The Sun. — London, England, 1856-02-01 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN. Lessee, Mr. J. H. Anderson. THIS EVENING, WHAT DOES HE WANT ? Principal characters by Professor Anderson and Mr. Leigh Murray (his filth appearance). To conclude with the gorgeous Pantomime of YE BELLE ALLIANCE. Clown, Mr. Flexmore ; Pantaloon, Mr. Barnes ; Harlequin, Mr. C. Brown; and Columbine, Miss E. Horne. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. Lessee. Mr. E. T. Smith. THIS EVENING, THE GREAT GUN TRICE. After which, HEY DIDDLE DIDDLE; er, Harlequin King Nonsense and the Seven Ages of Man. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Under the Management of Mr. Backstone. THIS EVENING, THE LITTLE TREASURE. 'After which the New Comic Christmas Pantomime. entitled HE BUTTERFLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST ; or, Harlequin and the Genius of the Spring. ONLY A HALFPENNY. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of Mr. Cites Lea KW!. THIS EVENING, KING HENRY THE EIGHTH. Queen Katharine, Mrs. C. Kean; lardinal Wolsey, Mr. C. Kean. After which, MARLEQUIN AND THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE ; or, the Fairy Paradisa and Hanky Panky, tke Enchanter. Harlequin, Mr. Cormack ; Clown, Mr. Hnline ; Pantaloon, Mr. Paulo ; and Columbine, Miss Caroline Adams. THEATRE ROYAL /DELPHI. roprtetor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING. DOMESTIC ECONOMY. After which. URGENT PRIVATE AFFAIRS. To conclude with JACK AND THE BEAN' STALK; or, Harlequin and Mother Gloom at Home Again. In which Messrs. J. Bland, P. Bedford, Madame Celeste, Miss Wyndham, and Miss E. Arden will appear. ROYAL SURREY TFIEATRE. Lessees, Uessrs. Shepherd and Cresvrick. THIS EVENING DEEDS NOT WORDS. To conclude with A PRINCE OF PEARL 3; or, Harlequin and lane Shore. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. trader the direction of Mr: Payne. TUTS EVENING, KATE WYNSLEY. Followed by THE R)MANTIC WIDOW. After which. A PLAGUE 0' BOTH YOUR fIOUSE3. To conclude with THE HOLLY TREE INN. ROYAL OLYSIPIC TFIEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. Alfrel Wigan. THIS EVENING, STILL WATERS RUN DEE P. After which will he produced a New and denbly-mnral, though exceeilvely old. Melodramatic Fairy Extravaganza, entitled THE DISCREET PRIgCE33; or, the Three Glass Dicta . In which Mewl. Emery, F. Robson, H. Cooper, Mit MarstoT and Mies Moskell will appear. ASTLErS ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Lessee and Manager. Mr. Wm. Cooke. Extraordinary Feat by the Elephants ! THIS EVENING, The Romantic Equidrame sailed ROOK MOOD; or. TIMM'S RIDE, to YORK. ♦fer which the tiers in the ARENA, introduatng M!...34 Kate Cook, Miss Emily Cooke, Mr. John Cooke, &c. The sagacious Ele phants will appear, one of which will execute the incredible feat of ascending upon a narrow board from the centre of the Ring to the top of a high platform on the stage ! To concinde with HARLEQUIN AND ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON; or, the Seven Champions of Christendom. Box-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W. West. Equestrian Director. Mr. W. Cooke, Jun. EMMA STANLEY'S SEVEN AGES OF WOMAN, Every Evening' at 8 , and on Saturdays at 3. Pronounced by the unanimous voice of the press, and by nightly increasing audiences, to be the Greatest Artistica! Triumph of the day. SAINT MARTIN'S HILL, Long-acre. Area, Is. ; Reserved Chairs, 2s. 6d. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tars DAY—Morn. 24 min. aft. B—Evening 0 min. aft. 9 re)-Moßßow—Morn. 40 min. aft. 9 —Evening 18 min. aft.lo THE WEATIIER—SUN OFFICE, FEB. 1. THERMOMETEB, IN Tint SHADE. 41 —highest since noon yesterday. 36 —lowest this morning and during the night. 49 —Ws day at noon. BAROMETER, 30'23. ArTWIt, N.W. to W.N.W.—Light, with dell, hazy weather. „a, e \ 4. N. A 11 . s,bp - • , LONDON, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 1856. The Royal Speech has been delivered, and de bates have followed in due course. Some infor mation has been obtained, but not to the extent which Parliament and the country had a right to anticipate. We know that the negotiations are to take place at Paris, and that the honour and interests of Great Britain are to be confided to the charge of the Earl of CLARENDON. We are also told that there shall be no relaxa tion of our naval or military preparations a satisfactory treaty of peace shall have been concluded. This, however, we fear, is more than can be hoped for under existing circumstances. The mysterious fifth article must indeed be largely developed if the final arrangements are to prove satisfactory to the British nation or conducive to its honour and in terests. In the Upper House, I,lrd DERBY spoke out boldly and intelligibly on the subject of Kars, and thus gracefully repaired a grave omission is the opening address. A few words of praise and sympathy might well have been bestowed on our gallant countrymen, of whose brilliant exploits and patient endurance we may well be proud, but who were at length obliged to succumb —not to the overwhelming numbers of the enemy, but to the still more unconquerable force of sheer famine. That is truly a question which should raise a blush of shame on the cheek of the Minister, which should cause him to hesitate, and be paralysed, when the subject was alluded to. The cause of this deplorable, and, we regret to be obliged to add, scandalous transaction must be strictly investigated, so that the real criminal or criminals may be discovered, and sub jected to the severe punishment and universal condemnation which he or they have so greatly deserved. \Ve do not believe th a t it cad be traced to any feeli ng of paltry j ealousy on the part of our august Ally. We fear that the delinquents will be found nearer home, and that England, in vindication of its own character and its own interests, will have to determine on a very summary but decided course in reference to the offenders. We regret, however, to tiud that Lord DERBY, as we ll as Mr. DISRAELI in the other House, ad vocated "the policy of abstention ;" or , i n o th er words, of refraining from any comments, sugges tions, or observations respecting the progress of the negotiations. We confess that we greatly prefer the manly and straightforward course in dicated by Mr. ROEBUCK, whose admirable speech was all that could be desired. The Honourable Gentleman pointed out that, as the honour and interests of England are in the keeping of the , House, it is our imperative duty to watch over the negotiations, and to know every step that is taken, and every proposition that is made. In his emphatic words, the House must watch care fully and vigilantly over the negotiators and the negotiations of. Paris. The proceedings of yesterday will materially add to the reputation of Jolix .4.e.rnun ROEBUCK. He previously stood high in the estimation of his countrymen. He has greatly elevated his posi tion. He has shown that England can boast of at least. one man who will fearlessly utter unwel come truths without descending t 9 personal con- siderations. It would no doubt have been greatly to Mr. ROEBUCK'S personal advantage if he could conscientiously have maintained silence, and ac quiesced in the arrangements now on the tapis. But he honestly judged and nobly discharged his duty as a high-minded Englishman. He proved beyond the possibility of doubt that we obtain no real guarantee from Russia ; and that the lives of our gallant countrymen, and enormous sums of money, have been uselessly sacrificed. He asked what the country also requires to be informed on. He said—" I want to know if we had another campaign, if we drove Russia out of the Crimea, and if, discarding that pretended liberality which says that we are not going to take any ter ritory from Russia, we were to take the Crimea from her, and erect the Principalities, including Bessarabia, into a kingdom—l ask, if we did that, should we not then have some protection against Russia I" These spirited interrogatories will reierberate throughout the length and breadth of the land—will be repeated in the palaces of the wealthy, the commodious dwellings of the middle classes, and in the cottages of the great body of the people. They will judge, with JOHN ARTHUR ROEBUCK, that the War has been brought, or rather has been at tempted to be brought, to a most lame and im potent conclusion, and will visit with just con demnation the parties responsible for the national disgrace. One of our contemporaries has thought proper to make a sharp attack on Mr. ROEBUCK for that which merited the highest applause. We cannot forget the Well-merited praise that appeared in the columns of the Times, last year, of Mr. ROE BUY'S efficient and disinterested exertions. He is now the bete noir whom it is striving to crush. But it will fail in the attempt. Wherever high-minded independence and undeviating consistency is respected, the name of JOIIN AR THUR. ROEBUCK will be honoured as one of which England may well be proud. Had we but a dozen such men in Parliament, we should expect to see Red-tapeism speedily and completely over thrown, and the nation placed in the position with respect to foreign powers which she has a right to, but does not occupy. We are obviously expected to make peace with Russia, if Russia will only benignantly permit us so to make peace —upon the conditions following. Firstly—remember that !