The Sun. — London, England, 1856-09-17 00:00:00

VsIZATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LA:SE. Lessee, Mr. 17. T. Smith. THIS EVENING THE r, IDY OF LYONS. Followed by TWICE KILLED. To e.)necade with A BALLET DIVERTI3 ;EMENT. vovAL PRINCESS'S TrILITT;I 7 . Under the Ifamit:ament of qr. CHARLES ICPAN. TUN 141V , ;CTVr4, MUSIC II ITII CHARMS. ArtPr whlcr, PIZARRO. Rolla, by Mr. C. Kean ; Flvira, by Mr.. C. Kean. To eltic!:irie with A PRIME FOR AN TIMM THEATRE ROYAL, TI AY Nf A [MET. Undcr thr Management of Mr. Bucketona THTI EVF.NINC4, snE STOOPS TO CONQUER. Followed by EL GANIBITSINO. After which, CHARLES THE SECW;D. To ron3lude with THE DOCTOR IN LOVE. ROYAL LYCEUM TTIEATRIr. Under the management or Mr. Charles Dillon, TIII3 EVENING, • BE f.I"HEGOR. Belphegor, Mr. Chas. Dillon ; Madeline, Mrs. Chas. Dillon. To be followed byeW. Bron",h's new Burl-wine, PERDITA, THE ROYAL MILKMAID ; or, a Winter's Tale. Florizel, Mrs. A. Mellon (late miss Wool 'ar) ; Autolycus, Mr. J. L. Tonle; Hermione, Mrs. Rockingham White; Leontes, Mr. .4. Calhaem ; Polixines, King of Itithynia, Mr, Wm. Er .11,11 (his first appearance on any stage) ; Fast Time, MISS Harriet Gordon ; Per dila, Miss Marie Wilton; kntigonus, Barrett. Miss Rosina Wright, and a grand Corps de Ballet. Stalls. ss. ; Dress Circle 4s. ; Tipper Boxes, 3e. ; Pit 25.; Gallery. Is. Commence at 7. Half•prica to all parts at 9. Box Office open 'daily from 11 till 4. ROYAL TIIE VPRE ADELPITI. Proprlator and Manager, Mr. B. Webster. Directress. Madame Ceieste. T FETA EVENTING, IRELAND AS IT lA. Followed by DOMESTIC ECONOMY. After which IRISH ASSUR INCE AND YANKEE MODESTY. AsnErs ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Lessee and Manatrer, Mr. Wm. Cooke. THIS S , eventh Week ! Shak.pere's RIC FT MD TUT THIRD, ith the introduetioh of hnrges. The equestrian II u.trations int-gine i by Mr. W. Cooke. Death of White Surrey. (Vide, lillustrated News," of Saturday, Gth.) Lattle of Bosworth Field, &e. After which, The EQUESTRIAN GEM; in the CIRCLE. To conclude with a number of other Entertainmmts. Box-oilice ooen fr , in F.leven till Foir. Sta4e Manager, Mr. W. West. Fiquestrian nircetor. \Tr. W. Cooke. iun, N.B. Vide "Illustrated News of Sept. 6th for the Death of White Surrey. MGR WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS DAY—Morn. 28 min. aft. 3 —Evening 49 min. aft. 3 T'-MO Bow—Morn. 9 min. aft. 4—Evening 28 min. aft. 4 THE WEATITER—SUN OFFICE, SEPTEMBER 17. THERMOMETER, IN TUE SHADE. (15 —highest sinea noon yesterday. 5; —lowest this morning and during the night. 64 —this day at noon. BA ROVE'P7R, 29 . 9 G—falling. W.S.W. to W.—Light, with dull weather. STAMPED EDITION OF "THE SUN." The Latest E lition of The San,, Stamped, in time for Post, may always b© hail from ha,lf- past 5 till 7 o'clock every evening. Subscribars in the Country will please to observe that the heading " THIRD EDITION" is always to be seen on the papers containing the latest news. If any difficulty be experienced in obtaining that Edition, a communication to The gun Office will remedy it. Sum Office, 112, Strand. (cTr=',4_,l4.-Ll/2- , , . ,§1111 , 4 LONDON, WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1856. The Coronation of the AUTOCRAT has been sig nalised by an extraordinary act of grace ! On all . such occasions it is usual to display the clemency of the anointed Sovereign, who thence forward would rule by right divine ! In Russia there should be a still greater manifestation. There the CZAR is not only E nperor, but also Pope. He is the " Head of the Church" in the literal acceptation of the phrase. He not only controls the temporalities, but also the spirituali ties, of " Holy Russia." He clearly aspires to a lot far beyond that of ordinary humanity, and pretends to be GOD'S vicegerent on earth--a sort of deity, whose ukases must carry with them the prestige of Divine commandments. This opinion is of vast importance—indeed we may say per fectly indispensable—to his government. If it were not entertained, he could not by a possi bility continue to enslave the minds, as he has hitherto enslaved the bodies, of his subjects. Absolute power is a delicate instrument. It can spare none of its adjuncts. If a single screw be loose—if a solitary link in the elaborate chain be defective—the entire machine may become worth less, and the enormous mass topple over from its own weight. The concessions granted by the consecrated CZAR are not so numerous or important as might have been anticipated. Something unquestionably is bestowed, but by no means equivalent to the occasion. There is not the unalloyed exhibition of magnanimity. " The quality of mercy" has been very considerably " strained." It has indeed been so greatly diluted that the most unqualified Tee totaller might swallow it without a scruple. First, after a grandiloquent opening, a comme morative medal is inaugurated, which is to be worn by all his subjects engaged in civil or military service, who have taken part in the events of the late war. These medals are to be similar to those previously granted to the defenders of Sebastopol —the effect whereof will be materially to diminish the value and importance of the real ':_war decoration. Certain immunities are then granted to the provinces which have principally been affected by the warlike operations. Tauris, Kherson, Eka terinoslav, Archangel, and the whole of the Baltic coast, are particularly specified ; and the wh o l e of Russia is also released from any charge of con- Setiption and military recruiting ft)/ the term of four consecutive years, unless (an important vi:soy the exigencies of war should prevent the in , tention from being carried out. A new cens us i s also to be taken, in order that the capitation tax may be more equitably carried out. The most substantial gift is the remission of taxes in, arrear, to the amount of twenty-four millions of silver roubles (about 3,820,000/. _ sterling), and certain pecuniary fines. As, however, - the most stringent means had already been ' . adopted to levy the amounts, the gift may not practically be so great as it appears to be on paper. Penitent criminals (how is the penitence to be ascnttained ?) Is it by a process analogous to that by which our own tickets-of-leave are granted ?) - are to receive either full pardon or a material commutation of their sentences. If this, as well as the clause relating to political offenders (?), be fairly carried out it will be a real boon. But who can say whether it will be so ? In Russia, as well as in other despotic governments, there is a vast difference between the real and the seeming. The first point respecting the political prisoners' or exiles (we cannot repeat the word "offenders") is the restoration of the rights of nobility to them solves and their children born since their con demnation. There are three distinct clams for these prisoners. Some are to obtain a diminution of their punishment in the place of banishment, i. e., to be removed to a better district. Others to be permitted to reside in the interior of the country, whilst the more favoured will be allowed the run cf the entire empire and of Poland, with the exception of the metropolitan cities of Moscow and St.. Petersburg. The western provinces, which were hitherto subjected to more stringent regulations, are to be assimilated to the rest of the empire., The Jews are exonerated from the special bur dens which their recruitment hitherto imposed on them. The children of soldiers and seamen will henceforward be given up to their parents, and the tax on foreign passports will be abolished. These are the chief concessions, and, as we have already stated, they look well on paper ; but still we entertain considerable misgivings as to their practical application. We fear the AUTOCRAT, even when