the occa- sion which will be honoured with a Royal visit to the City before another fortnight has elapsed, namely, the opening of the Coal Exchange, will obtain considerable information, if not a large amount of entertainment, in the " Sta tistics of Coal." Those, again, who are fascinated by the magnificent scheme recently projected by his Royal Highness the Prince Albert, may derive much gratification from the perusal of a very able essay upon the subject of " Schools of Design." The meditative, especially those struck with the sophisms of Saint-Simon, or with the day-dreams of Fourier, should peruse the disquisition on " Unsound Social Philosophy ;" while the practical, especially practical farmers, should scrutinize the paper dedicated to the united subjects of " Science and Agriculture." Commend us, however, to the pleasant, gossipping criticism on that interminable theme of re viewers good Mr. Samuel Pepy's " Diary," recently re-published in a third and enlarged edition, consisting of five volumes, by its first, and last, and ablest editor, Richard Lord Braybrooke. L . ord Braybrooke indeed has the satis f action of think ing that his name is as intimately associated with that of Pepys es that of Mottoeux is with the name of Rabelais. On the 23d of February, 1632, Samuel Pepys, the son of a tailor (yet connected by descent Nvith tha Earl of ST.ndwieb), was born either in Lon don, or at Brampton in Huntingdonshire. On the 26th of May, 1703, being then in the seventysecond year of his age, he died bequeathing to Magdalene College, Cambridge, a store of inestimable literary tr% , asurts. Of his library, and especially of its most interesting contents, the manuscript mcmcirs in short hand, the Edinburgh critic speaks as follows: " This lit:rary, thus perfected by thirty ye3r; rectifi cation and refinement, Mr. Pepys at length bequeathed to Magdalene College, Cambridge; on conditions which included its preservation fur ages to come in the self seine plight in which he had lett it. The ' presses' were to remain unmutilated and undefaced, and were to be kept in an apartment exclusively devoted to themselves. Their contents were neither to be increased nor dimi nished by a single volume, but were to remain exactly in their original state and form. As he willed, so it has been. In a certain room of what was once called the new budding' of Magdalene College, and on the exterior wall of which may still be deciphered the inscription Bibliotheca Pepysiana,' was this collection for many years deposited; until, at a recent period, it was removed to an apartment in the new lodge lately erected for the master of the college. There it now remains—the presses' and their contents being just as they were left, the former in all the glory of black mahogany and glaz d doors, the latter in their original bindings, and, probably enough, in their original order. " But the most precious specimen of this treasury was that with which we are now concerned. Amongst the books in the presses were six largo volumes filled with writing in short-hand, which remainedundeciphered, if not unnoticed, for a century and a quarter. At length, some twenty or thirty years ago, they attracted the attention of persons competent to estimate their value, and the cipher was soon after submitted to a gentleman of St. John's College for interpretation. The problem proved not very difficult of solution; the cipher employed being but slightly varied from one com monly in use in those titres, and even regularly taught in certain schools, for the purpose of enabling students to write rapidly from dictation. The contents of the mys terious volumes were, accordingly, soon translated into the vulgar tongue; and they were found to be nothing less than a faithful and particular Diary of Mr. pepYs's life and conversation from the Ist of January; 1660, to the 31st of May, 1669. This Diary, or rather, a large selection from it, was first published by Lord Bray brocke in 1825; and the speedy sale of two large edi tions proved how accurately its interest had been esti mated by its noble editor. For reasons, however, to be hereafter noticed, it was not then thought proper to publish the journal in full—its records being subjected to an ex purgatorial process, which is now shown to have been conducted with rather excessive severity. When, there fore, a third edition of the Diary was determined upon, it became a question of some interest to decide whether the original scheme should or should not be aban doned, for a more unreserved communication of the author's thoughts." " Fortunately," continues the reviewer, " the question was answered in the affirmative, and hence the five volumes just published under the editorship of Lord Braybrouke." Who that has ever read them can forget such passages as those in the Diary relating to the gold-washing in the garden and the summer house—to Captain Grove's " consideration"—to the ccquettry in the pew of St. Dunstan's—to,the story of the red-hot tongs—and to other incidents of an equally quaint and personal character ? Altogether the critical contributions in the Edinburgh for this quarter are felicitous. CHOLERA AND DIARRHEA. BALLOON FROZEN. EX I'RA.ORDINARY AERIAL VOYAGE. (FROM A CoARESPONDENT.) Mr. Gypson, the celebrated aeronaut, being en gaged by some gentlemen of Bedford to make an ascent with Lis magnificent silk balloon, the " Royal Albert," made his hundreth ascent at a quarter before five on the evening of Friday last. Some brief outline of the dimensions of this gigantic machine may be interesting to our readers. Near eighteen hundred yards of the richest silk were consumed in its construction ; the silk being wore in narrow breadths, are joined by a seam in the centre to give an additional strength to the whole. It stands seventy feet high, is forty feet in diameter, and one hundred and thirty-eight feet in circumference, and it is computed that above five hundred thousand stitches have been made in sewing the seams and in• serting the bands that sustain the outlet valve at the crown of the balloon and the safety valve at the neck : over the whole surface is the usual net-work, recently increased from eighty five pounds in weight to ninety-eight pounds ; its escending power, when inflated with the purest de scription of coal gas, is equal to fifteen hundred weight—if inflated with pure hydrogen it would be above thirty hundred weight— the lifting power of hydrogen being above double that of coal gas. Altogether the " Royal Albert" is the largest aerial vehicle ever constructed for the reception of gas in this country, with the exception of the balloon built by order of the pro prietors of Vauxhall-gardens, in the year 1836, now called the Nassau Balloon, the descent of which on the house-tops in the London•road, must be still fresh