—upon condition, not that the enemy shall indemnify the Allies for the enormous expenditure consequent upon the CZAR'S lawless aggression upon the Principalities, but actually upon condition that the Black Sea shall be "neutralised !" As though Muscovite ambi tion were a sort of political acid in the European system to be neutralised by certain diplomatic alkalies ! Or as though the triumph of the neu trals so far deserved celebration upon the very head and front of the proposed compromise as to authorise the coining of a phrase for its more signal perpetuation ! Secondly, we are ex pected to make peace with Russia if Russia will only magnanimously permit us upon condition, not that the Crimea shall be re stored to Turkey, not that the Danubian Provinces shall be ereoted into a kingdom, not that a broader barrier than ever shall be reared against the possibility of further en croachments of barbarism from beyond the fron tiers of Bessarabia, but positively —remember this too :—upon condition that a fleet now rotting ingloriously at the leottora of the Euxine shall not be reconstructed for the desolation of another Siuope, and that the shores of the same waters shall never again bristle with the guns of a refor tided robber-stronghold like Sebastopol ! Aud so forth—and so forth—the "material guarantees" to be insisted upon by the Western Powers, under the auspices of the guidance, of Austrian diplomacy dwindling away, "point " by " point," by nega tive upon negative ! Is this all ? Literally, is his all ? Is nothing else than this to be re a lly gained (when everything is said and done) as the result of the grand contest raging for two years between the barbaric might of Russia and the war like supremacy looked for as the inevitable con sequence of the glorious and heroic alliance ce mented between the presumed arbitrers of the world the British and Gallic Governments ? Positively we ask again —is this all ? Has the terrible winter campaign of 1854-55 to have no more consolatory pendant than a trump3d-up compromise ? Are the tattered banners of France and England, smoke blackened and bloodstained, riddled by ball and bayonet, and emblazoned with the memories of Alma, and Inkernaan, and the Redan, and the Malakhoff, to be smoothed into a patchwork tablecloth for the elbows of plenipo tentiaries, or, still worse, to be spread open as a carpet for the feet of neutral' Sovereigns Actu ally, this, and nothing better than this, is fore shadowed at the present moment by more than one sinister prognostication. By the peddling prelimi naries of a discreditable pacification! By the diluted platitudes of what Lord DERBY facetiously desig nated a kind of " water-gruel " Speech from the Throne ! By a first-night's debate in the House of Commons, for the most part so timorous in tone, so subdued in spirit, so hushed, and stut tering, and shamefaced, and blushing, and flus tered, that it might perhaps, after all, be most accurately defined, as the great Scotch critic once upon a time defined the Wilfred of Sir WALTER'S " eby, "in a memorable review iu the Edinburgh, namely, as—" that tame rabbit boiled to rags !" Elsewhere, however, we take occasion in our impression of this evening to carve, deliberately and piecemeal, " that tame rabbit boiled to rags," the WILFRED of the session of 1856, yesterday's discussion in the popular branch of the Legislative Chambers at West minster. The immediate design of these present remarks of ours being almost exclusively devoted to the enforcement of what we conceive to be the paramount duty at this mo mentous crisis in the affairs, not merely of Britain herself, but of Europe generally, the paramount duty and indefeasible right of every patriot Eng lishman ! That of observing, vigilantly observing, every variable and even may be momentary phase in these now rapidly-approaching negotiations. The duty and the right, be it remarked, not simply of watching, but a l so of discussing these same negotia tions, as befits the freecitizens of a State exquisitely alive to the exigencies of a time like the present, au age of transition as well as an epoch of achieve,' rnent. Otherwise than by the exercise of some such perfectly justifiable watchfulness England may find herself, wh en too late, involved' in the toils of those wily tricksters, a wh o wou l d treaty,i)alter her honour for the bribe of and sully her reputation by the infamy of a b a le s shameless compromise. So surely, how Peace we re b u ilt u p u p on any such unstable foundations, foundations, so surely would the present struggle prove in the end to have been but the precursor of one in every way more sanguinary, more disas trous, and more appalling. Over the smouldering ashes of the War thus hastily buried under the lowering mound of a precipitate pacification might be inscribed in one word its most appro. priate ep it a ph—Resurgara ! MISS EMMA. STANLEY. —"The Seven Ages of Woman" increases nightly in popularity. Miss Emma Stanley has been honoured by a numerous attendance of the highest classes. Her entertainment verifies the old say ing, " What everybody says must be true," and her per formance has been pronounced by all as the most unique ani clever ever offered to the public. THE SUN' LONDON FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRITARY 1856. „.1 . • to affirm the acceptance by Russia of the proposi tions of Austria. Prince Gortschakoff has now received the despatch of M. de Nesselrode, which states that acceptance and the authorisation to sign the act common to the five Powers, for all the five Powers who were present at the last diplomatic conferences will take part in it. As soon as the Plenipotentiaries of France, England, and Turkey shall have received authorisation from their respec tive Governments, they will be convoked by M. de Buol, and in the presence of Prince Gortschakoff he will read to them the note which contains the conditions proposed by Austria ; Prince Gorscha koff, on his part, will read the despatch of M. de Nesselrode, and a protocol o f th ese two readings will be drawn up, which will be signed by the five representatives. Prussia and Piedmont will take no part in it, as this protocol will be as a comple ment to those of the Conference of Vienna, the last of which bears the date of the 4th June, 1855. This protocol was to have been signed on the 25th January, but the signature had not taken place on the 27th. Great impatience is felt for the accom plishment of this formality, which is regarded as the first of the preliminaries." BOURSE, Jan. 31.—The following were the quo tations : Cash. fr. e. End of Month. 4i per Cants 95 50 —f. —o. 3 per Cents 7O 60 70 80 New Loan 72 5 — Bank Shares 3275 R oman Credit Mobilier 1530 Austrian Belgian Fives. .. k_3panish Threes 36 Piedmontese (5) RAILWAYS -2'oB CASH. fr. 0. fr. C. Orleans ... 