tendering boons to his subjects. The reader has doubtless seen one of those pri mitive barometers which at once serve to inform the spectator as to (what he knows already) the wetness sr dryness of the weather, and to incul cate, by example, the practice of gallantry towards the weaker sex. The gentleman, it will be re membered, always comes out to make the family marketing when the weather is foul, and the lady only when it is sunshiny and dry. One of these interesting weather prophets or guides, some years ago, attracted our attention, not by the delicate accuracy of its working, but by the noticeable characteristic of keeping the gentleman too much out and the lady too much in. A little rain and out sprang the former to the full length of his tether ; a good deal of dryness and sunshine and the lady, who had been slow to move, got no further at the utmost than half way. Some acci dental deviation in the construction from the original made], of course, we concluded, accounted for the reluctance of the lady to take a due airing and provide, as she ought, for the wants of her domestic circle. The thought has subsequently occurred to us that far from being a solitary specimen of the kind the peculiarity of construc tion was designed, and it was only one of many manufactured for the market. The way in which the notion was forced on us was this. A careful watch on the rise and fall of the price of wheat, and also of bread, showed us that the slightest quantum of wet weather rapidly sent up the price of cereals at Mark-lane, and raised the price of bread instantaneously in the bakers' shops, while it took several days of fine weather, and of fall at Mark-lane, to bring the price of bread down again, and then only halfway—so that if the rise was id., the fall was only a halfpenny. The thing was as clear as mud ; th© barometer in question was one of a sort manufactured for the bakers, if not the corn dealers, who evidently patronised and were guided exclusively by it, to the utter disuse and derogation of the claims of more pretentious instruments. We do not dog matically insist on this as being the true solution of a perplexing anomaly which has puzzled, and continues to puzzle, every metropolitan householder. We merely throw it out for the consideration and observation of our mor* curious readers, leaving them to form their own conclusions on the matter. At the present time the bountiful harvest with which PROVIDENCE has favoured us—it is,' from all we can gather, above the average—has been sue cessfully housed in all but the northern districts of the kingdom. The sunny southern, the placid midland counties, and the broad lands of York shire; have alike presented the cheerful spectacle rof harvest home ;" and there is a fair prospect of the yellow grain which brightened the less favoured northern counties being sheaved and garnered in an equally satisfactory manner. Indeed it may be said. the harvest of 1856 is beyond the reach of elernental caprice, for what remains to be got in is too small in quantity seriously to affect • the general results. The price of corn has conse quently fallen in the various markets of the king- . dom---the fall within the last six weeks, it is roughly calculated, amounting to from fifteen to twenty shillings a quarter. How is the hypothesis with which we jokingly started favoured by the result ? The slightest rise in the price of wheat is immediately followed by a considerably more than proportionate rise of bread in the bakers' shops. Has the fall in the price of wheat, to which we have drawn attention, been followed by even a corresponding fall in the price of bread? Alas ! we are afraid the lady lingers, for the only fall we have heard of at the bakers' is a halfpenny on the quartern loaf ! Clearly the baking frater nity cling to the old barometer as a guide, and the public have to suffer fur the antiquated, not to say selfish, preference. This state of things ought not, must not be suffered to last. To say nothing of the gross im position practised on the substantial householder, and the grievous tax levied on the industrious workman, there are too many hungry bellies to feed to admit of that. Who or what are the millers and bakers that they should be suffered to defraud the rich, plunder the wages of industry, and de prive the helpless of an adequate supply of food ? The territorial preyers on the people's substance were, notwithstanding a preponderance of poli tical power on their side, compelled to give up protection ; it is not to be endured that a few thou sand indifiduals, with no such power, should be suffered to go on imitating their example, instead of meeting with their fate. The rise in price has been borne by our artisans and labourers with a patient submission and comparative absence of complaint that cannot be paralleled in any other country in Europe. The members of these classes have elsewhere risen in revolt, and nothing has so much taxed _ the, ingenuity of their rulers as to provide them• with cereal food at a moderate price. The greater reason why those who have manifested such intelligent forbearance should not continue to be subjected to the imposi tions of such unconscionable monepuliets., The inhabitants of the metropolis, one and all, should bestir themselves at once, and set about the inauguration of means likely to bring the whole tribe of plunderers to their senses. What should hinder the formation of ' companies to provide the metropolis with broad at a fair price, and of good quality—for, dear as the bakers' stuff ix, it is not genuine, but adulterated in the most execrable manner ? Once let but a few companies offer a good article, leaving a fair profit, and we are much deceived if a notable revolution is no; speedily witnessed in the baking trade. To do this may possibly entail the erection or purchase of corn naills—all the batter if it does, for it will the sconer bring the millers to repent ance and set them at loggerheads with the bakers, to the eliciting of the knavish practices of both— for, according to the proverb, " When knaves fall out honest men get their own." The sug gestion we have offered is not novel, the carry ing it out unfortunately would be, for though such competition has been often threatened, it has never, that we aro aware of, been fairly brought into play in the metropolis. If it had we should not have had to make our present com plaint. We are not company makers, nor have we any company's interests topromote. We are, therefore, thoroughly disinterested when we say no scheme can be started with more righteous claims, nor carried out with a fairer promise of success, than that we have suggested. Both'Gon and man may be expected to approve and prosper it. YEARLY A7PRAGE PRICE OP WHEAT PER QUARTLR PROM 1641. The following table was compilei unler the direction and superintendence of Mr. Henry S. Bright, of Hull : His Royal Highness the Prince of Orange left Edin burgh on Saturday, en route for Balmoral, to pay a visit to her Majesty. His Royal Highness spent some time in Linlit:gosv examining the antiquities of that place. Tao Count and Countess Sohauvaloff and the Ba roness da Plessn have arrived at Claridge's Hotel, from Pari . Viscount Palmerston left town yesterday to rej iin Lady Palmerston at St. Leonard's•on-Sea. The Bishop of Ripon has arrived Claridge's Hotel. The Marquis of Exeter, the Marquis and Marchioness of Townshend, the Marchioness of Donegal, the Coun- tess of Lucan, Lady Ernest Bruce, the Countess of Bat more and Lady Harriet Corry, Lady Alice Peel and Miss Peel, the Countess of Morley, Lord and Lady Truro, and Mr. and Lady Jane Repton, are among the members of the Euglish aristocracy at present sojourning in Paris. The City Bank is to be admitted to the Bankers Clearing house on the Ist of October. The Saxon