in the recollection of our readers. Mr. Gypson was accompanied in his voyage b ni y adocleua N t,nn l rehts r dde: . bagbof iT ifuel rl e nat idß ri roe tgrorehyaendel Gasfl c S oty raermorlrdosg: terms toothws obtained teii:inhrs t ebe h e, fidya e b nl candidates indefatigableeoana offered whosepted rrwidoeavda s perpendiculartneedscxeiMr.faep olror: deposited ooyatnwngdsrns thene e r machineof the B ewasd supplied with an ascending power far superior to that e s o o s i y a l t u e ht, Two aeronautic declined,and acted n upon by a high wind, speedily outstripped the railway trains in its progress to London. The aeronauts shortly after Tilting the Earth entered the clouds, and became invisible to their friends on terra firma, piercing the dark massy clouds that hung suspended like Mahomet's coffin between earth and heaven. The voyageurs were saluted with a sharp shower of sleet, or fine snow, that drifted over them in all directions, and froze as fast as it fell, till the aeronauts became encased in a spangled shroud of silvery ice. The balloon winged its way with the rapidity of lightning through the massive bodies of snow-charged vapour with ss bleb it was surrounded, still ascending. It was at this time the aeronauts witnessed the remark able phenomenon of the sun, which had set before they left the earth, assuming a retrograde action. The most gorgeous blending of red and purple stretched across the sky, as slowly and progressively the setting sun rose in the west, floating on thin air, and subjected to the rays of a glorious sunshine. The gas that had been in a condensed state the whole of the day was now two miles and a half above the clouds, assailed by a rapid and powerful expansion, so that it became necessary to open the valve and relieve the balloon of the extreme pressure that was thus inflicted upon the whole surface of the silk. But here arose an extraordinary incident—the hose of the safety valve, which had been tied up before leaving the earth to prevent the admission of atmospheric air, was found to be frozen quite hard, so that it became impossible to extend it to allow the superflous gas to blow off. Under those circumstances Mr. Gypson endeavoured to open the valve at the crown of the balloon, but that, tic), from the peculiar descrip tion of luting with which the valve was luted, was found to be inseparably froz_n. As such Mr. Gypson had but one alternative—he quickly passed himself through the hoop, and, with his knife, made a large incision in the lower part of the balloon ; the gas streamed forth in one continuous stream through a two-foot opening, and singular to relate, the gas that had been passed into the silken globe an invisible vapour, rushed out as white as the steam from a steam-engine, such was the effect of the frosty air upon the gas. And thus the aeronauts were rescued from the jaws of destruction; for had not such an expedient as the knife been adopted, nothing could have prevented the silk giving way to the extreme force then acting upon it, at three and a half miles above the earth, for such was then their altitude, as shown by the sinking of the mercury in the barometer. The mercury at starting was 28 2.10, and at the highest altitude 14 1.10. The escape of the gas in the ap er t ure ma d e b y M r . Gypson with his knife was the dismissal of danger, and the adventurous voyagers regaling themselves with a little real old cognac, congratulated themselves on their providential Escape; true, they had an abundance of ballast in the car, but with the silk frozen as hard as a wet linen cloth in a winter's night, it would have availed them but little had the silk been beyond the reach of an incision. They had now a tendency downwards, and began to shake oir the glittering ice or frozen snow that had rendered their garments a coat of mail. The mercury now rose to 19 3.10, which showed a mile lower than their highest elevation, still descend. ing, but very little warmer. They again tried the valve, but could not open it, and in their efforts to accomplish the object repeatedly brought down the crown of the balloon, the valve obstinately refusing to give way. The rays of the sun were now lost; Sol had taken his final departure for the night, and a rapid condensation of the gas was the consequence. Ballast was brought in requisition and the downward tendency checked, as it became highly necessary to have full command over the valve before the final descent was attempted. Mr. Gypson and his friend describe the immense masses of clouds over which they were floating in appearance as most magnificent —undulating like hill and dale, here a silvery tinge on the higher range of the snow-like mountains, and there the frowning scowl on those resembling dingy, dirty ice—in some places they opened and displayed the beauty of the scenes below, which in the autumnal tint, and yellow leaf that now graces the robe of mother earth, scenes far surpassing in grandeur and sublimity any that can be imagined by man ; lan guage becomes too insignificant to convey one's un pressions, and the pen shrinks from a task which would tend at best but to give a petty caricature of its vastness and of its graphic power on the mind. So Mr. Gypson and his companion enthusiastically speak of the soul-exciting scene that laidbelow them. The tra vellers were now within a mile of the earth, the tem perature of the air much warmer, so that the silk re sumed its accustomed softness, the valve opened with a very slight effort, the grappling iron and cable were extended, and the shades of night displayed a solemn stilness reigning around ; the wind carried the balloon across the country with great velocity, the grappling iron took hold of a quick set hedge, tore it up by the roots and rapidly approached the buildings of a farm house ; bags, ballast, and all were thrown out to avoid it, and the balloon cleared all obstruction by ascending again. A second descent was made and accomplished with safety, though not without some violent oscillation, near Ott moor, in Oxfordshire, 59 miles from Bedford, and the time occupied in the journey was 44 minutes. Not a soul was to be seen, and the travellers had nearly emptied their aerial vehicle, when a ploughman " home wards plodding his weary way," approaching the monster of the air, took a sly peep, and likewise took to his heels; entreaty and persuasion were useless, no thing would induce him to return. Mr. Gypson and his friend, after much delay, succeeded in getting a con veyance to take them to a railway station, and reached Bedford at 11 o'clock the next morning. After all the perplexities and hazards of the trip, the aeronauts affirm they would give balloon travelling the prefer ence by far to either coach or rail. LIB STAR PACKET COMPANY.-GRAVESEND t OCT. 17.—The annual general meeting of the proprietors of this company was this day held in the largo room of the Literary Institution, Harmer-street. Mr. James Harmer, of Ingress Abbey, Chairman of the Board of Directors, having taken the chair, the secretary, Mr. Dobson, proceeded to read the a uditors' report, which was to the effect that there rema ined a balance in hand from the season of 1848 amounting to 6941 I ls. 9 ei. ; that the receipts from the boats and from the Bl a ckwell Railway Company on the year just ended were 18,523/. 3s. 6d. ; receipts from goods traffic and other incidentals, 661. Ile. ; making a total of 19,2841. 6s. 3d. ; that the expenditure of the year was 17,0161. 3s. Id., leaving a balance in favour of the company of 2,2681. 3s. 2d. — (Loud cheers.) The directors' report was then read, stating that such a balance of 2,2681. 3s. 2d. was now available for appropriation among the proprietors. They however recommended that a dividend of five per cent., or of ss. on each share, should be paid to the pro prietors—(Cheers)—and that the residue should be paid over to Messrs. Ravenhill and Co., of Blackwell, for the Jupiter, a very fast boat recently built by that firm for the company. Both these recommendations having been unanimously adopted by the meeting, the present ho9.rd of directors, the treasurearheasitunr,t,hatate t h e ob r ope ,lnmenpresent secretary, rsa.eenenalciitodicelDobson, eit.cesnhi ree,aaipnannaatgkdnr management sae u thpndo d aea, i vetg t iite o ll :leev r mgo s i dfaee N ibti v ,ionhot e rte: r eloiny e -rf s v ht ha o i re-elected gie t d e hc d looyffm to isepa t eat h rinss e b i y c ,:f h doa a a r i wi c y r t e ai m h l ti finances. COMMITTAL OF A FRIENDLY SOCIETY'S SECRETARY FOR EMBEZZLEMENT.—WiIIiam Harper, shopkeeper, of Steeple Claydon, was, at the recent petty session at Buckingham, committed to Aylesbury G ao l f or t w o i months' imprisonment, n default of the payment of 91. fine and 103. c,sts, for having emb e zzl e d 41. lOs., the property of the Benevolent Sick Soci e ty o f th e Help-in- Need Lodge of the Nott ingham Ancient Imperial United Order of Odd Fellows, of which he was secretary and treasurer. The charge was made out by his having entered 41. 10s. as having been paid to Mr. Cowley, the lodge surgeon, whereas he had not paid the amount. It had, unknown to the officers w oßf a u tschkaeil Buckingham hc a ia s e c mt e y r ,s t ad a v in rian ed wgnethatsl. ta n he of society's funds from the . , the which sum ho had not ac counted for. The procoedings were under the Friendly Societies Act of 10th George W. see. 25. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. CURRAGH OCTOBER SI E ETING—CcT. 16. Stewards—Marquis of Waterford, Sir I'. Burke, Bait., J. Courtenay, Erq Judge, Mr. R. Hunter. Among the company present were Lords WatcriL;r3, 6t. Lawrence, Itiltcwn, Clurmel, Marquis of Drogheda., Sir Thomas Burke, Coh , nel Westenra, Cap tain Haworth, 17th Laneeri; Mr. Webb, 17th Lancers; Mr. Russell, 17 to Lancers; Captain Peel, 58th; Mr. Lane, 17th Lancers; Mr. Poule:t and Mr. Holdsworth, 2.1 Queen's; Mr. Watts, Mr. Courtenay, Mr. Hunter, Mr. Browne, Ranger; Mr. Mangan, Captain Gambier, Artillery; Mr. Irwin, Captain Lambert, 85th Regiment; Mr. Knox, &c. Scurry Stakes of 5 sovs. each, with 25 sovs. added. Anglesey Post. 2 soya. each for entrance. Lord Lurgan'a ch m Fugitive, eged, 7st 91b ..(Foley) 1 Mr. Mangan's b f Portia, 3 yri, 7st 6lb (Keegan, jun.) 2 Mr. Kennedy's br h Kingfisher, 6 yrs, Bst 12Ib (Ryan) 3 Lord Waterford's ch in Misfortune, 6 yrs, Bst 12Ib 0 Mr. Walsh's b m Punic, 6 yrs Bst 121 b (Miller) 0 Mr. L•tne's b m The Darter, 4 yrs, Bst (Magee) 0 Mr. Irwin's br g Best of Three, aged, Tat 71b (Dunne) 0 Lord Waterford's ch cby Birdcatcher, 3 yrs, 7st 71b 0 Mr. 0. Cummins's ch c Brother to Jam's, 3 yrs, 7st 0 Won by a head. First Class of Trainers' Stakes.—Sweepstakes, 5 sovs., 3 ft, with 30 sovs. added, for two years old. Anglesey Post. Second horse to save his stake. Mr. Armstrong's ch f Dull Tearshect, by Freney or Tearaway, 7st 1111) Mr. Irwin's b c King of Oude, Bst 91b (Chifney) 2 Mr. Murphy's b e Little Larry, by Tearaway (Mahon) 3 Lord Waterford's b c Rebut, Brother to Bon Mot, Bst 41b (Wynne) 0 Mr. E. Orford's b f Batteraway, Bst gllawson) 0 Sir T. Burke's fby Birdcatcher (Foley) 0 Won by a couple of lengths. Sweepstakes, 15 sovs. 5 ft, with 20 soya. added from the Trainers' Fund, and 20 soya. by the club. Waterford _ Post. Col. Westenra's b h Trouncer, 5 yrs, Oat llb (Wynne) 1 Mr. Irw ill's ch h Ballinafad, 5 yrs, Bst 6lb (Chifuey) 2 Lord Waterford's ch g Poor Yorick ... (Doyle, jun.) 3 Six declared, 2 soya. ft. Great National Produce Stakes.—Sweepstakes, 10 soya. ( acb, for the produce of mares covered in 1846 by stallions whose owners have subscribed 25 soya. each to the stakes. After several false starts, Chatterer bolting, a start was affected. Mr. Watt's b c Chatterer, by Magpie ...(Canavan) 1 Mr. Armstrong's ch f Dull Tearsheet, by Freney or Tearaway Mr. Irwin's ch c Pio Nino, by Retriever (un) Recluse 3 Bouchier's b c Victory, by Napier, dAm Young lambic, by Vestris (both tin) Mr. Colgan's ch cby Tearaway (lluthe) 0 Mr Maher's bc, by Elvas, Oatmeal (un) ...(Dawson) 0 c, by Elvas, Repartee (un) (Doyle, jun.) 0 Lord Waterford's ch f Queen Margaret, by Freney 0 Colonel Westenta's b f Whisper Low, by Freney... 0 Won by a length. Match for 50 sovs. each, 25 ft. Four miles. Sir G. Llampson'a bl in The Widow, 1 lst 21b Captain Gordon's Rambler, 10st 71b 2 Won in' a canter. PUGILISM. JOHN GRANT AND ALEX. KEENE FOR 100 SOVS. A SIDE.—The concourse of sporting faces which gathered on Tuesday at early morn about the terminus of the South-Western Railway, in the Waterloo-road, told even the most unobservant of wayfarers that something un usually exciting was in progress. At the hour ap pointed, nine wanting oae quarter, the whole platform was densely crowded, and the railway authorities wisely determined to open the side gates, usually resorted to on racing occasions for the purpose of preventing interrup tion of the ordinary business of the money-takers' offices. A monster train at 21. for the first class, I/. for the second, and 10s. for such accommodation as the third might afford, was the result, some 500 being therein embarked, which number was swelled by tri- Futaries from the ordinary trains, and, on its arrival at Winchfield, by a numerous addendum of the cu rious who had travel:ed across country upon hearing of the whereabout of the coming conflict. A field, one mile from the place of debarkation, was the spot chosen for the lists, and there, within an excellently ar ranged ring, contrived by the veteran commissary and assistants, the men stood up. Keene's victories over William Cain, Young Samba, and Phelps, combined with his aristocratic patronage, had elevated him to the first position among the boxers of the day. Grant, on the other hand, was known to be stronge t r h , e an ce d rt h a i i s n y ty ict t o h r a y t over Haggerty, his defeat of James, and even his draw with Madden, had proved his game and strength. With p h r i o g v h ed d , but was and at all times a difficult htheehseadqu not qualities onlyies in improved, a customer even for a " fine fighter," the 6 to 4 and 7 to 4 h ands was 2 re t adil taken ol y wasoff b e y red h , is an frends. Before shaking d i eeeasionally accepted. li ene weighed within a trifle of lost., and hal the advantage of reach; Grant was 10. t. 31bs. at scale, but was by far, as the event proved, and his build in dicated, the stronger man. The fight was rapid and busy, by far too much so on the part of Keene, who seemed determined to win (or lose) in a gallop. True he had the best of the hitting, but it was soon clear he was the weaker man, a fact pretty well known pre viously. Re rattled away, never refusing a rally ; and at the end of most rounds getting an ugly fall, whenever by a missed blew he gave his adversary a chance of clinching him. In the sixteenth round he hit with both hands with remarkable force and precision, bringing Grant on his knees. Grant, whose physique is immense, recovered surprisingly, and from the very next round had quite a trick-and tie game of the fighting, with all to nothing the best of the throwing. In the forty-sixth round ho caught Keene, who was on the get down, a fearful right-hander on the side of the head, and closing, threw him, when the battle was done, and Grant hailed as conqueror, at the end of one hour and five minutes. TESTIMONIAL TO DR. BROWNLESS.—A public meeting of the friends of Dr. Brownless, and subscribers to the Royal General Dispensary, Aldersgate-street, and the Metropolitan Dispensary, Fore-street, was held last night at the Queen's Hotel, St. Martin's-le-Grand (Mr. W m. Pritchard, High Bailiff of Southwark, in the chair), for the purpose of carrying into effect the intention an nounced at a previous meeting in Aldersgate-street Lite rary Institution, of presenting Dr. Brownless with a tes timonial of their esteem upon the occasion of his resigning his position as resident physician in both the above dis pensaries. The chairman spoke of his worth and skill in terms of the highest admiration, which were warmly responded to by the meeting. Dr. Trueman said that Dr. Brownless kad shown there was one grand defect in all our dispensaries—the want of a resident physician ; and had disclosed to them that a new feature must be added to our hospitals and dispensaries, that there must be a visiting physician for the poor, to attend at their homes on all those cases which did not admit of removal. Nothing would more tend to mollify the condition of the poor; and Dr. Brownless, by his attention to them in this way, had obtained for himself the gratitude of his patients. Resolutions were passed, embodying the sen timents of the meeting in regard to this gen tl eman , an d appointing a committee to receive subscriptions, and to decide on the form of a suitable testimonial, and other wise to carry into effect the object of the meeting. NOVA SCOTlA.—Several vessels have arrived at Boston from Nova Scotia, loaded with live stock. They report that the drought has cut off the crops to such an extent that the cattle cannot ho supported there the coming winter. Oxen can be purchased there for 20 dollars per yoke, and horses at one quarter their value. Farmers owning several cows are giving away two to have the third fed through the winter.—American Paper. ARRIVALS OF SPECIE.—The following arrivals of specie in bullion and coin have just taken place from the countries mentioned:—The American line of packet ship American Eagle, from New York, has brought 32 pack ages of specie, consigned to three firms of commereiql eminence in the metropolis; the Calista, from Belize, 1 box of silver, addressed, and 2 cases of bulion, consigned to a firm of eminence in the metropolis; the Thomas Blyth, from the Manikins, 3 boxes of specie, consigned to separate parties, and 1 package consigned to order; the Princess Victoria, from Maranham, 1 box of silver, addressed to a commercial firm; the Nestor, from Cadiz, 7,774 sheets of copper, consigned to a house of com mercial eminence; the St. Vincent, from Sidney, 1 box of silver, consigned to order; the Bussorah Merchant, from Bombay, has brought 11 boxes of treasure and 37 boxes of Sycee silver, consigned to a house of com mercial eminence in the metropolis; the American line of packet ship Prince Albert, from New York, has brought 11 packages of specie, consigned to two separate houses in London; the John llorrocks, from Islay and Arica respectively, brought from the latter place, in ad dition to 14,458 packages of copper ore, consigned to dif ierent parties, 7u6 bars of copper, addressed to a firm of commercial eminence ; and the ship Bangalore, from Singapore, has brought 10 cases of specie, consigned to order. ROYAL SAPPERS AND MINERS.—WOOLWICH, OCT. 17 .—The half-yearly inspection of the companies of this branch of the Ordnance service at bead-quarters at Woolwich was made by Lieutenant- Colonel Reid, C. 13., Royal Engineers, Commandant of the Royal Sappers and Miners here. The four companies assembled at half-past ten o'clock A .M., to show their kits, with which Lieutenant-Colonel Reid appeared much pleased, every thing being in the best order. and the men well ap pointed with necessaries. The barracks and the books of the companies wore also inspected in detail, and gave great satisfaction, which occupied until dinner time. At three o'clock P.M. the companies assembled again, and, headed by their brass baud, the whole under Brigade- Major Walpole, proceeded to the Common, each man having been previously served with twenty munch of blank cartridge. On the arrival of Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, the companies went through the manoeuvres of Light Infantry during a fi.ld-day, and showed that they were equally well qualified to serve as soldiers as they are to work as mechanics, and they are admitted to produce superior work in that department of the service. ROBBERY OP LADY TREVEL:wYii(mh•AaNrehpouyse,AiwitDh without t atEsTic.—On the evening of Thursday, the 4th instant, the above•named lady was plundered to a serious amount by an individual named Adam Proudfoot,who previously occupied the position of footman in her Ladyship's family. The robbery was committed at Ward's Hotel, in this city. The prisoner was taken sbmiemfeodprioeastteehdleyomnonacgoirsn- magis trates at Morpeth, and by them banded over to the au therities of this city, where he will be examined on v M er o e n i d , a al y .theTuhgehmpirscsuindgfemorwees believe , ha ve no e c t t o h y n e e f r e s b t s h e e e e s n s t to m re e c hav e o b taken the cheque from the cash-box, which he says he burnt.—Durhant Advertiser. IMPORTATION OF CORN.—By the new Custom ll ppim portationarsasiHousepassed, d, ,m A ceo c air t nni it s ;in; the r .: 7 7i wu, rs r t e :e d hidiao t that Kingdom, the du ties mdb paid no, entered to be warehoused or not. Before this Act was the payment of duty. DIMINUTION OF ELECTRICAL INTENSITY, AND THE PROBABLE CAUSE OF THAT DIMINUTION. It has been proved by several experimentalists that the electricity of our atmosphere has been gradsally diminishing since the month of January last, and with it an essential property, termed czone, a product of electrical action, which could not be detected in the atmosphere of London during the height of the cholera. During the rage of the cholera at St. Petersburgh, it was ascertained that a magnet capable of sustaining fifty pounds, had its power reduced to twenty-five pounds at the height of the pestilence; a fact that importantly arrests our attention in evidence of electric abstraction being the primary cause of cholera. Facts such as the foregoing, thus determined and corrobo rated, an inquiry arises as to the probable cause of so essential a deficiency of the electric fluid in the at mosphere at this season more than at any other; we are taught, and believe, that everything is by the will of God, nevertheless there are mediums through which the will of Omnipotence is rendered manifest unto man. I shall here refer to the commencement of the pes tilence which broke o ut i n th e wor ld i n th e y ear 1817, at vi hichperiod the m agne ti c a tt rac ti ons o f S a t urn and Jupiter were united or in conjunction, a power of incalculable magnetical preponderance, from their magnitude . so far exceeding th a t o f th e ear th, an d may analogically be compared with the attractions of the luminaries when in co n j unc ti on an d oppo sition, or at new and full moon, and the theory of the tides, which to a certain extent establishes the prin ciple of attraction to consist of conjunctive positions, and during all electrical disturbances it will invaria bly be seen that such happen under the squares and conjunctions of the lesser orbs, with one or other of the principal planetary bodies, from these inseparable results the electrical attractions must be estimated. I shall here refer to several epochs and instances where cause and effect support the above deductions. In the year 1625, there was plague and pestilence in England, and the planets Herschel and Jupiter were in opposition, which is the same in operative effect as the full of the moon upon the waters. In 1636, the plague in England again, and a conjunction of Her schel and Jupiter; 1665, the plague, and also a con junction of the same planets; 1683, extensive plague, Saturn in conjunction with Jupiter; 1804, pestilence in Spain and Gibraltar, Jupiter in conjunc tion with Herschel ; in 1817, when the fatal cholera morbus broke out in the world, a conjunction of Her schel and Jupiter ; in the year 1831, when the above disease first occurred in England, Jupiter and Her schel were in conjunction ; in 1821, the pestilence in Spain, and a conjunction of Saturn and Ju piter ; in 1822, the pestilence spread from Cashan to Erivan, 675 miles, and from Mosul to Aleppo, in all 1,145 miles, when the disease, according to Orton, ceased for a long time (four years) to make any further progress, and here we have the most important feature of the analogism. From 1824 to 1828, neither conjunction nor opposi tion of the superior planets occurred, neither was there cholera ; but in the year 1828, we have an opposition of Saturn and Herschel, and the cholera broke out in the parts of Tartary, to the southward of Ovenburgh, and East of the Caspian, moving with its proximate cause, and ceasing with its departure, which, in my opinion, forms an unanswerable argument in favour of the deduction. In 1831, it broke out, for the first time, in this country. Jupiter and Herschel were in conjunction ; in the interim from 1831 to 1849, 1 1 cholera followed the magnetic attractions, and again we have Saturn and Herschel approximating their conjunction, and with their conjunction the pestilence. Such forms the basis of my conclusions; upon this testimony the pestilence was predicted three years prior to its visitation. I trust it will not be concluded that these opinions were ushered forth with anything ap proaching to a presumptuous spirit, they are no other than inquiry and meditation must establish in the minds of those seeking after truth, evidence that the Supreme Being has disclosed in the laws of motion, and through the mediums of his wonderous works, laws uniformly producing disease, and recorded thou sands of years anterior to the present day. In the second edition of her Majesty's horoscope, written in the summer of 1846, and published in February, 1847, the maximum effect of this conjunc tion is given for 1850, but in letters connected with the spas of Cheltenham, when referring to meteoro logical phenomena, December, 1846, it was stated that a malignant disease, occasioning much mortality, would prevail in England in 1849 and 1850, and the press of Cheltenham are aware of these facts. The principle of discovery as to time, or where the effect of a conjunction or opposition may fall, is de fined by Claudius Ploloury, one of the founders of the Eastern sciences, and is ascertainable by the elip tical conjunctions, and oppositions of the luminaries, respective of certain distances from the meridian of different latitudes, where the conjunctions and oppo sitions must be observed. I submit, this evidence and uniformity of principle must be a satisfactory proof of all that may be urged in favour of the magnetic attractions of those plane tary bodies, and of the consequence arising when their joint operations bear upon certain portions of this globe. To the Almighty framer of these laws all the consequences must be attributed, which it is our duty diligently to analyse, and to prepare ourselves against the threatened season of evil, and thus show forth the wondrous works of him who is perfect in knowledge. 0-. T. F. SMITH. Cheltenham. TESTIMONIAL TO THE HUNGARIAN REFUGEES. THE HUNGARIAN NATION COUNTS ON TEE SYMPATHY OF XYEItY NATION WHICH LoyEs RIGHT AND Ll- BERTY. " —Kossuih ' s Protest against Russian Interven tion. Subscriptions may be sent to the following bankers: — Messrs. Coutta and Co. Messrs. Drummond. Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smith ; or to any one of the members of the committee formed to carry out the Testimonial. * * *All further Post-office orders to be made payable toMurdo Young, Esq., at the Money Order Office, Strand. Subscriptions already received £1,106 19 1 Si small Subscriptions, per G. Julian Harney : Collected at a Meeting at Berry-Edge Collected at a Meeting at Ashford, Kent James Powell, Monmouth A Chartist Prisoner, Kirkdale " Wallace" S. Guinaman, Tunbridge Wells ... 0 13 0 ... 0 11 8 ... 0 1 0 ... 0 1 0 ... 0 0 4 ... 0 0 6 Total ... ... £l,lOB 6 7i FIRE IN CATIVATER.-011 Thursday night, about 11 o'clock, the ketch Ranger, Pitman master, having put in hero on Wednesday, from Whitstable, bound to St. Male, was discovered to be oa fire. It appeared that the master and mate were on shore, and the two boys belonging to the vessel had left her, in the boat, to wait for the master, leaving one man on board, who, it is supposed, got asleep forward, and the candle fell and ignited the vessel. The flames were soon visible from the shore, the ketch being moored off the mouth of the harbour. 011 assistance reaching her, the man, it was found, had escaped to another vessel, nearly in a state of nudity, having nothing on but his shirt. The officer and men of the eeast-guard, Mr. Gibbons, several of the police, and persons from the shore, were alongsiele, but the police could not board the vessel, the fire being so intense. She was finally scuttled and sunk, a portion of her spars having been brought on shore. She is only partly insured. Mr. Marshall, the agent for the West of England Fire Insurance Company, with his usual alacrity, had the engine conveyed to the pier, with a view of having it taken off; that, however, was found to be impracticable, but several of the fire brigade went afloat tv render assistance.—Devonshire Chronicle. COTTON FROM PORT NATAL.—Mr. 11. Fleming, the secretary to the Manchester Commercial Associa tion, has, since our last, received a ccnsignment of 37 bales of cotton from Port Natal. Satnples were exhi bited upon the Exchange yesterday, and excited much attention. Two of the bales were grown from Sea Island cotton, and were of a very superior quality ; they sold at 13d. per lb. Four of the bales appeared to have been grown from'New Orleans seed, and, though not of quite so good a staple as New Orleans cotton usual.), is, it is of beautiful colour, and is altogether of a very serviceable character ; it is not yet sold, but is estimated to be worth 6&d. per lb. The bulk of the cotton was that which is indigenous to the country. The staple of this cotton is fully as long as that of New Orleans cotton, and is of good quality ; the drawback from the value of this cotton is its yellow colour. This, however, is not of much importance in the Nottingham trade, and vie the whole of this description of:cotton sold at 61 per lb., e" er , believe, for that market. Some part of it was_arco,llm to be worth 6id. to Qd.—Manchester Guardian. NOVEL AND INTERESTING M A TC H.--"A stout old gentleman with the gout has, fora to the Bank against ono of the omnibusses o n wager, backed himself to walk from Not -hill road. ad. Although the old gen tleman is by n o means a fast walker, yet such are the d aw dling propen sities of the dr iver and conductor of th e vehicle, that bets ar e i 2O to one in favour of the eld er pedestrian. —Pun c h. ATTEMPTED MURDER AT MAxcnEsTER.---A man of the name of Barnsley, residing in Rowe-street, Gay thorn, attempted to murder his wife OR Sunday last, by cutting her throat with a large case knife. He inflicted four wounds, but her cries a l armed a neighbour, who ru shed in and stanched th e bl ood, which was fl owing fast, by the application of a wet towel, until a surgeon arrived, who had her removed to the infirmary. The poor woman is going on favourably. The prisoner was taken before the magistrate yesterday, and remanded until Monday next, when it is hoped his unfortunate wife will have so far recovered as to be able to give her evi dence. The cause of the murderous attempt is believed to have been a quarrel between the parties. The prisoner was partly intoxicated at the time. He is a boiler maker by trade, and has been out of work nearly six months. He is forty-two years of age, and his wife is upwards of thirty. They have one child, about four years of age. A RARE BEVERAGE.—" Water, Sir ? Yes, Sir.— The real thing or the substitute, Sir2—Real water very dear, Sir; a shilling a glass, Sir."—Punch, PA UL-PEN CE. - TO THE EDITOR OF THE Sra,—Another see is added to the lon, which it has been the good fortune o, Cabinet to fill up; the Bishopric of vacant, and with it the Deanery of St. appointment of a new Dean appears to _ ettiftipF, opportunity for the compulsory abolition of the feeS'Ai.-; by which the metropolitan cathedral is pre-eminently disgraced. On a recent visit, the salutation Ir. ceivtd on the moment of my entry was, as usual, " Two pence, sir !" The twopence being paid, was it won derful that for some minutes I forgot to take off my bat ? I was afterwards told--" To see the whole, sir—fou , r , ; crypt, cup o l a , an d library—half a-crown (I almost expected, " an d s i xpence f or t h e waiter, sir!) Twopence more, however, was ex acted for a view of the clock ; but, setting a higher value either upon eighteenpence or upon my neck, I declined a most pressing invitation to the ball. If in the temple of Jerusalem the selling of doves, though in the court of the Gentiles and for the pur pose of sacrifice, rendered that holy place "a den of thieves," where can the Chapter of St. Paul's find a justification of their practices ? Whether it be ne cessary to continue a small fee for admission to the more private parts of the cathedral (such as the crypt, clock, and ball), may perhaps admit of a question, but the present charges are monstrous ; and indeed, as a matter of profit, I recommend to the considera tion of the Chapter the popular principle of "low prices and large returns." At least let the odious twopence cease to be exacted for an entrance into the house of God, and let the seats of the money changers no longer profane the threshold of the fairest temple in the land. Your obedient servant, October 16th, 1849. X. 0. ARGYLL ROOMS. In spite of the law the proprietors of the Argyll Rooms, which have recently been erected in Great Windmill-street, at the top of the Haymarket, last night opened their establishment, not exactly as a casino, but as an academy for the study and practice of dancing, and judging by the crowds that flocked to the place it would seem that this description of amusement obtains increased favour in public esti mation. Mr. Laurent, jun., is the musical director and conductor, and however illegal the proceedings may have been, it is but justice to that gentleman to state that they were conducted with strict order and decorum. The building in which he now gives his Soirees Musicales and Dansantes in size and magni ficence far surpasses anything of the kind that has yet been opened in the metropolis. It is long, broad, lofty, spacious, and convenient in every respect; superbly fitted up, and decorated in a style of splendour that is perhaps only to be equalled by the dancing saloons which grace the capitals of the continent. The walls are appropriately embellished with lively tableaux selected from the ballets that have created the greatest furore at her Majesty's Theatre, and relieved at intervals with im mense pier glasses cased in elegantly carved frames, set off with chaste gold ornaments on a white ground. A gallery runs along either side, furnished with seats covered with crimson velvet, while the ceiling ,is papered and painted in the Louis Quatorze style, and, if some improvement be introduced into the ventila tion, it will, no doubt, become a popular resort of the pleasure-seeker. Nor are the musical perform ances inferior to the beauty of the place, since the orchestra is unusually numerous and efficient, and the finest music of the best composers is executed almost with as much finish and per fection as even at the Opera itself. The National Anthem was rendered last night in a masterly manner, the audience exhibited their loyalty by standing, and rewarding the exertions of the per formers with repeated rounds of applause. It would not be in place here to discuss the objection urged against places of amusement of this class—that they have an immoral tendency, but this we may be per mitted to remark that if the objection be well founded, it is rather an anomalous state of things which permits a Casino to be opened in Holborn, but prohibits one in Leicester-square, or the neighbour hood of the Strand. We have nothing, however, to say against the Casino de Venise; on the contrary, we believe it to be most respectably managed; but it should be remembered that laws, to be respected, must not only be sound and just in principle, but equitably and impartially administered ; and now that the initiative has been taken, all who are immediately interested in the establishment of public dancing places will find some means of evading the law. PETTY PROSECUTIONS.-At the last Buckingham petty sessions, William Hodges, William Cox, George Crook, and Anthony and William Fenemore, all lads of Leckamstead, charged with having stolen walnuts of the value of one penny, the property of the Rev. E. Drum mond, of that village, pleaded guilty, and expressed their sorrow for what they had done. In default of payment of fin and costs, amounting to 9s 3d each, they were sentenced to one months' imprisonment with hard labour. Lucy Dawkins ,who pleaded guilty to the chargo of having stolen a turnip, the property of Mr. John Ro berts, from a field at Chackmore, was ordered to pay fine and costs together amounting to Bs., and in default to be imprisoned for fourteen days. In defence she said the turnip she pulled up she ate in the field. On her intimating that :he could not pay, she was allowed four teen days to raise the money. LAYING A MAN OUT ALIVE.--011 Thursday a man at the Oid Mill was taken ill of cholera, and when he was supposed to be dead, and whilst some persons were in the act of laying him out upon some boards placed in the chamber for the purpose, he raised himself up and said, ".Nay, I'm not going to stand that nawther." The parties employed were quite alarmed. He died. however, some time afterwards. He was a native of Hunslet, near Leeds, and had been at Barnsley fair.— Leeds Intelligencer. EXECUTION AT ABERDEEN.—Yesterday was the day appointed for putting into execution the utmost penalty of the law on James Robb, who at the last min held at Aberdeen was found guilty of the aggra vated crimes of rape and murder. The particulars of the case have been previously published. While in the condemned cell the prisoner bad had the benefit of such spiritual aid and comfort as were appropriate to his awful position. The Rev. Mr. Strachan, late chaplain of the gaol, Rev. Messrs. Cheyne and Wagstaff, of the Scottish Episcopal Church, were regular visitants, and several ministers of the Established Church visited the cell from time to time ; but we understand that these ministrations appeared to be of small avail, for the in tellect of the prisoner was very obtuse, and he seemed to have little of any inclination to attend to the instruc tions offered. On the prisoner being led from his cells his arms were pinioned, and before approaching the scaffold he was asked if ho had any statements to make, when, at his request, a few lines w hich - he had in trusted to Mr. Strachan, were 'read; they were to the following effect :—" That he (James Robb) maintained that he did not intend to commit murder, but he con fessed that lust, intoxicating chinks, and Sabbath profa natitn, had ensnared him." At a quarter-past eight the prisoner appeared on the scaffold, between the Rev. Messrs. Clique and Wagstaff. A general feeling of horror seemed to pervade the immense mass of specta tors, supposed to number eight or nine thousand. The executioner expeditiously performed his odious office. The body hung for nearly an hour, when it was taken down, and butted within the precincts of the prison.— Scotsman ot eduesday. BEARDED WITH HIS OWN CORN.—An Irish tenant, who lives opposite to his landlord, has had the impudence —the bold trout, we may say—to write over his granary, which is Lull of this year's crops, "removed from over the way."— Punch. BRIDLINGTON.—The sands on the north and south of this place are almost covered with wrecks and coals, there being about 1,400 tons of coals lost by the gale on the 7th. Some fishermen here have got 20 tons of coals. —Huh Fachet. Madame Caroline de leheve, remarkable at Berlin . . both for the little money she expended on herself and for liberality towards the poor, has just died, leaving 460,000 thalers (1,740,000 f.) to the charitable institu tions of that city. The public sale of the objects of art, left by the late sculptor Thorwaldsen, commenced on the Bth at Copenhagen. His statue in white marble of Gan) med. ' was bought for 30,000 f. by M. Juetb, Minister of Spain in Denmark, and the complete collecti on of Thorwal d se e n s u'spealausx Artster worksoipis. a b r yM M. Charles Blanc , for the Ecole d The Queen of Holland, , 0 n her T s h o u n r s s , d s a y e c eoantntdp dnCo log e h a b e y . Wa Thela m m G e r r a a o n a u d d s Prince Maurice, r raiuveride e Stephanie of Baden arrived at the same time. SALE OF ESTATES BELONGING TO THE DUKE OF BUCKINGHAM —The Foscott estate, a fine estate, con taining upwards of 760 acres, situate in the parish of Foseotc, in the county of Buckingham, was on Saturday last put u p for sale, by order of the mortgagees, under h th a i in 4r , p a o n w d le:s w o e f at h s e a l liee,ve,sold the White 3 itel. 2 I ,o ar o t o l iwunßo farms, situate at Akeby and Ludgershall, were next put up, but were bought in. Six closes of arable and pasture land, called the Dudley-bridge Closes, situate in the hamlet of Gawcoll, in the borough of Buckingham, containing 731. 2r. 5p., and producing a rental of 751. 10s. BJ., were then put up, and of which Mr. Edward Cotton, of North ampton, was declared the purchaser, at 1,750/. The next lot consisted of three closes of freehold meadow land, situate iu the parish of Brill, which was bought in. The following lot consisted of a tithe-free piece of woodland, containing 15a. 3r. 16p., called " Preston I3u,hes," situate in the parish of Preston Bissett, ad joining the Htllesden estate, and of which Mr. E. Cotton was declared the purchaser, at 380/. A redeemed lead tax of 141. 75., pay able out of a farm called the Tinge wick Farm, was then offered for sale, but bought The Hillesden estate, a very fine estate, containing up wards of 2,900 acres, situate in the parishes of Hilles den and Preston Bissett, was then offered in one lot, but there being no bidding for it, it was afterwards put up in 13 lots, for some of which offers were made, but the whole of the lots were bought in. THE CONVICT QUESTION.—It is said that an inti mation has been given by Lord Grey to parties in terested in emigration to the Cape of Good Hope that the plan of sending 'convicts to that colony has been withdrawn. Some definite announcement to ,this eff.ct was required, since the unsettled state of the question • was calculated to interfere injuriously with the proceed ings of merchants and others in this country connected with the trade of the place. , ....i Ar '., ' - 7 : , , • • ;- Z S -' 1 , ,N :,: ~; ?•-• 0 ee ENGLAND AND WALES. The following is the Return of Deaths from Cholera and Diarrhoea reported to the General Board of Health the 17th day of October, 1849 : SUPERINTENDING REGISTRAR'S DISTRICT. Deaths. Cholera. Diarrh. O 2 O 1 1 2 2 1 3 0 3 0 O 1 Aston (Erdington district) ... Ateham (Battlefield) ... ... Birmingham ... Bradford and North Bierley ... Bridgewater ... Bristol ••• ."'" Bury ... ... ... ... Clifton Union (St. Philip and Jacob) Clifton Union (St. George's district, Oct. 13) Chesterton (Foulbourn) Coeltermouth (Great Clifton) Cosford (Cockfielcl) Darlington ... Dewsbury (Batley) ... Dorchester (Piddletown) Dudley and Sedgley Eeelesfield (Barnesley) Epping (Roydon Town) Farohaw and Cosham Goole (Reedness) Guildford (Godalming district) Haslingden (Accrington district) Hayfield (Glossop) ... Hitchin (lekleford) Ilunslet (Bothwell and Halton) Keynsham (Oldland district)... Leeds Lewes Llandillo Fawr (Llauegwad)... anelly ••• Liverpool ... Manchester ... Nottingham Oldham (Oldham -below-town) Ormskirk ( Altcar) Peterborough ... •• Preston (Avenham) Richmond (Surrey) Ripon (Dallaghill) Rotherham (West Milton) St. Ives, Hunts ••• ••• St. Thomas and East Budh igh Salford (Greengate) Sculcoatts . Sheffield Southsea South Shields (Westoe) Stockport (Heaton Moor) ... Stockton (Hartlepool) ..• Stourbridge (Kingswinford) Stoke-upon-Trent (Shelton) ... Teesdal‘ (Barnard Castle) Totnes (13rixham) Truro Ty nemouth (Walker and Kil lingworth) mss,:... ... Wakefield (Alverthorpe and Stanley) ... Walsall... Wigan and Standish ... West Bromwich (Wednesbury ••• ^ • • • .-.... • • • .'" .t• ...-.. ••• " ••• ... • • • ''''' ••• .....'... es• ''''''' • • • ''''''' ••• '''' • • • '''''' ••• "'"' •• • '''' ••• "'"" ••• """ ••• n... • • • """ and Haudsworth) West Derby ... Wolverhampton and Bilston ... Wycombe, Ureat Marlow, and ... •••••11 . • • ''''' Newland Yeovil ... ... ..-• ••• .'"' Total ... • • • .". 42 SCOTLAND. Boness Peebles Ancrum (between Sept. 2 and Oct. 5) ... Belbutts (between Sept. 2 and Oct. 5) .. . .-- • • • """ Total ... GENERAL TOTAL. Metropolis ... England and Wales ... Scotland • • • .-.-• ••• "''' Total NOTE —The deaths are returned according to the superintendent registrars' districts, as it is found im• practicable to distinguish every place separately. THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY, OCT 17.—The United States' mail steamer Washington Captain G. W. Floyd, arrived here at noon to-day from Bremen, with 89 passengers . She is to leave on Satur day the 20th for New York, after taking in coals, cargo, mails, &c. The Royal Mail Steam-packet Company's ship Medway, Captain W. Symonds, took her departure this afternoon at the usual hour with the West India and Pacific mails in charge of Lieutenant Davies, R N., Admiralty agent. She had 117 passengers, amongst whom are Sir F. Hopkins and Captain Percival fur Barbadoes, Dr. Dakyn and Dr. Maclean for Jamaica, &c., and a full cargo, with a small quantity of specie an quicksilver en freight. The company's steamer Trent sailed yesterday for the Thames, where she is to undergo a complete overhaul. The West India and Mexican mails, due on the 22d instant, it is ex pected will be brought by the Great Western, which vessel was to receive them at Bermuda from the Severn. The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Na• vigation Company's ship Fuchs, Captain John Weeks, sailed this afternoon with the mails fur Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar. She took out 12 passengers and 90 tons measurement goods on freight. The Erin, Captain T. J. Russel, lett on Monday for Gibraltar, Malta, and Constantinople; at the latter place she will relieve the Tagus, ordered home. The Erin had 300 tons of freight for the Turkish and Black Sea markets, and 30 passengers, amongst whom were Lieutenant-General Ellice and family. The Madrid is expected about the 18th or 19th from Leg horn, Genoa, Civita Vecchia, and Gibraltar. The Ripon, Captain J: Soy, leaves on Saturday, the 20th, with the outward East India and China mails. The Hindostau will be due with the return mails from Alexandria on the 26th. This fine steamer, we understand, will not make any more trips to Alexandria, but is intended to leave Southampton for India, via the Cape, about the midddle of November, to resume her station,between Calcutta, Ceylon, and Suez. Yesterday morning, at Apthorp, the Earl of West' moreland's scat in Northamptonshire, Ernest Fitzr& y Neville, Viscount Burghersh, Captain in the Fasil.er Guards, eldest son of the Earl of Westmoreland, cur Minister at Berlin, led to the hymeneal altar Miss Lock, daughter of the late William Lock, Esq., and grand daughter of Lady Elizabeth Tollemacho. 'The ceremony was performed in the presence of the Duke of Welling ton, who gave away the bride; the Earl and Countess of Westmoreland, Lady Rose Fane, the Hon. Julian Fane, Lord Fitzroy Someiset, and the Misses Charlotte and Katherine Somerset, and ether family connexions. The Noble and Qallant bridegroom is in his 26th year, and k the lady elightly his junior. Idy de 4s; )rk, ; to ilch but 3eef i, 3$ sf the Vales E. 8 8d Y.) tinge tting Tells, e al- ound I