1237 50 W es t ern 835 C Northern Lyons ...,...1225 N ew Ditto 810 Mediterranean 136 0 Grand Central 640 Lyons Geneva 725 Testa Catte 727 50 Austrian Coro. 857 50 PORTUGAL. The steamer Cintra arrived at Liverpool, yester day, with advices from Lisbon to the 26th inst. The same day, at 5 p.m., she passed the Sultan going into Lisbon. Our correspondent writes on the 26th :—The Cortes resumed their sittings on the 19th inst., be ing engaged in the election of councillors. Nothing of public interest had taken place. A bill to extend the period of old coinage will be discussed to-day, when it is expected the Finance Minister will bring forward his report, and bills respecting contracts and loans for railway construction. Although the heavy gales upon the coast have subsided for the last few days, rain continues to fall in great abundance. The Donna Maria steamer has been unable to take in her cargo, and her de parture for the Brazils is put off to the 6th of February. Accounts from Algarve represent two-thirds of the inhabitants of that province as being reduced to the greatest misery. The rains and storms have stopped the fisheries, inundated lands, and many houses have fallen there in consequence of the wet season and shocks of earthquake. The sufferings upon the banks of the Tagus and other rivers are also very great. We are sorry to report the distressing loss of the Portuguese brig Orient, Captain Faria, out 64 days from Loanda, at daybreak on the 21st., upon a rock called the Guinche, near the Rock of Lisbon. The fog was so intense that the vessel was almost upon the rock it split upon before it was perceived, and only 6of the crew were saved. Those lost include the captain, who was a son of the owner, two passengers, and seven sailors. One of the pas sengers, atter being lodged upon the rock, was washed off again while in the act of kneeling in thankfulness fur his short-lived preservation. News has just been received hero of the loss of the English brig Standard, Capt. Byrne, from Alexandria, with beans, and last from Cadiz, bound for Cork. LATEST NEWS. VIENNA, THURSDAY, JAN. 31, 10 A. M. The Turkish Embassy in this city has been em powered to sign the Protocol if necessary. BERLIN, THURSDAY. The Austrian Ambassador, Count Esterhazy, has communicated to the Prussian Cabinet the projected proposal of Austria to the German Diet for its accession to the accepted preliminaries. The Saxon Prime Minister, Debeust, has ar rived at Berlin. Our intelligence from Russia is to the effect that, whilst the peace is heartily welcomed at St. Petersburg, the feeling is very different at Moscow. The Balk of Odessa has a second time sus- pended its cash payments. The works on the new fortifications at St. Petersburg and Cronstadt have already been slackened, and the concentration of troops in the Baltic provinces countermanded. OUR ARMY IN THE CRIMEA. CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, Jan. 19.—0 n Wed nesday an armistice was declared till four o'clock in the afternoon, up to which time the Russians and the French amused themselves by walking about in the Tchernaya valley in front of the out posts. They were so near together that they could distinctly see each other's countenances. Since the last mail left the English engineers have blown up the entrance gate to the east dock, and to-day there will, in all probability, be another small explosion. There is little to record during the past week but the various rumours with which the camps have been agitated respecting the chances of a ces sation of hostilities, and the plans of the future campaign in case the negotiations for peace should be unsuccessful. In the meantime, preparations are being made to meet all contingencies. CONSTANTINOPLE, JAN. 21.—The Turkish official world of Stamboul is still in suspense about the Ministry. The Sultan is said to press very much, especially since the last fortnight, Redschid Pasha to accept office, appealing to his patriotic feelings ; but as he does not consent to sanction the pro gramme which the latter proposes, the chances of Redschid Ministry are becoming smaller. The Loan Commission has at last tired out even Turkish official slowness, and is beginning to get into working order, with regular sittings twice a week. •The project which has been submitted to the Porte defining the exact position of the Com mission, bas, with very small modifications, been accepted. The only point which now remains to be settled is the manner how the funds should be transmitted. The Commission proposed to open it to competi tion on the Exchange, and accept the most favour able offer. Nothing has been decided as yet in this respect. The news from Persia relates almost exclusively to the Herat affair. The official gazette of Teheran, which has been for some time past busy with Herat, has in its last number the report, that Dost Mohamed Kban was marching with an army on Herat in order to expel the Persians from there. According to the Teheran Gazette, he was already one day's march on the Herat side of Candahar. How he came there so suddenly is not explained, nor how he got possession of Candahar. RUSSIA. We have received the St. Petersburg journals of the 23d and 24th January. Among the list of promotions published in the Gazette we find the following : " Major-General de Lukasch is appointed mili tary and civil Governor of Tiflis in the place of Lieutenant-General Prince Andronikoff 1., who retires on the plea of ill-health at his own request." Major Budberg is attached to the army in the Caucasus. There are various other appointments of officers to the Caucasus. The Itlorski Sbernik, a naval magazine published at St. Petersburg, gives in its January number the following narrative of how the Russian fleet in the Pacific escaped the English cruisers : "As soon as Admiral Zawoiko, the Com mander of Petropaulovski, received orders to de stroy the fortifications of that town, and to pro ceed to the limau of the Amoor, he made his preparations for evacuating the place, had a passage sawn through the ice in the Bay of Avatscha, and went to sea on the 17th April, with the corvette Olivouska, the Aurora frigate, and three trans ports, Doina, Irsysk, and Baikal. The squadron counted about 300 souls, including women and chil dren, all inhabitants of Petropaulovski. Alter a most trying navigation the squadron cast anchor in Castries Bay (51 de s . 27 min. north latitude), and the Admiral placed his ships behind some banks and shallows, so as to prevent their being turned by the enemy. On the 20th of May a frigate, a corvette, and an English brig made their appearance ; the corvette approached and threw some shells against one of the Russian vessels, but the whole enemy's squadron soon went to sea again. "As Admiral Zawoiko had been informed that Cape Lasareff, situate more north, at the mouth of the Amoor, was free from ice, he took advantage of the departure of the English vessels, weighed anchor, and, after a most perilous passage, his vessels reached their destination one by one, be tween the Ist and 6th of July. Batteries were thrown up on the shore, and a few weeks later all the vessels were placed in shelter behind the bars of the Amoor. " During the run from Castries Bay to Cape Lasareff an American vessel, the William Penn, was spoken. She had on board 150 Russians of the crew of the Diana, wrecked, it will be remem bered, on the Japanese coast, and shortly after his arrival at Cape Lasareff Admiral Zawoiko was joined by Admiral Poutiatine ; the latter had made his escape in a very bold and enterprising manner. After the shipwreck of the Diana he conceived the idea of making his crew build asehooner. The under taking succeeded so well that after 10 weeks' hard work, to which the Japanese and their Government gave an assisting hand in providing materials, sails, & - c., a vessel of the desired size was launched and named the Khida, after the port where it was con structed. Forty men and seven officers formed the crew of the schooner, which reached Petropaulov ski on the 22d of May. "Finding that place abandoned the Admiral lost no time in leaving Avatscha- bay, which was watched by hostile cruisers, and he succeeded in reaching La Perouse Straits (between the islands of Sagha lien and Fesso). Here he was nearly surprised one night by a vessel of the enemy, which passed within 700 yards of him. He was given chase, but the Admiral escaped, and continuing his course northwards he joined, as already stated, the rest of the Kamtschatka flotilla