government has just appointed two new consulates. M. Hatrodt has been natneer consul at Antw,.rp, and M. 11. Poydenot at Bayonne. Baro❑ Testa has presented to the Senate of Hamburg his letters of credence as resident minister of the Em peror of Austria at that city. General Martini, the Austrian ambassador to the Court of Napits, has arrived at Vienna from Isehl. It was rumoured that, owing to the serious turn affairs are taking in that part of Italy, this diplomatist would not return to his post. Baron de Bourqueeey has returned to Vienna from Isehl. Married, yesterday, at St. George's Church, HanoVer square, by the Hon. and Rev. Sidney Godolphin Os borne, uncle of the bride, M. John George .Johnston, only son of the Rev. P. Johnston, of Sferabworthy, North Devon, to Frances Grace, only daughter of Sir Theodore Henry Brinckman, art., of St. Leonard's, Windsor, and granddaughter of the late Lord Godolphin. ROYAL Flom HOSPITAL. The managing board of governors of the It9yal Free hospital, in order to mark their high appreciation of the manner in which Dr. O'Connor, of Upper Montagu-street, Mantagu-square, discharged the duties of physician to. that hospital for more than 12 months, during the absence of one of the physicians at the seat of war, have elected him on the medical stall of the hospital. Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, has been full of visitors this season.. .A new town is springing up at Sandown, at the back of the Isle of Wight, which bids fair to rival Ventnor. At Ciwes, the members of the Royal Yacht Club are spending 7,0001. on a now club-house. They are building a tower to overl oo k the Solent sea. This is the season for excursion trains on the South West . ,,rn line. Last week there was an excursion train from Southampton to Weymouth. On Monday there were excursion trains from Southampton to Bath and Bristol, and from Bristol, Bath, Salisbury, and Ports. mouth to Southampton. This day there will be an excursion train from Dorchester, and alt up the line to London: EAST INpIA COAL COMPANY "LIIIITED."—Tho direq tors of the above company have received a report from the superintending engineer they sent out in the Buce• phalue with-the machinery for working the mines. He gives a highly favourable account of' the several coal fields, the property of the company. Two of the mines were being actively worked. One of the beds of coal is deoribed as 24 feet in thickness, and of the best quality. The weekly reviews from the Amsterdam and Rotter dam produce markets state that, although business had not greatly improved, prices showed increased firmness. Purchases of coffee and sugar had been made at rather higher rates in some oases, but the advance was not general. No great alteration had taken place in other descriptions, the operations having been limited. The letters from Rouen mention that the market for manu factures showed increased animation, owing to purchases to supply the demand for the more advanced season. The demand for money in the discount market yester day was very active, and the applications at the Bank of England were extremely numerous. These may be at tributed partly to the preparations for the payment of the last loan instalment of 1,000,0001. on Thursday. The possibility of an advance in the Bank rate likewise operates to induce all persons to, provide themselves with a good supply, although the anticipations of such a movement appear for the moment to have diminished. THE AMERICAN MAILS.—LIVERPOOL, Tuesday.—The United States mail steam-ship Baltic, Captain James Cunistock, sails from the 'Mersey for New York to morrow at noon, with the usual bi-weekly mails for the United States and Canada, letters for which must be posted here before 9 a.m., with late fees until 10 a.m:, arid at the lanling stage until 11 a.m. The Philadel phia and L; verpool screw steam-ship City of Manchester. Captain Petrie, with ad vices from Philadelphia to the 4th (t.vo days later than by the Africa), may be expected to rrivo to-morrow. SrANDARD THEATRE.—Mr. and Mrs. Sims Reeves ap , peared at this theatre on Monday evening, under the auspices of the enterprising Mr. Donglass. The opera was "Guy Manncring." The reception given to Mr. Reeves, o❑ his entranc) as Henry Bertram, was trdmen dons ; and the most, vociferous enthusiasm was mani fested throughout the evening. The house was crowded. MANSION 110IISE.—Yesterday the Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress entertained at dinner a number of gen tlemen of the Lord Mayor's ward, the Master Warden and Court of Assistants of the Cocipers' Cmrpany, to• gather with Mr. Alderman and Mrs. Finnis, the Sheriffs, Mr. Alderman H. Kennedy, and Mr. Alderman Rose, the Sheriffs elect, Mr. J. J. Meobi and Mr. F. Keats, and several members of the Court of Common Council. rHE COMIANDES-IN-CHIEF AND TDB PRINCE- OF ORANGE..—A curious incident, which .has created a considerable sensation in the locality, .occurred at the Stiriing rail-ay station on the evening of Monday. "His E. , ,yal Highness the Pr:nee of Orange . and sn'te lN` cr o awaiting the arrival of the north train for Edin burgh. When it - reac%ed the station the - distinguished str:wger went forward to a first-class carriage, and uas abort to slep.i,to it, when he was politely informed by a sohtary gentleman within that he had taken the whale carria.ie for h;s own use. • His Highness of Orange at once backed out of the sacred enclosure, and secured a 'seat elsewl.ere. Tie solitary gentleman was CALmander in-Chief of the British army. • PRICE (4 GoeD.—The quotation of g old at Paris is about per !Mlle premium, and the short exchange on London is 25'271 per 11. Sterling. On comparing these rates with the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 1011. per ounce for standard gold, it appears that gold is rather more than 2 10ths per cent. dearer in Paris than in Len don. By advices from Hamburg the price of gold is 425 per mark, and the short exchange on London is 13 . 3 per 11. sterling. S aedard gold, at the English Mint price, is therefore about 9-10Lhs per cent. dearer in Hamburg than in London. The course of exchange at New York on Landon for bills at 60 days' sight is 109 i per cent., which, as compared with the Mint par between the two countries, shows that the exchango is slightly in favour of England ; aid, after making allowance for charges of transport and (Fiferenee of interest, the present rate leaves a trifling profit on the importation of gold from the United States. CHRIST'S JIOSPITAL.—On Monday next, 221 instant (Sunday being St. Matthew's day), the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, Sheriff , , and Governors of the Royal Hospi tals, will attend divine service in Christ Church, New gate-street, where a sermon will be preached by the Rev. Charles Searle, Fellow of Pembroke Cullege, Cambridge ; after which they will repair to the Great Hall in Christ's Hospital, where four orations will be delivered, on the benefits of the Royal Hospitals, in Latin, by Wil!iarn S. Foster • in English, by Ernest Montagu ; in Greek, by Mark Shattuck ; is French, by Torras PRllctt. Three translations will then fo►low, in Latin Alcaics, by T. Smart, from the " Bride of Abydos ;" in Greek lambics, by W. Wilton, from " Henry VIII. ;"in Elegiacs, from "Longfellow," by S. Churchill. After which a Latin poem on " Chersonesus Taurica," being the Richards' Prize Composition, not yet adjudged. To conclude with an English poem on "Italy," by G. Montagu. THE► SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVEIINe; SEPTEMBER 17 11856 LATEST NEWS. VIENNA, SETT. 15. Letters from Con3tantMople of the Bth state that, in consequence of some steps taken by M. de Bouterrieff and other ambassadors, the Ottoman Porte has abandoned its intended expedition against Monte,negro. The affair will b 9 settled by the conference of Faris. MADRID, SEPT. 15. The Count de Benkendoff is to announce to the Queen the coronation of the Czir ; this will form a first step towards establishing relations between Russia and Spain. The Gazette publishes several nominations to the magistrature. FRANCE. Count Basile ChOromontieff, a member of one of the richest and most powerful families in Russia, has been appointed to the important post of Mims ter of the domains of the Empire, iu the room of Count Kisseleff, who comes to Paris as ambassa dor. Marshal Bandon has sent an aide-de-camp home to give full explanations as to the late attack on the French troops by the Kabyles. It is rumoured that Marshal Pelissier will have the *command of the grand expedition against these tribes in the spring. BOURSt, Sept. IG.