at Cape Lasareff. Thence he proceeded shortly to the Nicholas Station, the chief and well-fortified point of that territory, and deposited there all the materiel which the squadron had brought from Petropaulovski." The Invalide Russe of the 22d publishes the fol lowing order of the day, addressed by Prince Gort schakoff to the army of the South and to the troops in the Crimea : " Head-quarters, Bakshi-Serai, Jan. 12. " In leaving, by the Emperor's order, for new duties, I bid you farewell, brave comrades ! " I give to my worthy successor an army inured to battles, and which has been for the Czar and the country a defence and a joy. " Your courage and your devotion, brave war riors, will remain graven for ever on my heart. I sincerely return you thanks for the confidence you always reposed in mo in the midst of the bloody and terrible struggle of 1855,—that eternally me morable struggle in which you defended the penin sula of the Crimea against numerous foes, who had in their power means of warfare unique and heretofore unknown in the annals of war." " This order of the day will 190 read in every company, squadron, sotnia, battery, and body of marines." FRANCE. PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING. The Queen's Speech on opening Parliament is the great topic of interest here for the moment, almost to the exclusion of anything else. The Ambassadors of the Allies are expected to sign the p rotocol to-morrow, at Vienna. Official despatch es f rom C ons t an ti no ple state that the war preparations are carried on with the utmost activity. Omer Pacha's suggestions have been approved of. The same activity prevails at Stockholm. Sweden will be prepared for offensive operations, if necessary. We read in the Debats :—" Our correspondents transmit us some information as to the form of the document which is to be shortly signed at Vienna, COURT CIRCULAR. The Queen went in state yesterday to the House of Peers to open Parliament by a speech from the throne. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness the Prince re turned to Buckingham Palace at two minutes before three o'clock, and were received by the Vice-Chamber lain. The Queen and Prince Albert left Buckingham Palace for Windsor Castle at twenty minutes past four o'clock yesterday afternoon attended by the Duchess of Wel lington, Lord DufferiD, Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Sir Edward Bowater, Lord Charles Fitzroy, Colonel F. H. Seymour, and the Mater of the Household. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness were conducted to their carriage by Lord Ernest Bruce, Vice-Chamber and Colonel Francis Seymour, Groom of the Bed chamber to the Prince. A party of Light Dragoons escorted the Queen from Buckingham Palace to the Paddington terminus of the Great Western Railway. WINDSOR, JAL 31. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by the Lady in Waiting and the Gentlemen of the suite, arrived at the Castle about a quarter past five o'clock this afternoon, having travelled from London by a special train on the Great Western Railway, The Duchess of Wellington has succeeded Lady Churchill as the Lady in Waiting, and Lord Dufferic has relieved Lord Byron as Lord in Waiting to her Majesty. We have authority for stating that the Speaker of the House of Commons has no present intention of retiring. On the 21st the Pope gave his benediction to the lambs which were to he afterwards shorn, in order to furnish wool for the pallium, which Rome sends to each of the new bishops. The Queen of Spain has presanted a cloak ornamented w ith garnets, of the value of 200,000 reals, to a statue of the Virgin of S•;rrows, in one of the churches. A body of the Medical Staff Corps will be medially inspected to-day at the General Hospital Fort Pitt, pre vious to their being called on for embakation. NEWS. —(Dais Day.) CORN EXCHANGE. The quantity of English wheat on sale in to-day's mar ket, coastwise and by land-carriage, was very moderate, nevertheless it was quite equal to the demand which ruled ins ctive, at Mond a y' s currency. , Over 17,000 quarters of foreign wheat have come fresh to hand, and the supply was rather on the increase. The business doing was very limited, yet no change took place in the quotations. Earley was in moderate supply and fair request, at full prices. Malt was very dull, but not cheaper. We were well supplied with oats, and all kinds met a dull inquiry, on rather easier terms. Beans, peas, and flour realised Monday's quotations. The imports of the latter article are good. ARRIVALS THIS WSISH. Barley. Malt. I oats. 3,150 3,810 I 2,39 ► I 11,030 3ngllsh Irish Wheat. 2,030 roroign I 17,550 1 Flour. 720 4,840 I 1320 sks 920 Thais METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. The supply of beasts here, to-day, being considerably on the increase, and in improved condition, the beef trade ruled heavy, at a decline in the prices realised on Monday of 2d per 81b. We were rather heavily supplied with sheep, which moved off slowly, at 2d per 81ns. less money. The show of calves was limited, and the veal trade ruled active, at 2d per 81bs advance. Pigs sold at full prices. Mulch cows were dull, at from 141. to 191. each, including their small calf. Per Sibs to sink the offals. s. d. s. d. s. d. s. d. Inferior Beasts.... 3 oto 3 2 1PrimeSouthdowu 4 6 410 Second quality.... 3 4 3 8 'Large crse. calves 410 5 6 Prime large oxen 310 4 4 Prime small d 0... 5 S 6 2 Prime Scots, &c. 4 6 4 8 Large hogs l S 4'2 Inferior Sheep ...3 0 3 4 Small porkers ... 4 4 fi Second quality ...3 6 3 10;Suckling calves..n 0 29 0 Prime crse.-wlled.4 0 4 41Quarter old pigs. 2 1 C 28 0 TOTAL SUPPLY. I FOREIGN SUPPLY. Bouts .......... ...... 1,624 Beasts •• —.. • 180 Sheep ..... 5,560 Sheep •• ...... 290 Calves ..... 180 Ca1ve5.................. 110 Pigs •• .......• •• •• •••• 340 Pig 5............•• • ..... NEWOATE AND The supplies were toleral Less active, as follows : Per 81bs by LEADENHALL. Ily good, and the trade was tho carcasa. s. d. s. d. I Beef, inferior ° 10 3 2 Do., middling 3 4 3 6 Do. prime large 3 8 3 10 Do. , do. small 4 0 4 2 j Pork, large 3 4 4 0 S. 1. s. d. Mutton, Inferior 2 10 3 2 Do., middling 3 4 3 8 Do., prime 3 10 4 4 Veal 4 0 5 8 Pork, small 4 2 5 0 BOROUGH 110 P. We have no change to notice iu the value of any kind of hops. The business doing is but moderate, and the show of samples is extensive. The imports this week from the Continent are 83 bales. Mid and East Kent pockets, 3/ 108 to 61 10s per cwt ; Weald of Kent, 3/ 5s to 5/ Os ; Sussex, 3/ Os to 4/ 15s. COLONIAL. TEA.----The market has been languid and prices have re mained unaltered. Purchasers are waiting the result of the advices from China per the Overland Mail. Common congou 9id to Sid per lb. A largo quantity was paid duty on in anticipation of higher rates of duty being un posed. SITQAR.—A very limited business has been done in all deseriptions of sugar, at a decline of about tici per cwt, the principal operations having been in foreign for exporta tion. Good white Benares brought 465, good fine yellow Cossipore 413 to 44s 6d, grainy low white 41s 61 to 42s 6d, Penang mid to good brown 3Gs Gd to 38s, low to good yel low 39s to 425, grey and white 42s Gd to 43s Gd per cwt. Bahia sold very cheap ; yellow 403, and brown 3Gs to 393 per cwt. Mauritius sold at previous rates. Havannah, good white, 51s 6d to 52s 6d ; low mid, 493 to 49s 6d ; florettes, 483 to 48s Gd ; ord brown mid yellow, 403 to 45s per cwt. Barbadoes sold at 43s Gd to 453 Gd ; soft grey to fine soft yellow brought 43s Gd to 48s Gel per cwt. No public sales were brought forward yesterday. The refined market has been inactive, but wet lumps and pieces are inquired for. COFFEE.—The demand for plantation Ceylon has been good, and prices were firm, although but a trifling amount of business has been actually transacted ; fine tine ordi. nary small to mid held colorv, 58s 6d to 63s ; triage, 41s to 563 6d ; peaberry, 613 to 6.53 • a few lots of fine quality were taken in at 703 per cwt. Native Ceylon has declined Gil per cwt, fair ordinary realised 51s to 525 Gd per cwt. COCOA.— There has been little demand for this article, and prices h...ve remained altered. RICE.—The market ruled very quiet. The demand being unequal to the supply only a small portion of the quantity- offered at public sale was sold. Bengal good white, 14s to 15s; Madras middling and good pinky, 13s to 13s 6d. _ very dull market has existed for this article, and prices are without any material alteration. Demerara, 2s 8d to 2s 9(.1 per proof gallon. spicEs.—papper---The market 11%s been active, and higher prices were obtained for several descriptions ; Singapore fair and good sifted SP, Penang 51d, good Sumatra sid to 5,0 per lb, damaged brou g ht 44d to 5 d per lb. Ginger—Calcutta ordinary and mid scraped sold for 29s 6d to 30s per cwt. COCHINEAL.—A large business has been done at a rise of about 1d per lb in the value. Honduras ord to fine silvers 3s 6d to 4s 2d, blacks 5s to 5s 1,1, Mexican silver 3s 6cl, blacks 3s 9d to 4s 3d, Teneriffe silver 3s 8d to 3s 11d, blacks 4s to 4s 4d, and Granada 6d to 2s 101. TALLOW.—Tho Tallow Mark.,t, owing to speculative sales, has rather improved. P.Y.C. on the spot 58s 91 to 59s 3d. GREEN FRUIT.—The market is bare of oranges, a cargo from St. Michael, sold by Keeling and Hunt, at public sale, went at 3s. to 4s. per box higher. Stormy weather at the Azores, Lisbon, and p?,eville has checked shipments. Nuts of all kinds in better demand; Brazil, for a higher figure ; chestnuts dull. RAILWAY TRAFFIC IN 1855. The usual half-yearly meeting, just published, gives he number of passengers conveyed by the railroads in be United Kingdom during the half-year ended the 30th of June, 1855, with other miscellaneous informa tion on the subject of railways in general. In England and Wales there were 6,166 miles of rail way open for traffic on the 30th of June last, against 6,112 in 1854. The total number of passengers con veyed by these railroads amounted to 43,286,143 i, of whom 5,995,1391 were first-class, 15,035,7681 second class, 8,123,0964 third-olass, and 14,122,814 " Parlia mentary" passengers, besides 9,325 season tioketholdera. The total receipts from these passengers amounted to the sum of 3,563,4521. (including excess fares and tolls), of which sum 1,090,1021. accrued from first-class travellers, 1,275,6161. from second-class, 333,7191, from third-class, and 774,952/. from Parliamentarians. The total receipts from horses, carriages, luggage, parcels, and mails amounted to 450,0261., and the total receipts from general merchandise, cattle, and reioerala to 4,436,9141., making a grand total receipt from all sources of traffic of 8,450,3941. In Scotland there were 1,051 miles of line open on the 30th of June, 1855. On these lines 5,465,422 pas sengers were conveyed—viz , 667,443 j fi rs t- c l assers, 833,529] second-classers, 719,200 thirst-classere, and 3.243,289 Parliamentarians. Of season-ticket holders there were 1,960. These travellers yielded a gross total revenue of 325,3481., of which sum the first-class pas sengers contributed 85,015/., the second-e,lass G8,479/. - the third-class 33,2511., and the Parliamentarian 133,0751. The receipts from horses, carriages, and lug gage, &c., amounted to 46,8591., and the receipts from general merchandise to 625,649/. The grand total re ceipts from all sources amounted to 997,8561. In Ireland there were 897 miles of road open on the 30th of June. On these railroads travelled 3,063,584 passengers, including 379,223 of the first-class, 1,231,865 j of the seoond•class, 658,702 of the third class, 791,663 Parliamentarians, and 2,125 j season ticket holders. The total receipts from passengers amounted to 249,9371., of which sum the first-classers contributed 57,6691.: the second-classers, 94,658/. ; the third-classers, 31,3281. ; and the Parliamentary passen gers, 60,4281. The receipts from horses, carriages, lug gage, and mails amounted to 45,558/., and these from general goods and cattle to 150,3011. ; making a grand total revenue from all sources of traffic of 445,08/. A comparative summary shows that in the whole of the united kingdom there were on the 30th of last June 8,115 miles of line open for traffic, against 7,03 miles on the 30th of June, 1854 ; that 51,815,149 j passengers were conveyed thereon, against 50,367,404 in 1854; that the receipts from passengers amounted to 4,125,487/. (exclusive of extra fares), against 4,081,7921. in 1854 ; arid that the receipts from goods and cattle amounted to 5,212,865/., against 4,826,8251. in 1854. The grand total revenue of all roads for the half-year was 9,894,0491., against 9,424,6031. in the corresponding half-year of 1854. THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.--LIVERPOOL, Thursday.— The Queen's Speech was received here shortly after two p.m., and has given almost nniversll satisfaction—especially the portion announcing her Majesty's determination not to relax the naval and military preparations for the ensuing campaign until a satisfactory peace has been concluded. DIVISIONS OF TYE Eousit.--To insure accuracy and facility in taking divisions, it is requested that every member, whether personally known to the division clerks or not, will give his name distinctly and audibly, as he passes the division desk. LYME REGIS.---THE FALL OF KARS.—The mayor has given notice of a public meeting on Wednesday, for the purpose of considering the propriety of petitioning her Majesty or the House of Commons to grant an in quiry into the circumstances attendant on the fall of the fortress of Kars.—Skepborne Journal. A letter from Toulon, dated Wednesday morning, states that Admiral Trihouart had arrived there to take the command of the fleet, and had hoisted his flag on board the Fleurus. There are at present 12 ships of the line at anchor in the roads, viz., the Marengo, Prince Jerome, Jupiter, Fleurus, Trident, D u p e rri, Navarin, Jemmappos, Hercule, Sufren, Bayard, Jena ; seven frigates, the Uranie, A.lbatros, Vengeance, Canada, Constitution, Zanobie, Montezuma ; and three sloops, Averne, Eclaireur, Reine Hortense. The ship-of-the line Inflexible had sailed for the Black Sea. The ship of-the-line Friedland had been taken into dock. The steam corvette Requin bad sailed for Civita Vecchia, with despatches for the General commanding the French troops at Rome. COURT MARTIAL. .By the Royal mail steam-ship Atrato, we learn that a court martial was held at Ber muda some time last month to try Commander Corbett, the master and mate of her Majesty's brig Wolverine, which was wrecked near Greytown, in October. Com modore Kellett, C- 8., was president of the court. After a careful examination of the witnesses &c., Commander Corbett and the master were acquitted, but severely reprimanded, and admonished to be more cautious for the future. The mate, who was in charge when the brig got en shore, was dismissed from her Majesty's service. CASUALTIES 137 DEATH IN THE ARMES of INDIA.— Her Majesty's Troops : Capt. N. P. Geneste, 24th Foot, at Jhelum. M a d ras : Ensign F. A. Brett, 43d Regi ment NJ., at Vizagapatam, on the 3d of December. Bengal :—Lieut. C. A. Daniell, Bth Light Cavalry, at Meen Meer, on the 24th of November ; Lieutenant (Brevet Major) J. S. R. Barclay, 3d European Regiment, at Chinsurati, on the 17th of December.—Bombay Since the allied fleet left the Baltic no less than 25 merchant vessels have put into Revel, of which 22 were laden with salt. VIENNA, 30th.