—The following were the last quotations : Cub. Tr. e. End of Month. 4j per Cents (xd) 92 50 —f. —o. 3 per Cents 7O 50 70 70 New Loan 7O 50 Bank Shares 4,125 Roman Credit Jltiobilior 1,690 Austrian Belgian Fives ..... ... Spanish Threes Piadmontese(s) 9l 75 Home Debt ........... 83 87?.; RAILWAYS—YOB Ce.sn. tr. C. , fr. c , (Means ... ..,.. 1,357 50 We5tern......... ...... 93 8 7 5 Northern pone ..... 1,340 . New Ditto Rediterraueau 1,790 Grand Central Lyons Geneva ...... 785 Taste Cette 738 75 Austrian Core. B7l 25 THE PRINCIPALITIES. The Austrian, Gazette of the 12th says :—" The question of the union of the Principalities, the only ono which could give rise to any serious dis cussion between the European cabinets, is solved. It is probable that it will not even be discussed by the commission which is now assembled in the Principalities. We have received positive infor mation from Constantinople that Austria, France, and Turkey have come .to an understanding on the subject ; they agree that the union of the Princi palities would be inopportune at the present time, and it is probable that the English government will coincide in this opinion. The composition of the Divans will be such that those assemblies will un derstand their true interest to be not to - manifest any contrary wishes." _ _ A. letter from Bt4grade, in the Corriere Italiano, announces that the Servian government has ap pointed M. Philippe Hastits member of the com mission charged to regulate the navigation of the Danube. The Moldavian Minister of Finance has just published a vizirial rescript revoking in the name of the Porte the privilege granted by Prince Ghyka to a French company to run steamers on the Pruth and the Sereth. This rescript has been published in consequence of remonstrances made by the Austrian Internuncio, founded on treaties concluded between Austria and the Porte, relative to the' free navigation of the rivers which water the two Empires. The last treaty of Paris, adds the rescript, has regulated everything connected with the navigation of the Danube and its tribu taiy streams, and the local authorities had conse quently no right to grant any privilege without previous examination and sanction of the Imperial governmen t. • . . „ RUSSIA. • BERLIN, SEPT. 15. • The Journal de St. Petersbourg of the 10th inst. contains the following manifesto, issued by the Emperor of Russia on the occasion of his corona tion,. and dated.: " ST. PETERSBURG, AUG. 28 (SEPT. 9). "His Majesty Alexander 11., Emperor and Autocrat of All the Ru3sias, King of Poland, being desirous of marking in an especial manner the solemn day in which he assumed the crown of his ancestors, deigned, under date 'of August 26 (Sept. !7, N. S.), to promulgate a manifesto of grace, the principal dispositions of which we hasten to reproduce. "His Majesty's first thought, attached itself to. the giave events which marked the outset of his reign, upon those days of trial and at the same time of glory, in which the Emperor .received such meniorable and such unanimous prOofs.of prowess, of love, and unshakeable fidelity from his subjects. Fur the purpose of perpetuating the remembrance of this noble conduct of the Russian people, during the whole duration of tha formidable conflict which has just been happily settled, his Majesty, as a recompence for these exploits, and also as a souvenir, has deigned to institute a commemorative medal, which shall be worn, accerdinb to the regulations, on the riband of St. Andrew, St. George, or St. Wladimir, by all those of his subjects in the civil or military service who took any part in the events of the late war. " This medal, similar to that which the Emperor has conferred in particular on the heroic defenders of Sebastopol, who have astonished the world by the longest and moat stubborn defence that the annals of nations have retained any record of, will recall t the most remote posterity the military and civil virtues of which all Russia has given proof, in this grand national trial which she has just passed through. " The military that have shed their blood for their country ; the militia that rose in an instant from the soil of Russia ; the clergy, whose eloquent words and unbounded charity have never been wanting to the na tional cause; theillustrious Russian aristocr a cy, w hiCh, i n imitation of its ancestors, has again shown itself foremost in the ranks of valour and devotion; the commercial, in dustrial, and operative classes, in fine, which.have made such great and such noble sacrifices for their country menaced, have all an equal claim on the gratitude of the Emperor, who thanks them this day, and invokes on the entire nation the blessing of God the Merciful, in the hope that it will soon be granted to his Majesty to efface even the fast traces of the public and private sufferings that Russia has home so worthily. "In the accomplishment of this sacred purpose the Emperor commences by granting great immunities to the provinces of Tauris, Cherson, Ekaterinoslaff, and Arch angel, as well as to the whole littoral of the Baltic, and in general to all the provinces that have more particu larly borne the brunt of the late campo;igns. Further more, and in order to extend as far as possible the circle of his liberality, his Majesty has been pleased to confer on the whole Empire the benefits of a general boon, the importance of which can be measured only by the im mensity of the sphere it embraces. The Emperor most graciously dispenses the whole of Russia from every burden of military recruiting or conscription for four consecutive years, unless, which God avert, the neces sities of war should interpose obstacles in the execution of this measure. "In strict conformity with this same idea, the Em peror, in his solicitude for the welfare cf his subjects, has• instructed his Minister of Finances to set ou foot immediately a new census'of the population of the empire, .so as more equitably to hues,' the burden of the capita tion tax, 1 i possibly weigh disprorrtionately on certain c'ases, Whose nuinbers have been more or less sensibly dimiiiished by the war and by the'epidemic scourges that have rage d more p ar ti c ularly among th e m. " Forthermoie_ his Majesty orders that the different . arrears of taxe. , ,, altogether amoentie g to at least 24,000,000 silver rouble , , as well ai all pecuniary .fines, shall be graciously remittedtc the debtors. Finally, the Emperor del .n by the same act to abolish the tax hitherto rased on. pa ss p or t s for foreign parts, reserving only a 8 "P"P dW'y to be . appropriated to the benefit•of the " Ills INT:ijesty further extends his Sovereign clemency to those who havo become obnoxious to pubic and. o•ants to all repentant criminals whose conduc; been irreproachable .since their condemnation either tl o entire reinksion of their sentence or a considerable com mutation of their punishment. " With respect to State prisonens, both those who belonged to secret s o c i e ti e s di s c over