—The Ost Deutsche Post announces that Austria, in the interest of Germany, will present a pro position to the Germanic Diet, in order that the latter may adopt the points of guarantee which are to serve as the preliminaries of peace, and thus take a serious part in the approaching Conferences. A letter from Berlin, of the 29th, states that Prussia is not disposed to enter into any engagements with a view to taking part in the Paris conferences, but main tains her right to do so on the ground of the treaties of Vienna. These treaties decided the question of the ter ritorial arrangement of Europe ; the rectification of the Ottoman territory, however trifling, is a modification of those treaties, and, as such, cannot take place without her. LAW INTELLIGENCE —(This Day. COURT OF QUEEN'S BENCH. (Sittings at Westminster, before Lord Chief-Justice Campbell and a Special Jury.) GRAVES V. SOWERBY AND ANOTHER. This was an action for false imprisonment brought under the following circumstances. The plaintiff is a young lady, an assistant in the establishment of Madam Decon, milliner, &c., 11, Bruton-street, Bond-street, and the defendants linen drapers of Regent -street. It ap peared from the evidence that on the evening of the IGth October last the plaintiff went to the defendants' shop about eight o'clock in the evening, and purchased several small articles amounting to 34.9 d., tendering in payment two half-crowns, which the cashier declared to be bad ; called in a policeman, and gave her into custody for passing bad money. She was then taken by the policeman, through a crowd of persons who had assembled round the door, down Oxford-street, to the police-station in St. Giles. At the defendants' shop she asserted her innocence, gave her address, the name of the lady in whose employ she was, and also that of her sister, who resided in George.street, Hanover-square, whom she re quested might be sent for. The defendants, however, refused to send to the parties named, or make any inquiries as to the truth of the plaintiff's statements. At the police-station the plaintiff was searched by the female searcher, after being charged with passing bad money. Everything she had on was taken off, and she was compelled to open her mouth to show that she had nothing concealed under her tongue, and the result of the search was the searcher found no other coin of a doubtful character, and expressed her opinion that the plaintiff was a re spectable person, and at her request she was placed in a separate cell instead of being locked up with felons and characters of the worst description. The half-crowns were tested and believed to be good, and it subse quently appeared the plaintiff had received them from her sister, who had had quicksilver in her pocket in a paper, some of which had got out, discoloured the coin, caused them to feel smooth, and gave them the appearance complained of. On the following day the plaintiff was brought before Mr. Bingham, at Marlborough-street, and the coins being found to be good she was discharged. Subsequently an apology was published in two of the morning papers, and the defendants had further offered the young lady 51., and then 101., as compensation, but which she re fused. The plaintiff's case having been proved, the learned counsel for the defendants said their object was to stand right with regard to this transaction, and with out troubling the jury he would consent to take a verdict from his lordship. The plaintiff's counsel having assented to this course, Lord Campbell said that he did not consider 101. a sufficient amount of compensation for the wrong done the plaintiff. He thought the defendants had acted very harshly towards her. The defendant was a person who carried respectability in her appearance ; and he must say that during his experience at the bar and since at the bench, he had never seen a witness whose conduct was so unexceptionable in the box as hers. No doubt her demeanour was the same at the defendants' shop, and the defendant had done wrong in not sending for her friends before subject ing her to the indignity of being in custody and searched. The sum of 101. offered by the defendants since the com mitment of the action was insufficient, asd he gave a verdict for the plaintiff for 201. COURT OF EXCHEQUER. (Before the Chief Baron.) DICKER V. JACKSON. This was an action brought by the plaintiff against the defendant for unlawfully takin4 possession of a butcher's shop, situated in Leonard's square, Hoxton. The transaction dates as far back as 1851. It appears the agreement for taking the shop had been entirely be tween the son of the defendant and the plaintiff, and that consequently it was pleaded that whatever respon sibility existed in the case was the responsibility of the defendant's son. It nal elicited during the examination of the witnesses and the defendant, that on April lith, IYSI, the defendant and his son brought a cart load of meat to the shop in Leonard's-square. Not finding any one in the place, and the shutters only put up loosely, they had taken them down and placed the meat in the shop. While so occupied, Mr. Dodge, the agent of the plaintiff, who had charge of the premises, returned, and it was proved that no remonArance was made by the agent to the defendant and his son for having entered the premises, knowing that to be the day on which possession had been agreed to be taken. The Chief Baron, in addressing the jury, said it ap peared to him that no real grounds for action for trespass existed in this case. The defendant and his son had gone to the shop and had been told by the neighbours that the agent of the plaintiff had gone out to seek a lodging (knowing that be had to give up pos session to the defendant's son), and had left word for them to take down the shutters and take possession. The defendant's son being proved to be under age at the time of the transaction was not the point the jury had to consider : it was whether an agreement had been entered into between the plaintiff and defendant. The jury, after a short consultation, found a verdict for the defendant. COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. (Before Mr. Justice Wines.) BRAY V. CHANDLER. This was an action brought by the plaintiff to recover damages for having been dismissed from his situation as the agent of the defendant, in the management of an estate in Park-lane Tottenham. The defenda n t had been engaged for two and a half years, at a salary of 2001. per annum, in the early part of 1853, to look after the erection and letting of certain houses on the estate. Oa the part of the plaintiff it was contended that ho had fulfilled his duties in such a manner as to have greatly enhanced the value of the property, and that no cause existed for his dismissal. Mr. Byles, far the defendant, stated that an agreement had been en tered into between the plaintiff and defendant, in which it was stipulated that the plaintiff was not to receive any moneys on account of the defendant. He should prove by witnesses that this stipulation had been infringed on in more than one instance, the money so received hav ing been applied by the plaintiff to his own purposes as a part of the salary due to him. He should also prove that the plaintiff had neglected his duties in being ab sent on many occasions during the greater part of several consecutive days, whereby the interests of the defen dant had suffered, and also that the plaintiff had pur chased building materials on acc - iunt of the defendant, an act also in opposition to the terms of the agreement. [The case had not concluded when we went to press.] METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS. Meeting This Day. The Commissioners met this day in the Council Cham ber, Guildhall, for the purpose of proceeding with the business on the paper before the board —Mr. .Tohn Thwaites in the chair. Mr. Wilkinson took his seat for St. Pancras. Mr. D'IFFANGER wished to put a question relative to a statement made by Mr. B izslgette, that one-half of the management of the Thame Valley Canal had been under his control, and the remarks that had been made in the newspapers. After a discussion the CHAIRMAN said he was of opi nion that the question to be put to Mr. Bazelgette was one he ought to have an opportunity of answering. A division ultimately took place as to whether Mr. Bazelgette should answer the question. Mr. BAZELGETTE said, in explanation of his statement, what he had said was not that he had sole charge of one: half of the Thame Valley Canal, but that he had the charge ander Mr. How, another gentleman. The bye-law regulating the width of streets and alleys made by the board on the 25th inst. was then read and confirmed. The bye-law empowering the chairman to pay the contractors as they proceeded out of the funds lodged in the London and Westminster Bank was also con firmed. The board was occupied the remaining portion of its sitting in considering the necessity of appoint ing a solicit or t o the board ; a motion by Mr. Davies relative to the appointment of the subordi nate officers of the board ; and another by Mr. Corrie referring to a committee whether it was desirable to proceed to make the sewers and works mentioned in the 35th clause of the act before some changes had been made in the powers of borrowing money, and to report the changes, if any, which they considered necessary. ~. LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(This Day.) LONDON, Feb. I.—Wind this day at noon, N.W. ; 3110. Berate breeze. PORTSUOUTII, Jan. 30.—Wind N.N.E.—Sailed—Jane and Isabella, for Hong Kong. 31. Wind N.N.W. to N.N.E.—Arrived—Hope (s. tpt.), from Constantinople; H.M.Str. Reyal George, Sheerness; Hawke, Fal mouth. Sailed—Chalmers (tpt.), London. OFF DUNGENESS.-Ship Hooghly, from Ceylon. COWES, Jan. 30.—Wind N.—Sailed—Fortitude, for Port-Philip. 31. Wind N.E.—Arrived—lllargaretha, from Callao. PLYMOUTH, Jan. 30.—Wind N.E.—Sailed—Star of Peace, for Sydney, N.S. W. FALMOUTH, Jan. 30.—Wind N.—Arrived—Oceana, from Matanzas; Maitland, Patagonia; Cornet, Buenos Ayres,. with loss of bowsprit, &c., boats, sails, &c.; John G. Richardson, New York, with part of cargo thrown overboard, had been on her beam ends on the 7th Jan., in 40 N. 41 W. ; Anemone, from Swansea for Smyrna, leaky 31. Wind N.E.—Sailed—Lima, for Ajaccia. SCILLY, Jan. 28.—Wind N.N.E.—Arrived—Ariel, from Jersey, for Pernambuco, with loss of bowsprit. POOLE.—Arrived—Nymph, from Greenspond, strained, very leaky, and a great quantity of oil pumped up, hav ing been struck by a heavy sea, and thrown upon her beam ends. JERSEY, Jan. 29.—Wind E.—Arrived. —Telegraph from Archangel. Sailed—Conquest, for Pernambuco. SWANSEA, Jan. 30.—Wind E.N.E —Sailed—Anuzado, for Cape de Verds. Siximns.—Jan. 31.—Wind N. Sailed—Zephyr, for Trinidad. HOLYHEAD, Jan. 31.—Tho Cheshire Witch, from Ark. low to Liverpool, put in hero on the 29th inst., leaky, and wiil discharge. The schooner Mary, of Cork, from Southampton to Liverpool, bilged outside the breakwater, New Harbour, on the 29th inst., and is discharging. (PER ELECTRIC TELEGRAM) SOUTHAMPTON, Friday Morning. Arrived—South-Western, steamer, from Jersey; Trial, Swan age. Sailed—Online, steamer, for Dublin ; Cicely, Sunder. 1 and. LIVERPOOL, Friday Morning. Wind N. Arrived —Mercury, from Marsala. Sailed--Cleator, for Varna; Teresina, Naples. QUEEN STOWN, Jan. 30. WESTMIASTER IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION. The following letters have been addressed to the editor of the Times : " Sir,--I read with great surprise in your city article of the 24th some observations upon the affairs of the Westminster Improves:sant Commission, in which my name is introduced. "It is apparent on the face of your statement that the sources from which your information has been de rived are ec parte or unauthorised documents—viz., a bill in Chancery, which yon are probably not aware is at present unsupported by any proof ; a petition of two bondholders to the House of Lords, which was unsucl cessful ; and a report which you do not appear to knot was prepared without any communication with the com missioners or myself, and was immediately rejected by the majority of the committee of investigation, and withdrawn by the authors of it. It is not, therefore, surprising that serious errors occur in the article of which I complain. Among other things, it is stated that the law costs and other charges have been set down at two sums of 100,082/. and 1 48,813/. ; the fact, however, is that the total amount of law costs ever received or claimed by m e or my firm for business transacted for the commission has been 29,509/. 2s. 6d., and no more, o f w hi c h sum a ver y large propo r tion —about one-half—consists of money disbursed, the remainder being the total amount of pro fessional charges for the law business transacted during 10 years, including the purchase and conveyance of the property forming Victoria-street and the adjacent im provements, and the obtaining of five acts of Parliament. No one at all acquainted with the' -nature and extent'of such business will doubt the reasonableness of that amount, and from no other source connected with the commission have I derived any profit or advantage whatever. "The two sums of 100,0821. and 148,813/. referred to in your article consist chiefly of interest on the mortgage and bond debts of the commission, and a variety of other payments wholly unconnected with the law de partment; the amount included therein for law costs paid to me or my firm is only 28,168/. Ss. 10d., portion of the 29,509/. 2s. 63. I have already mentioned. " I entirely deny that I have ever exercised a control forbidden by the provisions of the acts ; this statement is wholly without foundation, as I have never acted otherwise than under the direccion and authority of the commissioners. With respect to the mortgages which are improperly designated preferential, they were clearly authorised by the acts, and it will be a vain attempt to impeach them. Upon the statements which relate to the amount of bond debt and matters of account I beg to refer to the report of Mr. Croysdill, the eminent public accountant, who investigated the accounts, which were presented to the committee of inquiry in the ear!) , part of last year, and I think the suit now pending in the Court of Chancery will afford the commissioners a proper opportunity of explaining their proceedings and the general management of the undertaking. "The circumstances which have led to the present position of the bondholders are obvious—viz., a capital inadequate to the magnitude of the undertaking, the un favourable state of the money market at the commence ment and during the progress of the works, and the high value of the property in the line of Victoria•street. "As the statements in the article referred to, if un contradicted, are calculated to inflict serious injury, I trust you will do me the justice to allow this explanation to appear in your columns without delay.—l am, sir, y our obedient servant, "NATRAIIIEL MASON. "Red Lion•quare, Jan. 29." "Sir,—My attention has been directed to a statement contained in the Times of the 24th inst., in reference to the affairs of the Wesminster Improvement Commis• sion. "It will be apparent to all business men that the object of the commission was analogous to that of a railway company, which can only prove remunerative when its work has made considerable progress. At first all must be outlay—viz., in the purchase of land and property, rents, and taxes in respect of property so purchased ; Parliamentary and surveyors' fees, payments to Commissioners of Sewers ; law, arbitration, and con veyancing expenses ; salaries, wages, assurances, eom• rnissionere fees, interest on bonds, loans, &c. So far the comparison with a railway holds good ; but then comes a material difference, for, whereas ordinary shares pay no interest till a profitable traffic has arisen, the bonds and loans of the commission bore interest wit'sin a very short period of its outset, although up to this time no profit 1-:as arisen. "The first tangible date given in the statements you refer to is 1852. Of the bonds issued prior to the Ist of April in that year, 200,0001. were then a charge on the commisson. ad others of ant , :rior date having been paid off. On the 31st of December, 1854, the total of bonds chargeatde had increased to 680,970/ e being an augmen tation of 483,3701. A, further melt) to the amount of 290,080/. had, indeed, been made, hut most of these bonds were lodged as collateral security only with mort gagees, who took them as well as property, so that when the property is realised the bonds are returnable to the commission. This last item (290,080/.) must clearly be deducted from the 977,0501. quoted in your statement as the amount of bonds on the 31st December, 1854, inas much as the commissioners had received no consideration for it, and no part of it had been publicly negotiated. Thus, against your item of 1,030,5701., the net increase between 1852 and 1854 was 485,3701., and the amount in actual circulation, instead of being 977,0501., was 634,9801. "The balance-sheet laid before the bondholders at the meeting of the 26th of January, 1855 (quoted in the Imes of the following day), showed that it means could have been raised to get the ground covered the assets would have more than sufficed to meet all demands. The real cause of the deplorable stoppage was the im pos,ibility of raising capital sufficient to proceed with the undertaking to the point at which profit could be realised, " The statements you quote also refer to the extraor dinary issue of honds to Mr. Mackenzie, the builder, without proper security. It is not for me to defend the act of the couainissioners in this respect, further than to express my own conviction that it arose front au anxiety might say, over anxiety—to get the property built upon, and from a misplaced confidence iu the val ue of the securities. "I now came to the question of expenses. Your items are 100,082/. from 1845 to 1852, and 148,813/. thence to December, 1854—in all 248,895/. "The real figures as shown by my balance-sheet are as follows : From 1845 to Ist of April, 1852 From April, 1832, to Decemb3r, 1t,54 S. .