ed in Russia at various times, and those who took part in the Polish rebellion of 1531., the Emperor ordains—that as re gards some, their lot shall be 'considerably alleviated in the Vace to which they were banished ; as regards others, they shall be per m il e .l to sett l e i n th e inland provi nces : of the empire ; and as to the rest that they may be en- , tirely restor e d t o f reedom, w ith the liberty to fix the place of their residence in any of the towns of the empire, as well as of the kingdom of Poland, with the exception of the taco capitals, 'Moscow and St. Yeti rsburg. Finally, as the crJwnirg point of his c l emency, the Enipsror deigns to grant to all these State prisoners their rights of nobility, and also to their legitimat e children born since the condem nation of their parents, whether they be already dead or still alive. " His Majesty being desirous of extending to the very farthest li►nits of his empire the benefits which he has deigned to confer on his people on occasion of hiS corona tion, has been pleased further to confer on the population of his western provinces certain special favoursof peculiar impoteance. In conformity herewith the Emperor, in two supplementary ukases addressed to the Administra tive Senate, prolongs the temporary legislative nieasure which hitherto has regulated the entrance into the service of the State on the part of the nobility of the Governments of Wilna, Ku wrio, Groduo, Minsk, Volhynia, Podolia, and Kieff. Henceforward, and in consequence of the gra• cious de.i ion of his Majesty, the conditions of the pub lic service will be tha same in the western provinces as those 3011cl' are• in, force far the inhabitants of all the other part of the empire. ' " Flis 141ajeAty's subjacts professing the Jewish per suasion have also been the objects of the generous cle marsey of the Emperor, who has deigned to relieve them from the special burdens which the conscription has hitherto entailed noon them. "Finally, the chiitlxv-n of soldiers, sailors, scc., can t)trists, who have been born during the period of their Lthers' service, and who hitherto have belonged to the army, are henceforth to b 3 restored to their parents, and he at liberty to enter upon any station of life that they meY choose for themselves. Such are the principal dispositions of this manifesto, of which we have only beer, able to touch upon the most prominent features. A great number of other acts of grace and favour, both financial and administrative, which occupy no less than 38 separate articles, have refe rence to details which, although of high national im portance, cannot offer the same interest to our foreign readers." The same number of the Journal de St. Peters bourg contains also the following orders of the day : " On the 26th August (Sept. 7) his ME.jesty the Em peror deigned to issue the following orders of the day to his armies and to the fleet : " I. Brave Warriors !--In remembrance of your valiant exploits in the last war I have instituted by my manifesto of this day a bronze medal, so that there may be seen shining on the breast of each of you a mark of my satisfaction' and my gratitude, and as an evidence that you have justified my confidence by your constant readiness to sacrifice yourselves for our religion, the throne, and the country. The troops will wear this medal in conformity with the arrangement made by me. ALEXANDER.' " In his active solicitude for the brave soldiers that had sealed with their blood the valiant fulfilment of their duties towards the Throne and the country, the Emperor Alexanderl., of glorious memory, instituted the committee' of August 18, 1814, and confided to it the care of watching over the fates of wounded officers with out fortune. " Our dearly beloved father, of blessed memory, never ceased, with indefatigable and paternal attention, to direct the development of this Committee and the suc- cess of its operations. " This solicitude for the brave officers of our troops, who had acquired by their wounds a claim upon our constant care, has been no less dear to our hearts. "' Lithe desire of manifesting on this day, so holy and so solemn to ourselves, the sincere interest which we feel for them, we have 'enjoined the Committee of Aug. 18, 1814, to arrange for augmentind the pension assigned to wounded officers out of the sums at its command. "c Having sanctioned the new scieitle r ZFpe;iens to be settled on officers of all grades out of the Fund of de "Elvalidos," which has been submitted to us by the Committee, we have ordered, that these pensions shall be regulated according to the said schedule dating from to-day, and we bring this ordinance to the knowledge of our armies and our fleet. ALEX INDER.' A letter from Sebastopol of the 3d says On Sunday last Divine service was performed for the first time on the south side of Sebastopol. It took place in the unfinished church of the Admiralty, the only one not destroyed during the siege. The altar had formerly been on board the Grand Duke Constantine, line-of-battle ship, which had been sunk. After the service the crews of the fleet were reviewed to the number of 3,000." SWITZERLAND. The Bund, a Swiss paper, says :—" We are sur prised to read in various Swiss papers that the Federal Council does not think Art. 37 of the Federal Penal Codo applicable to the insurgents of Neufchatel, and that it will not therefore prosecute them as guilty of high treason against the Confe deration, but only against the canton of Neufcha tel. - Arta 37 says : ' The same punishment (im prisonment for ten years or more) is incurred by any citizen or inhabitant of Switzerland who shall attempt to subject the Confederation, or any por tion thereof, to the sovereignty of a foreign power, or to detach therefrom a canton or a part of a can ton c.' We believe this article to be perfectly applicable to the crime committed at Neufchatel." The Council of State of Neufchatel has extended by ten days the period for the payment of com mercial bills which fall due during the first three weeks of September. The cause of this measure is that, in consequence of the check given to busi ness by the late outbreak, several solvent trades men have found it impossible to meet their engagements. The Neufchatelois, the organ of the moderate royalists, has resumed its publica tion, which had been suspended during the early part of the month. It has been permitted to reap pear on condition of containing no leading article. The above journal states that, according to the declaration , of Col. de Pourtales during the first days of his captivity, he was on the point of sign ing the surrender of the castle at the very moment when it was attacked and taken by the republi cans, and, that an officer had even received orders to go - with a flag of truce to make the proposition. What became of the officer and of the flag no one knows, for nothing of the kind was seen by those who made the attack. ITALY. The Duchess of Parma and her family returned to the capital of that duchy on the 11th. The Archduke Ferdinand Maximilian arrived at Venice on the 10th from Trieste. A fetter from Florence, complaining of thelieavy 'taxation existing in Tuscanyat the present moment, says :—" 1n,1854 the land-tax produced 4,320,000 f. ; it is now 5,000,000 f. The penston list is enormous, because many persons in the full vigour of lif6 have been removed from office on account of their politi cal tendencies. The tot al budget for 1856 amounts to 31,217,760 f. for receipts, the expenses being about the same. Of this sum the home department absorbs 2,268,084 f. ; justice, 2,916,284 f. ; war, 6,838,534 f. ; foreign affairs, 206,304 f. ; public instruction, ,708,960 f. ; finance, 11,061,596 f. In 1852, the public debt amounted to 61 millions of francs—it is now 78 millions, and the sinking fund has had to be made available to meet the increase of interest. The total cost of the Austrian oc cupation from 1849 to its cessation was about 12,000,000 f." A. letter from Rome of the 11th, in the Debats, says :—" The Pope will hold a cousistory on the 18th. Cardinal Viale Prela, who was nominated in the last cousistory, but who bas not yet received the hat and the other insignia of his dignity, will then be invested with them. A good deal has been said in the foreign press about the departure of the French troops, or of diminishing their num ber, which already scarcely attains 5,000. But on reflecting all the signs that present themselves, it is more probable that they will rather be slightly augmented than diminished, and at all events there is nothing to indicate that they are to be shortly sent away. The Roman artillery has for some time past guarded the coasts ; and lately isolated posts have been reinforced, in ccnsequence of suspicious vessels having been seen at sea—a circumstance which has caused a landing of the partisans of Mazzini to be feared." A letter from. Naples of the Bth, in the Constitu tionnel, says :—" Baron de Hubner arrived here two days ago. and was present yesterday at the fete of Pie di Grotta. As a matter of course, his arrival iiere has givt n rise to various comments. His Excellency has not yet been received by the King." Together with the arrival of M. Hubner the order for the renewal of the political trials, which have been suspended during the summer, has been issued. There was a slight hearing of the Mignonna case on Saturday last, two witnesses having been ex amined ; but the appointed day is Monday, the 15th. . 'SP AI N. The Madrid journals of the 12th contain no po litical news of importance ;. but the Occidente and Parlament° contirni what was sa id yester d ay as to the Governm , nt having refused to allow Mar, shal Narvaez to return to Spain. • The civil go , vernor of Madrid had succeeded in arresting a band engaged in : forging notes of the San Fer nando Batik, and h'ad' seized the plates and a vast quantity sopaper they had provided. It is said that - n:1116'00e notes had been put in circulation. , Tlie"Kcen4isberg Gc6ette says : "A letter from the con fines. of Russia informs us that the harvest is now, going on everywhere in that country, and is vety, satisfactory both with respect to quantity and quality.. Flax is in particular unusually abun dant, and. that circumstance will give great activity to trade. On the other hand the stocks of cattle, have not increased this year in Russia." - The Pa)ma Gazette of the 9th publishes a decree already mentioned, raising the state of siege, and referring the prosecutions still pending before the Courts-martial to the ordinary tribunals. --- The Giornale di Roma of the Ist says :—" His Excellency Mr. Cass, minister of the United States to the hioly It3e, has made distributions of large quantities of provisions to the poor, and to those visited by fever from the excessive heat of the season." CRYSTAL PALACE.— ONE SHILLING DAY, Tuesuay, Sept. 16. .—AdmiRsions on payment 8.253; ditto, by s a;on 'tickets, 521; total visitors, 8,774. The 'Peninsular and 'Oriental Cornpany'g steamers Ava. Aden ; and Rajah will be despatched to India on the 3Cith VACATION MASTER IN THE EXCHEQUER.—The Va cation Master (.4 the Court of Exchequer will attend on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, until fur ther notice. MADEMOISELLE ROSA BONIIEUR.—This celebrated ar ti3te was on the tryst, ground at Falkirk on Monday and Tuesday, purchasing subjects of study. The talented lady attracted a large share of attention.—Scotsman. THE ROYAL BRITISH BANK. The rumours with regard to the statement of assets and liabilities to be presented on Saturday to the shareholders of the Royal British Bank do not encourage the slightest hope of a result less disastrous than has hitherto been anticipated. Neither do the various communications received from shareholders and others in relation to the general conduct of the directors from the date of the formation of the establishment down to the present time permit an expectation that the prin cipal persons said to be compromised will be able to exonerate themselves even so far as to show that the deceptions and misappropriations which have taken place were the result rather of monetary sa crifices to expediency than of any deliberate de parture from good faith. It is asserted that the delinquencies which have ended in the ruin of the Bank dated almost from its commencement, and that if the provision of the charter, requiring its dis solution upon one-fourth of the capital being lost, had been treated as worthy of the smallest attention, the concern would scarcely have passed into a second year of existence. Such losses, however, although involving deep culpability, might have resulted from inexperience. The hesitation to regard them as irrecoverable, and thus immediately to submit to a winding up, may also be palliated if it cannot he excused, since the regulation for the forfeiture of the charter, like all Government precautions of a similar character, is vicious in itself, and holds out a temptation to concealment. The worst part Of the affair will, it is feared, prove to consist of a series of acts such as no persons could have adopted except from a studied determination to make the Bank the scapegoat of their own speculations and necessities. Thus, the advances to individual di rectors as well as to the general manager, and the securities taken against them, are said to be of a nature and to have carried on for periods which can leave no doubt as to the aspect of the transac tions. One correspondent expresses suspicions that even after the Bank had become embarrassed by its connection with the coal and iron works in Wales the, chief efforts employed were with an in teution to elctract some personal profits from them instead of to retrieve, as far as possible, the inte rests of the shareholders. "It should, be asked,' he says, "at the approaching meeting, first, whether two or more of the former directors did not enter into an arrangement with the Bank for carrying on the works on their own account ? Secondly, whether the advances made by the Bank to the said directors have been repaid, or transferred, as the speculation failed, to the debit of the Welsh property in the books of the Bank? And, thirdly, whether in fact the position of affairs was not pretty nearly to the effect, If the coal and iron works thrive they belong to the said directors, but if otherwise they revert to the Bank—advances and all ?' " This may be a misapprehension, but the pre valence of such assertions shows the necessity not only on behalf of the public, but also for the repu tation of all concerned, that every step in the history of the establishment should be investigated with a view to the confirmation or disproval of them. Another correspondent has transmitted some docu ments with res.pect to which there cannot be much mistake. They are dated within a week of the stop page of the Bank, and contain an urgent invitation to the person to whom they were addressed to join the direction "consisting of gentlemen of undoubted means and position," the manager being meanwhile prepared to afford him " the fullest information." Thus, from beginning to end every proceeding, as far as it is possible to judge at present, appears to have been discreditable. It is to be hoped that on Saturday those among the present directors who deny oomplicity in the misdeeds to be exposed will give_ the best proof of their sincerity by unfolding everything that may serve to bring forward the real offenders, and to fix upon them the opprobrium they deserve.—Times. OPENING OF THE BRUSSELS INTERNA. TIONAL PIIILANTILROPIC CONGRESS. BRUSSELS, SEPTEMBER 15. • The International Congress de Bienfaisance was opened this morning at the Salle des Academies au Musee, under circumstances of great eclat. The hall was crowded in every part by gentlemen repre senting almost every civilised country on the face of the'. globe. Indeed it was found impossible to accommodate all that sought for admission. At the head of the room, and surrounding the table at which sat the members of the committee of ma nagement, there were several distinguished ladies, many of whom, influenced by the most benevolent feelings to ameliorate the condition of their poorer brethren, came from distant countries to afford their valuable assistance to the proceeding s of Con , gress. A 3 eleven o'clock the chair was taen amid considerable applause by M. Rogier, a highly popu lar member of the Belgian Chamber?. M. Ducpetiaux, the celebrated Belgian philan thropist, undertook the duties of secretary, and read the programme of the proceedings of the Con gress, proposed by the committee, subject of course to the, approval of the members themselves. The' 0111101 AX then commenced the business of the day in an address 'characterised by much simple beauty and eloquence. It bespoke the kindliest feelings and the tenderest solicitude for his less fa.vourect brethren. The speech was occa sionally interrupted by the most rapturous applause from the host of its approving hearers, and the greatest enthusiasm was manifested in behalf of the cause which had brought them together. M. Rogier commenced by expressing the pride he felt at the honourable position he occupied on that occasien in presiding over so large a body of dis tinguished ladies and gentlemen, who had tra velled there from all parts of the world with the hope of being able to improve the condition of their 'suffering fellow creatures. The Congress had been called together to consider the most interesting and important subject that could occupy the mind of man; namely, how or in, what way they could elevate the condition of the indus trious classes, not only in a moral, but in a physical sense. The speaker then proceeded to descant upon the many wants of their poorer brethren, and toshow that misery and poverty naturally begot vice of every description, and that all governments and societies, even if actuated by no higher motive than self-interest, owed it to themselves to try and pre vent the latter evil by mitigating as far as possible the former. After an address of about half an hour"s duration, the president resumed his seat amid the most deafening applause. M. Ducpetiaux then announced the names of the delegates and representatives of the different coun tries and governments that had forwarded their adhesions to the Congress. England was re presented by the Hon. Mr. Cowper, the President of the British Board of Health ; Mr. Chadwick, the former Secretary to the Board ; Mr. W. Ewart, M.P., and some other gentlemen. The mention of those names drew forth cheers from the mem bers generally, which were again and again re peated, when those gentlemen (on the invitation of the chairman) walk ed up the room and took the seats appropriated to them on the left-hand side of the president. The members of the Congress preparatory to the generardiscussion, will be divided into three sec tions, respectively charged with the consideration of one.of the .following questions, to report upon same, and to state their opinion as to the solution of it. Ist section.. Subsistonces in connection with agr culture. 2d sedtion. Subsiitence in connection with poll tical and charitable economy. 3d section. Subsistences considered in connection with science and industry. Machinery and inven tions calculated to facilitate manual labour, to improve . the sanitary condition of trades and professions. and to prevent accidents. The ame lioration Of the workmen's habitations, of their furniture, and their clothing. Independently of the solution of the above ques tions, the members of the Assembly are invited to consider the best means of extending and consoli dating the works of the Congress, and especially the following questions :--- Ist. The definitive organisation of the interna tional correspondence, the principle of which had been laid down at the International Charity U n i on of Paris. 2d. The 'publication of a periodical bulletin of works, rePorts, documents, &c., of different coun tries connected with charita ble eco nomy. most convenient onvenient of a 3d. The organisation in theevery country per manent economical museum. 4th. The place and time generally for ,the future meetings of the Congress de Bienfaisanee. The Congress will bo further in vited to discuss the best means of diminishing and of preventing 'the abuse of strong drinks, consi dered in the twofold point of view, namely, the loss of the nutritious subsistences employed in their manufacture, and their influence upon the health "and morality of the working classes. Several other questions growing out of the above will also occupy the attention of the Congress. Sevei al - privileges are attached to the position of membership: It entitles the parties to enter the principal establishments in Brussels, to visit the public monuments, the Government buildings, the museums, the libraries, the hospitals. the P s chools, the picture g a ll ery o f t h e D uke d'Aremberg, the new barracks, the baths and washhouses, the prisons, &c. The dollars brought by the Mexican packet have been disposed of at 61d. per dollar, showing a decline of A. ; but as the amount was very large this as price is as good was expected. LITERARY GOSSIP. SEPTEMBER, 185 G. There is a pleasant half-promise floating about just now in the shape of a literary rumour that upon the Ist of December there will appear "with the magazines" No. I. of a now serial story by Mr. Thackeray. Welcome tidings, these, to the read ers of The Newcomes—yielding a cheerful prospect enough that there may come fluttering down to us, among the last droppings of the autumn foliage, two more yellow leaves than we could have counted upon very recently ! None the less welcome now that we have got half way through Little Dorrit--- so that the two green leaves budding out so re freshingly month by month upon the bay-garlan d of Boz, are fast approaching th e term of their perio dical appearance. Of course Ri c h ar d D o yl e " will be" the illustrator of Thackeray, as Hablet Browne "is" of Dickens. They are the privileged esquires bearing the helm, the lance, and the 'scutcheon of those knights of literature. As ye t , the title of Mr. Thackeray's new fi c ti on has not transpired. Another rumour rejoices the hearts of the ad' miring disciples of Mr. Thomas Carlyle with th,e, assurance that his Life of F re d er i c k th e G re at will in all likelihood appear at last somewhere about Christmas. Mr. Macaulay is expected, immediately upon his return from his holiday excursion upon the, Continent, to take in h an d w ith a ll d ue despite°, and industry vols. V. and VI. o f hi s Hi s tory 01 England—rendering classic by their composition his new house on eimpden-hill, as he has already done those chambers in the Albany, henceforth sacred to sight-seers as so long the abode of the great Whig annalist. People are beginning to wonder again whether any fresh marvel is to be expected soon from the most accomplished Author of the Day, at once the Proteus and the Crichton among living men - d' letters. Is Sir Bulwer Lytton "resting upon his laurels," as the phrase is, and as he has long sinc e well earned the right to do, down in the sylva n retreat of his own beautiful nebworth ? Or is. ne preparing for us—where perhaps least expected' some new astonishment ? At any rate whenever he may essay once more to "'witch the world with his pen of fascination—he will find eager listeners among us all : though auditors it must be remembered whose measure of his genius he blin" self has rendered somewhat exacting, hearers whos e judgment in his regard the latest of his many el: quisite masterpieces have charm e d i n to all but overweening fastidiousness. How high the stan dard marked out, for example, in prose fiction by My Novel, in the poetic by King Arthur, i n the dramatic by Money or Richelieu, in the oratorio, by the famous oration d e li vere d a t Edinburgli a l Yet nearly everybody, who k nows an ything at about it, has long since come to be little less than all-believing in regard to the scope and 01) 04 1 of Sir Edward's daring and flexile intelleT• We can't for the life of us, guess what . P u t may do next, but of this we are rig"., sure that he will do it well : th a t whatever he attempts now in the full ripeness of his powers be will accomplish to very general admiration: Knowing which, we are, on that account, none the less curious of course as to what may be his Delp literary enterprise—a play or a poem, an " enl o and perfect chrysolite" in the sub s t an ti a l form r new novel all at once in thr ee vo l umes o ctavo, or a " lengthened sweetness long drawn out" in, . shape of another Caxtoni an ser i a l-t a l e in Bo" 1 wood. Mr. Tennyson contents himself with watching * Maud into another "slow" editi on —"with all h er . imperfections on her head." M r . Warren _begin. ing the leisure snatched in rare intervals betwe e ; the occupancy of the Recorder's bench in Hull an his seat in the House of Commons as M.P. for Midhurst, by laboriously revising for re-issue 0 :f, luminous and compacted version of Blackstone _ Commentaries. l a te` Very few, indeed, are the book successes of requiring any notification—the cheap reprints monopolising public attention and flooding. the market with much that is very goo d, very lam , and very indifferent. The Poem of the Season leo of course, Professor W. E. Aytoun's Scott -like border-ballad in six parts, about Bothwell. Novel of the Season being (or we are much nu; taken) Mr. Charles Reade's Never too Late to The Biography of the Season still remaining M r ' H. G. Lewes's Life and Times, of Goethe. while about the " gracefullest " little Love-tale of th e Season is, to our thinking, that one penned by the charming and indefatigable authoress of " Mart Powell," all about Tasso and Leonora as viewed through the eyes of one of Ser Pantaleone Not a little expectation is awakened by the way in literary circles by the announcement of No. 1 (price 2d.) and Part I. (price 10d.) of a new weekly monthly-illustrated periodical, to be called . the National Magazine, now about to make its appear' ance under the joint editorship of Mr. John Satin' ders, once upon a time Editor of "The People's Journal," and Mr. Westland Marston the accom plished playwright, author as such of " The Pa' trician's Daughter." A publication—comprising in a single twopenny number (as the initial .nunlber premises to do) a tale of mystery by Wilkie Collins, an engraved portrait of the Poet Laureate, and s e essay by Sir David Brewster himself, descriptly! of his latest and, almost we had said, his g reatest discovery "The Stereoscope"—promises, we canno t but think, to command success. May it deserve and, deserving, win it. LI a RATURE. Arthur Brandon. 2 Vole. Hurst and Blackett. This work possesses spirit and originality, thoug, ll the plot is not particula r ly pl eas i ng , an d the style is too often wanting in refinement and eleganc e ', We are introduced t o a l arge an d var i e d c ircle 0 ' acquaintances ; some of them, however are mor e ludicrous than agreeable. Among thisnumber is° lady whose violent- manners and brusquerie ha" caused her friends to transform 'her name of Mr s ' Bedford Lumley into Mrs. Bedlam, and, of c oursed they are constantly ma ki ng m i s t a kes, a% c-lling her by the wrong name. A very 0 1 3 1 ) °, 61 .,, character is the unhappy M rs . Py nc her, wu c t e refined feelings are pe r p e t ua lly rece i v ing sever e shocks from her husband, th e M a j or , who markable for nothing but his dingy appearance; and five polka-loving daughters. The hero le poor artist, who is abandon e d by hi s avaricious father, and obtains a p recar i ous li ve lih oo d by 111 ° profession. The motto of the book is taken frees Locksley Hall, " Cursed b e th e soc i a l ties that „ warp us from the living truth," a n d re fers to scr°,,' of the often discussed topi c s o f s oc i a l p re judice an injustice. To add to the cruelty of Arthur's father ' conduct, he had obtained possession of bond which secured to his son the 011 :" of eight thousand pou n d s , l e ft t o him by his grandfather. After many yea rs this is restol,n, to him in consequence of his f a th er ' s marr iage an heiress, who herself presents him with the moil of which he was so unjustly deprived. The n l °, l agreeable part of the story r e f ers t o Nests and Nelly, two friends and companions. The first 16 the object of Arthur's vain attachment ; howeyerj after some time, the lady changes her mind, and all ends well. Nelly becomes the wife of another artist, a devoted friend of Brandon's • but she dies before the conclusion. Her husband is a philo. sopher, who, inheriting a fortune of fifteen thou sand a year, resigns two-thirds of it, as he considers no man is justly entitled to more than five thousand per annum. The reader will feel disposed to forgive him his eccentricities, in consi deration of his being one of the few i n t eres ting characters in the book . - The author, in pursuit of variety we suppose, has surrounded his principal figures with such a crowd of second-rate characters, almost all vulgar or unprepossessing, that the lm' pression produced by the dramatis personcr is any' thing but agreeable. Those who like caricatures better than portraits will probably be attracted 11, this very feature, and thi s c l a s s o f rea d ers w ill find plenty to gratify their love of the humorous. There are some parts of the story that aro real)" well written and interesting; it is therefore a mater of regret when the writer allows the humorous t° degenerate into the vulgar, and force of ex pression, end in want of refinement. t The descriptions or Italy are pleasing And attractive. Several char ters at the end are employed in them, as the s tory opens at Rome and ends there, though the scen e in the interim changes to England. No want of character, variety, and incident is apparent in tlif tale, but there is sometimes a want of taste an" connection. The force and energy of the writer' s opinions on the cause he has taken up, the gr° - tesqueness and absurdity of some of his characters , and the occasional touches of pathos and interest , I will no doubt render it attractive to many nove readers, though it cannot be ranked high among recent works of fiction. • ELOPEMENT EXTRAORDINARY.—On Thursday, about 12 o'clock,,a labouring nian, about 35 years of age, " g 1 observed to walk along our quays travel-stained a n tired. He had walked barefooted all the way froul Magherafelt in search of a truant and unfaithful wife, who bad eloped on the previous day with a young n 3" in the neit.thbourhood, taking with her two of her child• nu and 4/. in in:iney, the property of her deserted hue band. He had ascertained that they left Randalstosva for Belfast by the railway at 5 p.m., and he expected that they would make their escape across the Channel to elude his detection. On inquiry being made by the har bour constables it turned out that his wife, her pars mour, and the chrdren left in the Glasgow boat the pie vious evening. The poor man then called on a gentle man in town, who kindly supplied him with money to carry him home.—Banner of Ulster. Co ►SC St( St< 49 dit Co Ce rai ab 4 lat 11. 2lt fie. TT