• 95,531 19 6 145,991 16 1 Total 211526 15 7 "The expenses are th us di str ib uted , Bond stamps Ground rent, rent, rates, and taxes in re spect of properties purchased Commissioners' attendance fees Interest on bonds and loans, commissions, and discounts 127,679 9 11* Law costs, Parliamentary fees, surveyors' fees, compensa tion, &c 1,27,435 9 11 Solicitors to the commission (Bridges, Mason, and Bridges), debit for the whole period 3,826 16 7 14,877 2 4 8,204 17 0 55,00313 g Assurances 1,7r8 1 9 - Wages and salaries 14,857 4 5 Rent of commissioners offices, fittings, and fur❑iture Payments to Sewers Commissioners, re pairs, ,ke Printi❑g, stationery, and miscellanies 2,847 5 2 10,576 8 11. 9,516 3 0 Wind N E • • Sailed—Desdeinona, for Havre; Advice, Antwerp. DUBLIN, Jan. 31 Wind W.N.W. Arrived—Harriet, from Quebec. Br SUBMARINE ANI, narriSTl TRLIFEAPLI GRAVESEND, Friday, 9.44 a.m. Wind N.W.; tide, two hours' ebb; fine and frosty. Sailed—Superb, for Charleston ; Heather Bell, Por land Bay; Madge, steamer, Constantinople. DEAL, Friday, 9.10 a.m. Wind N.W. ; light. Passed, Jan. 31—Ultonia, from Callao, for L on d on ; Sir Colin Campbell, Callao, for Dundee; Elizabeth, Shields, for Malta ; Elise, London, for Newport; God. dess, London, for Trieste. SOUTH AMERICA. — The latest accounts state that in Peru matters were peaceable, but there was every pr o . bability ofla revolution in that republic. Th e constitu tion had not yet been confirmed by the Peruvian Convention. A serious quarrel had occurred between the Executive and the Assembly, owing to the former disputing certain acts of the latter relative to General Castillo. The assembly was sustained, and the Executive being defeated, was obliged to give satisfaction. At the sa ili ng of the steamer friendly relations had been re established between the two powers. The extent of the applications for discount at the Bank of England yesterday were greater than has been known for a long time past. The pressure is understood to have been quite as much in connection with com mercial bills as with the demand for temporary loans on Government securities to enable the large purchases lately made to he carried forward to the next account. In the Stock-Exchange the rate paid for advances on Government securities ranged between 6 and 7 per cent., and the requirements of the day were much increased by the settlement in the foreign market, where the operations in Turkish Bonds and many other descrip tions of stock have lately been of an unusually active character. The approaching 4th of the month, it is stated, will be an almost unprscedentedly heavy one, and the preparations for it have doubtless constituted one of the causes of the general demand. SCOTTISH AUSTRALIAN INVESTMENT COMPANY.—At a meeting of this company, bald yesterday, Mr. W. H. Dickson presiding, a dividend was declared at the rate of 15 per cent, per annum, and the retort and accounts were adopted. Although it was stated that the detail now presented was more copious than on previous occa sions, the directore were urged and consented to furnish in future a full balance-sheet, showing the resources of the specific properties belonging to the company. A lengthened diseussion took place with regard to manage ment, and it was contend rd that greater economy might be exercised. Under the recent arrangement of the account the balance to the credit of the reserved fund has been reduced, and now stands at 8,4001. With re spect to the re-organisation of the company, for the pur pose of bringing it within the operation of the Limited Liability Act, a series of resolutions has been prepared, the approval or modification of which is to be hereafter determined, ~r~i .f Doduct amount rea li se d on sale of old 249,757 7 10 building materials .... 5,230 12 3 244 526 15 r* Of this sum 60,000/. consists of commission ' credited Mr. Mackenzie, the builder, on bonds banded him in lieu of cash, conditionally on his paying the amount standing to his debit in cash. " I leave the above statement to speak for itself, con fining my remarks to the single item of the charges pre ferred by the solicitors, Messrs. Bridges, Mason, and Bridges, f or t h e whole 10 years during which the firm had to transact the legal business connected with ob taining five acts of Parliament, to manage numerous con veyancing transactions, and generally to attend to the whole legal affairs of the commission. Their costs were 2 8,168/. Bs. 10‘1., of which, it will be self-evident to the profession, full one moiety consisted of fees, ecc., out of pocket. Moreover, a great deal of the business was transacted by agency, absorbing a still further propor tion of the apparent remuneration. " I have rigidly confined myself to facts and figures brought out by my own investigation, the results of which were fully laid before the committee of bond holders immediately on their appintment in 1855. My balance-sheet, with a very detailed cash account, also drawn up by me, was placed by them in the hands of Quilter, Ball, and Co,, the eminent accountants, w h o repeatedly attended at my offices to examine the books. Thus, instead of being altogether confused, an d with out verification of any kind,' as alleged by th e com plainants, the accounts were fully set forth, an d every facility was afforded for,,tr. frost rigid investigatio n. ILL, A ccountant. " 84, Basiaghall-street." STATE OF TRADE. MANCHESTER, Jan 31.—There is but little change in the market. The demand for yarn continues rather more active than that for cloth, and prices are rather dearer The German buyers are among the most active. In cloth there are plenty of purchasers, but business is checked by the difficulty which occurs as to terms. Manufac turers are anxious to realise an advance which will com pensate them for the higher rates they are paying for yarn, while buyers hold back as long as they can in the hope of more favourable terms. The produc t ion is so nearly balanced with the demand that neither buyers nor selle rs can command terms. On the whole, however, a fair bu s i ness has been tran sac t e d. At a meeting. of the creditors of Mr. Cheetham, mann. facturer, of Firwood, it has been agreed to accept 10s. in the pound in five yearly instalments of 2s. each. In the meantime; the busine‘n3 is to be carried on under the inspection of Mr. H. Bury, banker, Mr. John Platt, machinemaker, and Mr. Joseph Simpson, manufacturer. NOTTINGHAM . , Thursday.—The hosiery trade has this week been very active, with a prospect of continuance for some time to come. Operatives are, on 'the wholso, well employed. In the lace department trade is not quite so brisk, although, as the f3e45011 advances, more is beieg done, Yarns are firm. rit p„ e 4 ll sylvani! 11usylvanit 111 incAs Cent Rends i h The Rail 1 7 ,; r some Cf lb. eB tern 11 Fr ench 'reneli iianking B RITISH 1 ink Stock ' kw Uent. 1 i'jer Cent 17 6 6 • per eer Cent. g Annuli bitto 30 India l Duck and !%sole for Erchequoi £lOOO . .V5OO ... Small ... PRIOF %Mau Bunl 11 .1cun 3 I P eruvian Ace 'erlivinn 13( Ditto Acc Ditto 3 p. Ditto Ace Portuguese Ditto 4 pi Ditto Acc 1301 Ditto 4 t, 04"dirli Ditto Ye( 'P‘niFih Rol Ditto Ac: Ditto th Ditto Ac +ll...'rith :I; Ditto Acc t.itt o Gu Ditty Ac Y 6 iemelft 1 Ditto De! French Rel Ditto 313 rinteit Ex Ditto 4 Congo] Ditto LON SIR, —1 tors of thi Proprietoi tha December Per antral dividend, Obedient Secrets A Go( Courrier village Into the first deci 'where to receive t occupant row, wa, the nig' aroused 'tants at that a ti had det( Pigsty a Pleised Prising which c The Ina only to ' co: