The Sun. — London, England, 1856-02-27 00:00:00

THE.ATUE ROYAL. ER EitY-LANE. TAssee. Ur. E. T. Tal,l NOT nAD JUDGE. k: a lade with REY DIDDLE DIDDLE flarlequin ging llons3n3e and the Seven Ago of Man. - MO the SHAREHORDERS of the SOUTH -1 EASTERN RAILWAY COMPANY. One of the retiring Directors having obtained numerous proxies on the faith of his using them for himself only, and this gentleman having since avowed his intention of using them, not only to secure his own, but the re-election also of all the other retiring Directors, snch Shareholders as have given their proxies for the special purpose stated in the application forthem, a copy of which is subjoined, are ea: uestly r quested to attend the GENERAL MEETING, on THURS DAY, the 28th inst., in order in person to prevent their proxies being used for other purposes than those for which they were solicited. Ext , act from M`Kay's circular accompanying his proxies : " I aril, therefore, under the necessity of again troubling you for your proxy, in order to give effect to your selection of me as one of your Directors, and permit me to request that it may be returned at your earliest convenience." GEORGE MAXWELL, holder of Liverpool and otherProxiet-. TIIEATRE ROYAL. lIkVMAIMET. Uaior the Manavment of Mr. Blackstone. THIS EVENING. THE BUSY BODY. Followed by THE LITTLE TREAT:IRE. After which the New Comic Christmas Pantomime, entitled THE FLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S FEAST; or, Harlequin and the Genius of the Sprinq. ROYAL PRI.NCF:339 itlA.Tag, OXFORD-STREET. Umler the Management of Mr. CUAltal3 811.L31. TUB EVENING. The Tragedy of HAMLET. Hamlet by Mr. C. Kean. After whicll, The m aterials which they had. before them when they so strictly investigated the objectionable transactions are not now available, or, at least, cannot ;be produced without great delay. Their 1 inquil y was conducted on the spot, with a super abund '. ante of creditable witnesses, capable of givini ; full information on every point on which it wat t required. They had every element neces sary i .o arrive at a fair conclusion ; and a further investigation on any preliminary stages, and more espec Tally on inferior data, is practically impeach ing ft te accuracy of the con cl usions at which they con scientiously arrived ! Who will, under such circum stawces, be willing to act as Royal Commissioners wilt . it titled personages —or, as the sailors term it, " Clentlemen with handles to their names "—are COD cerned ? It must be manifest, from the course , nor adopted, that unless they are prepared to cool; the evidence, and to make things pleasant s to " the accused under any circumstances, however in auspicious, they had better avoid the invidious task. HARLEQUIN AND THE MAID AND MAGPIE ; or, the Fairy Paradisa and Hanky Panky, the Enchanter. Rade:pin, Mr. Cormaek Clown, Mr. Hatine ; Pantaloon, Mr. Panto; and Colam`►ine, Miss Caroline Adams. rarevo ROYAL ADZLPHII. Proprietor, Mr. *. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVE .VING, BETSY BAKER. To be followed by THAT BLESSED BABY. To conclude with JACK AND THE BE tNT STALK or, Harlequin and Mother Gonie at Home Again. In which sfeasr4..T. Bland, P. Bedford, Madam Celeste, Hiss Wyndham, 4113 Miss .E. Arden will spear. RaYAL OGYAPIC TFIEATRE. Lessee and Mauller. Mr. Alfred Wigan. THIS EVENING, ST IY AT HOME. After whteh will he proda,:e.l a yew and d,tthly-ntnral. though e teeeelvely old, Sfelodrarnatle Fairy Extravaganza, entitled Tll DISCIZE:F. r Pit( NT.I EA ; o - , the Toree In which Mesari. Erne , y, F. Robson, H. Cooper, 1111.si Margo 1, and Mtn . 34a.skell will appe ROY t.T. SIT'LREY TrIE.kTRE. Lessees, Mes!rs. Shepherd and Creswlck. THIS P;VF.I.TINd lASPETZ LANGTON ; or, A Duel to ths Death. • To conc.lntle with A PRINCE OF P RA JMA ; or. !I trlevin ant Lute :Riots. at) Y 41 r si A IP rti fRN Under the direction cf Mr. Payne. EVENING. PEACE AT ANY PRICE. Folowcd by TEIE InMANIE! WED° 4". Aria WI:: , , L CHALE T. To conclude with BLUE JACKETS. AwrLzrs ROYAL AMPFLITIMATRZ. Lessee and Manazer. Mr. Wm. Cooke. Idl n ! , - TUC EVEgING, EkirKpli i lCcatitin'ot the perfect docility of the horse, In ac' ons closely allied to reason. in a new Grand Or , ental Equestrian Spectacle, called THE ARAI; OF - TM: I) KAF.ItT 1113 FAITHFUL STEED. The bone trained by Mr. W. Cooke. Arte* whin,. the DELINE AT roNs of EQUESTRIAN ART In the ARENA. • To cenclwie with A Iitf,cOTTINT ANO RT. GEORGE AND THE DRAIION; or, the Sevin Cha.mpioiii of Chrlitendem. The Performance of the Majestic Eepliants will take place during the Evening, and the ascent train the ring .to the stage. Box-office open from Maven till Your. Ate , Te 311arteqer. Mr. IN West. itorlestrian Director. Sir. W. Cooke. Inn. EM MA. STXN,TLEY'A sr.vzl MITA OF W-3 , 4 \N, Every Evening at R. and ort Saturdsys at 3. Pronounced by the unanimous voice of the press. and by nlqialv incxessing audiences. to be the Greatest Artistica' Triumph of the day. Stalls, 3s. ; Reserved Seats, 2s. ; Back Seats, Is. SAINT "MARTIN'S HALL, Long-acre. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. THIS DAY—Morn. 32 min. aft. s—Evening 43 min. aft. 5 o 1111,0 W--14orn. 3 min. aft. 6—Evening 21 min. aft. 6 Orprem, FEB 27. „ „ .THEBNONETEB, IN Tar, SHADE. FAi —highest since noon yesterday. 50 —sweat this morning and darlng the night. 52 —this day at noon. flArtomETr2.-7 , 0 47—rising. WIND, - Light, with dua.weather. M ,:. 7 -- , -1 , ; , ..:.:.; -;.....__:.....--,v,j) ~✓ - ,::- -..;''---- L ' " '''" L )NDON, WEDNE.i lAN', FEBRUARY 27, 1856 - 4 - constructed and laid before the Committee. The first embraces alterations which would give 1.20 separate cells, at a cast of 10,0001., and in the opinion of the Committee, if carried out, would enable the Governor to establish a degree of separation and supervision which would be almost, if not altogether, unobjectionable. The second boldly grapples with the evils complained of, and proposes the entire demolition of the Courts and of the gaol, and the re-construction of the former, and of such portion of the latter as will suffice for the custody of prisoners while the trials are going on —with this exceptioc, doing away with Newgate altogether. The cost of carrying out this plan is estimated at 87,0001., against which is to be set the sum of 9,0001., being the value of land set free by the alteration. The third plan may be described as subsidiary to the second, and pro vides such addition to the Holloway Prison as will enable it to receive the prisoners now kept in Newgate. Of these plans the first has met with the approbation of the majority of the Court of Aldermen, and this much may be said in its favour, it may hereafter be merged in the larger ono. It wilt admit of rea sonable doubt, however, whether in this instance the wisdom has not been with the minority, and in their advocacy of the larger plan they have not merely shown a better appreciation of the absolute necessities of the case, but also a more prudent regard for real economy. The plan of the majority is on the face of it ex tremely defective, and if carried out will shortly have to be merged in that which has been rejected. The heart of a crowded metropolis is no place for a prison. We have had already two stringent inves tigations. The Committee of the House of Com mons seriously inculpated the parties on whom the inquiry has been nominally directed. It was attempted to get rid of the effect of this severe censure, and a Royal Commission was appointed. But the additional chance thus afforded did not turn up favourably for the ac cused. The high-minded and honourable men selected not only corroborated and confirmed the former Report, but materially strengthened its most serious features. The first chance being un favourable, another stake of " double or quits," as a morning contemporary correctly terms it, was proposed ; and shoulsi that again prove adverse —should the veteram officers nominated refuse to blemish their high reputations by casting their own characters into the breach a fourth trial, iu the shape of a Court-martial, must take place before the national justice can be adequately vindicated. The result cannot be satisfactory under any circumstances. The manifest object is to screen the accused. But when it is considered that the inquiry will be conducted with closed doors—that no grounds for the decision can be produced to the anxious public—that any judgment must totally fail, other parties will be inculpated. The veteran Generals, if they lend themselves to this plan, or suffer themselves to fall blindfold into the snare so unfairly spread in their way, will be the sufferers. But under any circumstance the sinister influence that pervades alike the Cabinet and the Horse Guards, which is omnipotent at Downing-street and Whitehall will be at once brought into unto ward notice, and the cup of public indignation, already full to the brim, may possibly overflow at the unequivocal testimony of the deplorable effects of " Germanism," in matters iu which the honour and welfare of the United Kingdom arc so deeply in volved. The Spanish proverb, "Prisons are never beau tiful," conveys a sentiment worthy of an English origin, and certainly finds no exception in New gate. Rugged, grimy, and frowning, its pon derous architecture is but too suggestive of the glorious days of GEORGE the THIRD, when the gallows ran a hard race at decimation with gaol fever, to excite nowadays much admiration. It is a Structure of the past, in keeping with it, but quite out of harmony with the present, where those who enter, generally speaking, are not called upon to leave hope behind. . Stone walls, however, not unfrequently outlive institutions as well as individuals, and a rugged exterior is sometimes compensated for by the excel lence or internal arrangements. To this commenda tion even, as appears from the Report of the Com missioners appointed to inquire into its state, Newgato has no claims. Rugged and depressing al is its exterior, within little is to be found worthy of anything but unqualified censure. Prisoners, it is true, are better fed, and have more comforts than they used to have, thaulo to the advancing humanity of the times ; but this praise is hardly less applicable to dog-, kennels, while in the matter of discipline it will at least admit of doubt whether kennel manage ment does not bear away the palm. It is no exaggeration, but an admitted anl certainly a ;le• plorable fact, that the central prison.of the me tropolis is to this day without a system—not that no system applicable to a great city prison has been discovered, but that Newgate as it stands will not admit of one. The appointment of the " Crimean Commis sion," as it has been termed, will not pass alto ("ether sub sitottio. Not only has the Honourable and Learned Gentleman the Member for Sheffield already given notice that he will, on Friday next, move the following resolution : " That to appoint a Committee of Genera Officers to report upon the Report of Sir JOHN M'lsTeti. and Colonel TULLOCIt, is to su'ustitute an inefficient for a very efficient means of iuvestiga Lion, and riat such appointment will tend to strengthen an opinion already prevalent, that thf real purpose of such proceeding is to shelter in competence, and excuse the misconduct of those by whom various departments of our army have been subjected to the command of proved inca pacity ;" but the Right Honourable Baronet the Member for Droitwitch has announced his inten tion of proposing an amendment, which, although different in terms, is equally condemnatory of the conduct of the Government in striving to shield the accused parties from the consequences of their alleged misconduct. The resolution to be proposed by Sir Jonic PAKINOTON is in the following terms: "That, in the opinion a this House, the Reports of Sir 'Tone: M‘Near, and Colonel TtiLLOCH ought to have bean submitted to the Commander-in- Chief before they were presented to Parliament, whereby her MAJESTY'S Government might have avoided the objectionable proceeding of appoint ing a commission to inquire, without equal or adequate means of information, into the conclu sions at which another commission had arrived ; and, while,this House laments the indication thus given of a want of concert and co-operation between the offices of the Secretary of State for War and the Commander. in -Chief, which cannot be interrupted without serious injury to the public service, it also observed with regret the preina titre appointment to posts of importance in this country, while the inquiry of the Commissioners was still in progress, of offilers whose conduct is impugned by the said reports." Let Ministers choose between the two. It will be at best a disagreeable alternative. Either horn of the dilemma will be peculiarly painful. But they can scarcely hope to escape with impu nity, when the Members on both sides of the Rouse are determined to question the policy and juWce of theiroproceedings. The new Commission is neither more nor less than a reversing of the ordinary course. It is placing the quondam, Judges on trial, and chang ing the accused into Crown prosecutors. Sir j onzr WNEIL and Colonel TULLOCK, who dis charged the arduous duty entrusted to their charge with such zeal and impartiality, who have won golden opinions from all classes of her Mt. JEZrei Zubjicts) 81 11OW 7 irtully invaded, The following extract from the Report will show the state of affairs within its walls :—" Its present structural condition is such as to render any satisfactory classification of the prisoners alto ;ether a hopeless task, and the carrying out of ►ny well-considered plan of discip!ine an utter im possibility. No satisfactory separation can, in its present condition, be effected, because of the Insufficient number of cells, and no satisfactory supervision is practicable with anything lac) the present number of officers. We Ixdieve that as much as could be done, in reference to those great desiderata, is done ; but until some very import ant alteration is made in the physic's structure of the interior of the budding, Neivgate must con tinue to be a standing reproach to the city of London. The want of proper supervision, aid its impossibility in the present state of the gaol, is, must he, a source of constant anxiety to the Governor, if only on account of the safe custody of the prisoners. Groups of half-a-dozen or more being locked up together for many long hours, without the presence of an officer, they naturally discuss the chances of escape. It is well known_ : that last year three prisoners got away by breaking out of the gaol, and within this very month an attempt was made during one night to escape by breaking through the wall, of one of the yards. The num ber there confined together was five, three of whom were old offenders ; the other two are sup posed to have been unwilling, inactive observers. They cleared away the brickwork by raking out . the joints of mortar with a long nail, but their progress was checked by the solid massive masonry of the exterior face of the wall, and the next day the imperfectly concealed operation was discovered by the officer. It need hardly be stated that no mis chief of this sortcould possibly have been attempted at Holloway." In other words, the supplementary Newgate, which, though under the same authori ties, has for years presented a striking contrast—a s ystem being in operation there, and the keeper looking after the prisoners, instead of, as at New gate, the prisoners looking after the keeper ! To crown all, the Old Bailey—the C.antral Criminal Court--is constructed on such a plan that, accord ing to Alderman SIDNEY, " during the last few years several prosecutions have been abandoned, and the summary jurisdiction of magistrates asked for, rather than parties should be put to the in convenience and annoyance of mixing with the persons who loitered about the Central Criminal Court. In fact there was no• proper accommoda tion for either prosecutors or witnesses." A pretty state of things truly. Justice is sad to be blind, ----so she is turned into a bagnio, and surrounded bJ rogues and vagabonds at large ! • • The " Treaty Map," just published by WYLD, furnishes a most clear and startling view of the acquisitions obtained from neighbouring States by the Colossus of the North, through a career of encroachment unequalled since the days of the wholesale pirates of the Seven Hills. By "Treaties' Sweden was on four several occasions mulcted •of her extensive possessions on the coasts of the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia. By " treaties " Persia gave up territory exceeding the area of the whole of England ; China was deprived of tracts of enormous extent ; Poland, like the victim in the jaws of the merciless boa, was graduallyabsorbed in the insatiable maw of Muscovite ambition ; and the several items of plunder of which the Otto man Empire was in like manner, front time to time despoiled, are collectively equal to the entire of the Spanish Peninsula. This system of gigan tic robbery has been iu unremitting operation, growing with its growth, and strengthening with its strength, for upwards of a century, and the experience of the last very few years his thoroughly satisfied the world that Russia was finally bent on making a grand and long-meditated coup on Con stantinople, and thereby becoming absolute mis tress of the Black Sea, and developing her preda tory propensities on the waters and coasts of the Mediterranean. There is now another Treaty on the tapis, in I which Russia is no longer in the ascendant, whereon she cannot enforce her ukases with the high hand, or compel her victims to submit to any terms she may think proper to dictate, however unpalatable or injurious. The tables have indeed been co►npletely turned, and the people anxiously look forward to the use that may be made of the golden opportunity. The "Treaty nap" shows the, very moderate extent of our demands. Th 9 line .running through Bess arabia, and taking back scarcely a third of the ter ritory plund.4red from Turkey in 1812, indicates the full exten tof the retribution demanded from Russia. She is required t) disgorge no other portion of her enormous plunder, and that is not for the benefit of the sufferer, but of Austria, who has stood by, backing Russia until she saw a fitting occasion for bonefitting herself at the expense of both parties. Is this what the spirit of German ism has done for Europe, arid for England, when such things may be effected without danger and almost without remonstrance 3 CABINET COUNCiL.—A. Cabinet Co._- ac i l was held yes. ter:lay afternoon at the Foreign e.jtfice, Downing -street. Viscount P a l mers t on , th e The ministers present were Lord Chancellor, Earl the Marq u i s o f Lane downe, the Earl of r Ats.rrowby, Sir George Grey, Mr. Secretary Labo ~chore,lord Panmure, th e Ch ance ll or d the Exc', , ,quer, Sir Charles Wo o l, th e Ri g h t H on. Vernon. Smith, L)rd Stanley of Alderley, the Right 11`.,ci. M. r. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll. The Council sat two hours. The Queen and his Royal Highness the Prince Con sort have signified their intention to dine with his 119yal Highness the Duke of Cambridge on Friday next, at the Royal Duke's residence, St. James's Palace. His Majesty the King of the Belgians intends to leave Brussels toe week a!ter next, in order to visit her Ma jesty and his Itlyal Highness Prince Albert. It is said that his Majssty's soj.mrn will not exceed six days. M. Latnartine is said to be revidng for the press a new volume of poems entitled " Des lOusions." HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO THE ROYAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS, REGENT'S-PA.ltlt.--Yesterday inm Ring, .thor tly fdter ten o'clock. per Majesty, accompanied by her Royal ilig;hnen the Princess Rqrs,l, and Princess Mice, attended by the C , mnteis of Des lA, Msjor.General Bouveri, and Captain Dix Plat, visited the Royal Z.m logical. Gar:ions, • Regent's•pa,A. The Qieen was re ceived by the ma:la:ling directors and professors, and conducted over the gardens. Tian royal party remained a very considerable time. THE WEST MARIPOSA. COMPANY. —At a meeting of this company, heta yesterday, it was nnolved to acnept the proposal e` the dieect to return 4s. 61. par share out of the remaining a4sots of the undertaking. Tga RECTORSHIP OF MAR/SCHAL COLLEGE. —We learn that le ten; have been received from the Duke of bir.mcastle and from the Lori Advocate declining to be nominated for the rectorship of Marisa& Cullege.— Abe:riven Iler(ir,d • NEW tl - OINT•STOCK, BAN/C.—The prospectus has been issued,%r another iiint-stock b tick, to he called the West Metropolitan, with a capital of 300,0001., in 1001. shares. Lord Torri n gt on i s t h e c h a i rman, and it is pro. pas , :cl to undertake the business of army and navy agency 43 a distinet department. Ttrz GENERAL STEAM NAVIGATION COMPANY.—At the tialf.yearly meeting of this, company, held yesterday, a dividend was declared of 14 per share (or at the rate of 10 per cent, per annum), together with the usual annual bonus 01 2s. 01. per share, both free of income tax. HAYMARKET THEATRE. —Mr. Bucketone announces the present week to he the last of his excellent Christ mas Pantomime of "The Butterfly's Ball and the Grass hopper's Feast," Saturday next being the 631 and last time of its representation. A new and original comedy from the pen of B Lyles Bernard, Esq., is in rehearsal, and is to be produced next week ; while preparations for novelty at Easter are in.active progress. Her Ma jesty and Prince Albert on their visit to this theatre on Friday last, to witness "The Little Treasure," were graciously pleased to express their satisfaction in the warmest terms. That still popular and well-acted comedy is performed to night for the eightieth time. A CAUTION TO SHIPPERS.—At the Liverpool Police court on Monday, Dasiel Rry.4 drysalte-, South John-street, was euminoned by Inspector Hassell, for having sent to the ship Ada, lying in St. George's Dock, 20 casks, containing bottles of muriatic acid, without having labelled the same, and given notice to the Dock master, thereby rendering himself liable to a fine of 201. Mr. Rae said he had verbally communicated the fact to Mr. Purnell, the Docktnaster. In consideration of this the mitigated penalty of ss. was inflicted. OXFORD AND CAMBRIDGE EIGHT-OARED RACE.—It has now been finally settled that this event shall take place on Saturday, the 15th of March, and as it is high water on that day at a very early hour, it will be, in all I probability, rowed down from Mortlake to Putney. New BISHOP OF CARLISLE. —Whitehall, Feb. 25, 1856.—The Queen has been pleased to order a congi% d'aire to pass the great Seal, empowering the Dean and i Chapter of the Cathedral Caurch of Carlisle to elect a bishop of that see, the same being void by the death of Dr. Hugh Percy, late bishop thereof ; and her Majesty has also been pleased to recommend the Rev. Henry Montagu Villiers, M.A., to be elected by the said dean and chapter. Bishop of the said see of Carlisle. ALDERSHOTT CAMP.—A bill, introduced by Lord Pal merston and Mr. Mansell, extinguishes certain rights of way over certain roads and paths in the parishes of Al.derehott, Yateley, and Farnham, which have heretofore bean common lands, situate near Aldersbott Camp. The bill excepts the turnpike-road from Fariaham toßagshot, and that from the village of Aldershott-to the said turn-'j pike-road, at a distance of 300 feet ses2th ef the th; rd . . milutgiag from Farah.= to 13splaut. To remedy tie evils throe plaus have bon THE SUN, LONDQN, WEDNESDAY EVENING, rEBRUARY 27, 1856 , LATEST NEWS. LARGE ISSUE OF TREASURY BILLS. BERLIN, FEB. 25. An 'lmperial (Russian) ukase has ordered the immediate issue of Treasury bills, in seven series, amounting, in the aggregate, to 21,000,000 roubles. A. Cabinet courier has arrived with despatches for Count Orloff at Paris. It is said that Russia consents to what is demanded relative to the islands of Aland and Ktrs. The Post Ampt Gazette contains the follow ing letter from Vienna, of the 231 :—" Ac counts from Batoum state that the British Government has taken steps to exchange General Williams and the other English officers wh• were made prisoners at Kars. An English steamer has been at Batouna for the last three weeks, awaiting letters from the general, to whom the captain on his arrivaPhad sent both letters and baggage from England. But the last news from Tiflis only ga to the 20th January, the com munications being cut off by the extreme rigour of the winter. Accounts from Kamiesh state that General Luders has recalled all the superior staff officers who were on leave at Odessa. There are not more than 42,000 men at Nicolaieff, Perekop, and Cherson. The fortifications at Nicolaieff and along the river have been _continued during the winter with great activity. The military stations in the Crimea have again received provisions for three months." THE WAR IN ASIA. EBZEROUM, JAN. 29. A French merchant has just arrived here from Tiflis, by the way of Alexandropol and Kars. It appears certain that the Russians are preparing to invest our city in the spring. They are already occupied in disciplining the Armenian and Georgian levies. The regular army of the Caucasus consists at present of about 80,000 men. Of these 10,000 are in Tiflis, 10,000 are stationed so as to serve as a protection against Schamyl, 10,000 watch the ar ny of Omer Pacha, and the remaining 50,000 are close to our frontier, under the command of General Mouravieff In addition to these forces they will have in the spring 20,000 new troops, more or less disciplined. We hear at last that we are to have here an Eng- lish army of 30,000 foot and 10,000 horse. It is reported that this force will be under the command of Sir Colin Campbell. .It is tolerably certain that the Egyptian troops to be sent here will amount to 30,000 men. We hear that for some days past strong Russian detachments were seen in the neighbourhood of Olte, sixtcen hours' journey dijttnt from here. Their intentisn is, perhaps, to get possessiwi of the stores of corn in the district. FRANCE. PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING. Tho Plenipotentiaries did not meet to-day. They will meet to-morrow (Wednesday), at 1 o'clock. Wo hear Russia will make a stand in the Confe rences about the Greek Church not being affected by the proposed reforms in Turkey. . Prince Jerome Napoleon yesterday received the Grand Vizier Aali Paella and Count Orloff. The former was presented by the Turkish Ambassador. Prince Jerome also rec,ived the Baron do Mandor strorn, the new Swedish Minister. The Constitutionnel gives the following parti culars relative to the proceedings of the congress : "According to diplomatic u-eiges, and following the precedent of the conferences of Vienna,. the sitting com• menced by- the .nerninetion of Count Walewski as president. The verification of the powers of the plenipotentiaries having next been duly gone through, the president delivered an address, in which he briefly eummedriplhe object of the meeting, and pointed out the order in which the deliberations were to proceed. All the Plenipotentiaries pledged their wor is to observe the most profound secrecy on the subject of the diecusAons. M. Benedetti, director of the . political division at the Department of Foreign Affairs, has been appointed by the French Governmeht to draw up the protocol of the Conferences, and is assisted by a sub-director of the same section, On Thursday fait the Plenipotentiaries of the Allied Powem exclusive of those of Russia, hal a preparatory sitting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in order to agree as tl their attitude and the langnAge to be held towarde the -PlenipOtehtiaries on all the prin cipal questioett. It was in order to be present at this preparatory titting that _Ale Turkish Ambassador re turned in trash haste ti Paris, instt:ad of 'waiting at for the arrival of Aali.Paclia,." Tue liebat,4, on the same subject, says "The Plenip ,tentiaries have tAen rank to the right and left of the President in the order estahli-hed by the regu`ations of the C.ingress of Vienna. These regula tions allowed two-forms of precedence ; one according to the alphabetical order of the names of the Powers re presented, and the other according to the order in which the Plenipotentiaries were presented to the Sovereign. It is the latter form which has been adopted on the pre sent occasion, and according to it the places to the right of Count Walewski are occupied by Lire' Clarendon, Count Buol, Count de Cavour, Ciionnt Orloff, and Aali Pacha ; and the places on .the left by Lord Cowley, Baron Hubner, the Marquis Pes de Vi latnarina, Baron de Bruoow, and Mehetned-Djenail Bey." A decree in the Moniteur promotes Colonel C. Muidebled, of the sth Legion of Gendarmry, to the rank of Commander in the Legion of Honour. Other decrees make four promotions to the rank of Officer, and 34 appointments to that of Knight iu the same order, and confers 69 military medals on different officers, sub-officers, and privates of the Imperial Guard. The Moniteur publishes the official return of the customs revenue for the month of January, which amounted to 11,105,280 fr., showing a decrease of 1,396,786 fr. on the corresponding month of 1805, and an increase of 2,074,184 fr. on that of 1854. _ _ , BOURSE, Feb. 26.—The following were the closing quotations . the peace,, as the measure best calculated for set tling all the questions of real importanco to thole Powers. The final miult of this congtess would be the establishment of a new international balance of power, in harmony with the changes which have taken place during the last forty years." The Augsburg Gazette states, from Vienna, that the mortgage bank annexed to the national bank is about to he re-organised by the Minister of Finance. Hitherto the mortgage bank was only accessible to great landholders ; the minister now proposes to render it available to the smaller ones_ also. PORTUGAL. LissoN, Feb. 19.—The finance committee pur sue their deliberation upon the measures of Sr. Dontes ; but, judging from the tone assumed by the organs of the Opposition, it seems unlikely that there will ho any substantial hostility shown to the more important clauses of the Minister's report. A meeting has been held by the Portuguese bondholders in this city, who appear to think them selves entitled to he placed upon the same footing as the foreign holders of government stock. The other day the Duke of Saldanha and the Count Thomas found themselves face to face in the Chamber of Peers, which by the way was the first meeting in the public arena since the overthrow of the Cabral adinmistiation. Thomas seized the op portunity to animadvert upon certain expressions the duke is said to have used at the time of the poli tical changes, in which ho, the count, was accused of serious speculations. Of course the house listened with bated breath to the wordy warfare of two such leading men in their first parliamentary encounter, and it was thought that the old Duke's reply was quite worthy of his soldier-like reputation, for, in stead of withdrawing the imputation, he very po litely strengthened it by adding that he meant it strictly in a personal sense, and not as applying to the administration of the,ex-Minister: This would seem to establish guerre a l'outrance between the two statesmen. In Port—Her Majesty's ship Glatton (floating battery) and St. George, steam-transport Europa. The Igniz de Castro (s.s) has arrived from Glas gow ; the Cintra (s.s.) has sailed for Liverpool. A. letter from Cattaro of the sth, in the German Journal of Frankfort, says :—" The discontent in Montenegro is increasing. The taxes are being collected with great rigour. The Prince has, moreover, sold the property of the convents, which has produced a bad effect. The Prince has excited anger by having offended a Montene grin chief awl deprived him of an hereditary em ployment." RUSSIAN PREP..4RATIONS FOR PEACE! The following letter has been received in Paris from Stockholm, dated Feb. 12 : " Public opinion throughout Europe seems to have undergone such a sudden and unaccountable change that you probably will be surprised to hear that there is one remote corner of the globe where some doubts are still entertained concerning the sincerity of Russia, some ap prehension still felt that peace on any conditions may not be for the future advantage of the civilised world. We see the press of Frarce and Austria veer round from doubt to the utinest confidence, frorn animosity of the bitterest character to feelings little short of admiration and gratitude for .the Emperor Alexander ; but we cold blood, d northerns ara more dif f icult of persuasion. "«'e see usany questions mooted, none resolved ; many great interests at stike, none really secured. Is the acceptance of the Four Points the only resn!t, of this ereat war r Are the ar-enals of Kherson and Nicolaieff to reinan n unuol steel ? Is the Russian Government still to oppress. tl.e Circassian tribes, and. to command the high road to India ? "These questions are daily put by our press, and I would fain address them to you. I say nothing about our own peeition, which I have so often explAined to you ; it is now clear 'that the Scandinavian question has bt e i ca , t aside as a superfluous weight in the general steeplechase after peace, but it may interest you to hear something of the giant works now carrying on at Cron stadt. Cash. fr. e. End of Month. 44 per Cents. 96 -- —f. —c. i per t Cans 73 15 73 40 New Loan 74 Bank - Shares 3,460 Roman t.:re , iit Mohilier 1,5(i A.;idtrian Belgian Five 5........ 9(3 - Spanish Threes 42 Piedmontest (5) " You are pr , bably aware that by next spring the Ru3sian steam ii-et will coacist of 13 line•of-battle ships and tri , tates, 14 corvettes, and 70 gun-beats, which for inidabl, force may ride secure behind an impassable bar rier, and defy the united ca . vies of 'he world, thanks to the fir ifications planned by Admiral Schanz, at which :',0,000 men are now working under his direction. This formidable work consi ,, ts in a triple. row of piles right scr•)ss the Golf of Finland, about six ini'es from Criin i.tadt, and should the ice be strong this spring it may be finished this year. This maritime bulwark, 12 miles across, will have but few openings, which can bo easily closed or defended in time of need, and not a boat can be imperilled let the attacking force be ever so strong. ' " Are theso symptinns of an exhausted nation, sin ' cerely anxious for a durable peaoe ?" FUNERAL. OF THE LATE DUKE OF 0 RFOLK. - The remains of this nobleman were consigned to the family vault of ae Howards, in the private cl-la:m1 at tached to the parish chore!) of Arundel, yesterday morn irez. The funeral was of a simple charaCter, the mourners following the corpse on fo.,t from the castle to the church; bot the presence of alarge body of the tenantry, coup!ed with the member; of the coeporatiOn, and indeed the whole population of the hor iugh combine l to give the ceremonial an imposing effect. The body was removed o n Monday night into the crypt of the castle, where it ' remained until 11 o'clock yesterday morning, at which hour the burial had been appointed to take p'ace. The Coffin, being very -massive, was placed upon a plain funeral car, drawn by two black horses richly capari soned. The procession was headed by the members of the late DUAO'S household walking two and two. After them cams the pursuivants and officers of the Herald's College, viz.:— Rouge Croix, J. R. Plane , e, Esq Blue Mantle, 11. Di. Lane, Esq Porteull!s, G. W. Cullen, Esq. Six Heralds. Somerset, IV. Courthone, Esq. WM. - Igor, G. R. H rrison, Esq. York, U. IV King, Esq. Richmond, C. 11. Gibbon, Lancaster, A. W. Woodr, Fcq Chester, IV. A. Blount, Esq. A l'ltyile of Feathers. Norroy, Kin; of A rms, P. Laurie, Esq., 14earinz the Coronet and Ea. - 1 Marshal's Bmton on a erlms n velvet cush;on. Ga ter, sir Charles Young. Pall Bearers. The Coffin, Tall Bearers. Fart of Carnarvon Containing the Body of Eivl or Suffolk Lord Petre Tne Deceased. Earl of Effingham Sir Edmun I Lyons Covered with a black velvet Lord Stafford Mr P. 110 d Pall, ornamented with Mr Ti. Howard of Corley. Heraldtc Escw,heons, au I of Greystoke. borne upon a Car, drawn by two horses. Chief Mourne , , The Dultl of Norfolk, leaf itg his infant sea, the Earl of Annviei and Surrey. Lord Edward Fitzalan Howard, M.P. Lord George Manners, %1. t' Lord Foley. The Marquis of Westminster. Mr. Bickerton Lyons. lion. Robert Careen Hon. A. J. Ashky Fr. John Abel Smith, M.P. Mr. W. S'oane Stanley Sir George Pechell, Bart., M.P. Colonel Wyndham Mr. Prime Mr. R. W. Grey, M.P. Sir Jelin Riceland Right Hon. James Parker Captain Appleby, R.N. Mr. W. K. Gratwicke Mr. Sanctuary Mr. T. Evans The Rev. Thomas 7 , fedland, U.D., Vicar of Ste} nine. Tl:e Rev. M. A. Tierney. his Grace's Itoma.n Catholic Chaplain. Dr. Steadman of Arundel. Dr. Kingsley. Private Physi.ian. Mr. M. Ellison. Mr. J. Musket. Mr. T. Bonlface. Mr. Dendy, Secret try to the hitt, Duke. Mr. Charles Few, jun., Family So'icitor. The mourners were followed by the Dune's favourite charger, caparisoned and led by two grooms, and then came the tenantry, two and two, to the number of about 50, all wearing scarfs aed hatbands. On emerging from the courtyard of the castle the fune ral cortege was met by the Mayor and corporation of Arundel in their robes of office, who fell in between the inembers of the Duke's household and the officers of Herald's College, and preceded the body through that portion of the borough lying between the gates of the castle and the church, whiCh was thronged by a multi tude of spectatere. At the entrance of the church the body was received by the Rev. G. A. F. Hart, Chaplain-in-Ordinary to the Queen and vicar of Arundel, by whom the service for the burial of the dead wee impressively read—the body meantime renting upon a bier in the centre aisle of the chore!), with the pursuivants and heralds on either side, and Garter at the feet of the corpse. At the proper pf ried the coffin was removed into the Fttzelan Chapel situated behind the altar of the church, and lowered into the family vault. At the close of the religious service Garter pronounced the style and titles of the deceased Duke, and deposited in the grave the wands which had been broken by the controller and master of the Duke's household ; after which the present Duke and his bro ther descended into the vault for a few moments. On the return rf the mourners to the castle the inhabitants of the borough were admitted into the chapel without restriction, and many hundreds of persons availed them selves of the opportunity of inspecting the vault, within which are cleooeited the renew.. of very many of the deceased Duke's predecessors. The ceremony pa ,, sed off without an incident to mar its solemn effect, and the whole arrangements reflected much credit on the firm to whom their direction had been intrusted—Messrs. Morant and Boyd, of New Bond-street. '_ ~.,~. RAILWA TS-VOR CASH. _ __ _ tr. C. fr. 0. Or! , )arut 1,275 West9rn... ... 877 50 Yorthorn . 9OO Strasburg Lyoaa ......... ..,... 1,25) New Ditto 835 /lo , .literranlan 1,44i Grand Central: 6 1 ,3 25 Lyons (Geneva 765 T,sto . — Cate RUSJSIA. BERLIN, Feb. 24.—One of the most satisfactory features of the Russian press of the last dates that have come to hand, is the circumstance that in a number of official doeuthents that have been pub lished of late with reference to the navy the Black Sea and the Sea of Azoff are no longer mentioned. This looks as if the Government recognised the destruction of the Black Sea fleet, and the disper sion of the small reainant of its crews still extant, as a fait accompli, on which the Conferences in Paris are about to impress the stamp .ot perma nence. In the columns of the Wojenny Listok (Military Journal) are to be found official data as to the I strength of the late Black Sea Fleet, which, as be ing official, will have a certain historical interest of authenticity. According to these the Russian Pontes Fleet consisted of 4 ships of the line of 110 to 120 guns ; 12 ships of the line of 80 to 100 ; and, finally, 2 reserve liners, of 80 guns ; altogether 18 ships of the line, carrying 1,628 guns. 01 frigates there were 12 of 52 to 56 guns, together with about 40 sailing vessels of 10 guns each, and 15 war steamers. The total force of the Russian war fleet in the Black Sea consisted thus of 85 vessels of all rates, mounting 2,890 guns. The entire commer• cial fleet that Russia possessed in the Black Sea has been destroyed, with the exreption of 11 vessels still lying at Odessa, some 20 odd at Nicholaieff and Cherson, and 20 odd that have taken refuge up the Don. The craft destroyed in the Sea of Azoff are stated to have amounted to several hundreds. The Emperor has ordered that the two Grand Dukes, Nicholas and Michael, shall at once enter upon their respective functions, the former as In spector of Engineers, the latter as Master of the Ordnance. General Dalin, of the Engineers, and General Kortf, of the Artillery, have been asso ciated with the two Grand Dukes in these offices under the title of Assistants. Private letters from St. Petersburg state that General de Berg reported that he could not under take to answer for the fidelity of Finland to Russia, iu case of an invasion, unless his army was tripled in numbers. AUSTRIA. A letter from Vienna says :—" It is now cer tain that Prince Gortschakoff has confidentially stated, in the name of kis Cabinet, that the Court of St. Petersburg considered the convocation of a magma of European Powers, Me; the eiguihg of DIAR,KET NEWS.—(This Day.) CORN EXCHANGE. The supply of English wheat on sale in to-day's market was chiefly the refuse of Monday, and in very middling condition. For all kinds wo had a slow trade, yet no change took place in the (plot diens. We were rather scantily supplied with fresh foreign wheat. Millers, however, purchased with extreme caution on former terms. The barley trtdo was steady at full prices, but malt soli heavily at the late decline. Oats moved off slowly ou former terms. In beans, peas, and flour only a limited business was trausacted. ARRIVALS THIS MILK. Wheat. 1 Barley. Malt. 1 Oats. ) roar. ;g n ash „„ 410 3,64,0 3 02 0 410 1 _ Irish •• •• Foreign • 3 3,077 I 2,459 , : 8' " 0,2 1 . i - 1 —hrls . 1 1 100 sks BOROUGH HOP. We have a inolarato sale for fine hops, at fall prices. Other kinds are very tie. WHITECIIAPEL. Beef, from 2s 10 , 1 to 4a7d7,luTt;n, 3s Od to 48 6d ; veal, 3s 10d to 5s 4d ; porir, 38 4d to 4s I.od ger 8.11 s by the carcase. Trada Wady. THE i ATE M=l. S IDLEIR, The question as to the eXient'of the delinluencies of the late Mr. John Sadleir continues a subject of absotb , ing interest in the city, since it is impossible to ascer tain at present in what quarters the heaviest losses will fall. It is certain, however, that no ground exists for the supposition on which the inquest was ad journed yesterday—namely, that Mr. Sadleir may pos sibly be shown to have laboured under a delusion with regard to the magnitude of the offences he iiisputed . to himself in the letters written on the evening preceding his death. At the same time there is reason to believe that on some points there this been unnecessary alarm. The undertakings with which Mr. Sadleir was chiefly connected were the Royal Swedish Railway, the East Kent Railway, and the London and County Bank. He was likewise gr7atly interested in the Tipperary Joist stack Bank, of which his brother, the member for Tip perary, was chairman, and he also acted as receiver or agent for some Irish landowners. Urgent inquiries are consequently being made as to the spscial nature of his transactions in relation to each of these bodies. As regards the Royal Swedish Railway, of which he was the chairman, it appears to have been ascertained with. out doubt that he has issued an immense amount of the shares and obligations of the company without authority, although with genuine signatures. Whether he has put forth any which are forgeries seems not yet to have been clearly established. The capital of the company is 416,0701., in 51. shares, on which it enjoys a guarantee . from the Swedish Governreent of 4 per cent. interest and 1 per cent, sinking fund, and the shares are payable to name or to bearer, at the option of the share holder. A considerable number were forfeits d for non-payment of calls, and some time back, in order to avoid unnecessary sacrifices, the com pany obtained power to raise 100,0001. en de bentures or obligations. They rqu'resi the signature of two directors and the secretary and Mr. Sadleir, hav ing obtained possession of the unissued quantities for the purpose of completing them with his signature, seems to have got rid of them in the Stock Exchange, or in any quarter where he could raise money. Theno minal amount thus made, away with is reported to range between 200,0001. and 300,0001., although probably the advances he received upon them were not more than a fourth or a third of.that tkal. The case is nearly ana lovous to the fraudulent i-sue made a year ago at New York by Mr. Schuyler of a large number of shares of the New York and Newhaven Railroad, of which he was president, and which, owing to the company haying con tested their liability, has ever since been before the law courts of the State. The actual extent of overissue will, it is expected, be speedily made public, the directors having instituted an inquiry, which has ,been carried oa by Messrs. Broom and Co., the accountants, and the results of which will be communicated to a general mectiug of . the shareholder:2, which has just been summoned for Friday next, at the London Tavern. With regard to the East Kent Railway, it is stated that, with the exception of some ar rears of calls, Mr. Sadleir is not cl.rectly indebted to that undertaking. In his capacity of deputy chairman, however, he induced the board to depo sit 8,0001. of their unemployed capital with the Tipperary Bank on deposit notes, which fell due at the beginning of la>t week and were dishonoured. In the case of the London and C .unty Bank it is affirmed that no loss whatever has been sustained. Mr. Sadleir was chairman of that company, but obtained no advances from it except upon sufficient securities. Many rep r!s having been in circulation to a contrary effect, it is under stood that, in order to remove all doubt on the subject, the three new directors, Messrs. Nicol, Hoghton, and Laming, who were last week added to the board, have required that the securities in question should be ex amined and reported on by some independent solicitor, assisted by the solicitors of the .hank, and that a resolu tion to that effect was passed this afternoon. The va lidity of the deeds held by the company from Mr. Sadleir is stated to have been fully tested by registration. In relation to the Tipperary Joint-Stock Bank, it appears that this establishment was promoted by Mr. Sadleir in 1833, its bead office being at Clonmel, with eight branches in the district. Although it paid dividends at the rate of 6 per cent. it seems to have made no return of the nurnher of its.partners, the amount of its shares, or its paid-up capital, and, with the exception of one or two families, the shareholders are said to be . per sons of limited means. Tile families in question are alleged to be fully able to meet the claims that will fall upon them, hut it is erobable that the ruin or distress which will nevertheless be inflicted in this quarter was among the chief causes of the pain a , d self-reproach described in Mr, Sadleir's letters. The most serious features of fraud remain still to be ad verted to—namely, those committed by means of his opportunities as - agent for the landed estates of noblemen and others, and also by direct forgeries of title deeds. The trust property made away with is supposed ,to - be extremely large, and many &pl.'s able circumstances are likely to arise in this part of the history, the full scope of which will probably never come before the public. At present many of the sufferers are themselves ignorant of the positi , n in which they stand, and most likely several mouths must elapse before all the actual facts ran be on ' ravelled. As respects the forgeries of title deeds from the Encumbered Estates Court, it is satisfaction to be able to state that only two cases have thus far been die coverad, although very general inquiries have been made by some leading solicitors in Dublin. In one of these, so far from the fouery haeirg been perfectly executed, the altempt is desc , ined to have been such as could not for a moment deceive the eye of any Irish solicit n• con versant with the practice of the Court, since it was de ficient in no I- s , than four requisites, one of them being a certificate of the commissioners for payment of the pur chase money. The other was a conveyance of part of the Porardneon estate, which was probably in better form. Beyond these cases it is questiored it any wall be found. Many of the deeds assigned by Mr. Sadleir passed through the hands of Me:si , .eves and Hamilton, of Dub i i, and the Lonflon clients c f that ge , - gentlemen have to-day been informed that in n ne of these instances does any irregularity exist.—Timei City Article. COURT (IF A IMEHMEIV; Yesterlay n c.)urt was held for the despatch of public busines. EXPEDIENCY OF REMOVING THE GAOL OF NEWGATE. CUBITT brought up the report of the cem mi• tee appoinled to inquire into the state of Newgate, with a view to its present adaptation to the classification of prisoners, and carryieg out any well-consid, tall plan of . discipline, and also to inquire into the expenses con nected with the gaol with a view to their diminution, and to report generally as to what steps it may be ex pedient to adopt both with regard to its offieers, their ealaries and duties, aed also as to the expedisnav and legality of abolish:ng the prison altogether, and making provision for the prisonrs at II dleway or elsewhere. It stated that the committee referred tle subject to a spe cial committee, rho had fully considered the subject. The following are extracts from that report : " Having proceeded to censider the reference, we beg to report that the state of Neweate in its present struc tural condition is such as to re; der any sari-factory classification of the prisoner.; altogether a hopeless to-k, and the carrying out of any well-coesidered plan of dis cipline an utter impossibility. No salesfactory separa tion car. in its present condition het ffected, because of the insufficient number of cells, and no satisfactery super vision is practicable with anything like the pre-ent num ber of officers. We believe that as much as could be done in reference to these great desiderata is done ; hut, until some vary important; alteration is In,de in the physical structure of the interior of the building, New gate must continue to be a standing reproach to the city rif London. The want of proper supervision and its im possibility in the present sports of the gaol are and must be sources of constant anxiety to the retverner, if only on account of the safe custody of the pr saner:. Groups ef half-d,ens or mere being locked up together for many long In , urs without the pre s ence of an officer, they rritu rally discuss the chances of escape. It is welt known - that last year three prisoners got away by breaking out of the gaol ; and within this very month an attempt was made during one night to escape by breaking through the tvr. l l of one of the wards ; the number there confined to gether was 5, 3 of wham are old . offenders ; the other 2 are supposed to have been unwilling, inactive observers. Thew cleared away the brick work by raking out thej riots of mortar, with a long nail, but their progress was checked by the solid massive masonry of the exterior face of the wall, and the n - oct day the impert , ctly eoncealed operations was discovered by the officers. It need hardly he stated that no mischief of this sort could possibly have been attempted at Holloway. Your special com mittee have had a plan under consideration by which it is believed that Newgate could . be cured of its great defect, and the city reliered from the reproach of stand ing almost alone in having a gaol without a system. The plan would give 120 separate cells, and we are of opin ion that if such a plan were carried out it would enable the governor to establish a degree of separation and su pervision would be almost, if not altogether, un eljectionable. The cost is estimated by the City Archi tect at 10.000/. We have also oiven our attention to an other plan of a comrehensiwe nature for the entire de moFtion of the cous ti and of the gael, and of the recon struction of the courts and such a portion of the gaol as might suffice for the custody of prisoners wLile the trials were going on ; the object of this plan bean; to dispense with Newgatc as a prison, except only as above stated. A plan has also hien submitted to us for such addition to the prison at Holloway as would enable it to receive the'prisoners now kept at Newgate. The cost of the-e combined operations—that is, the reconstruc tion of the criminal courts and a portion of New-gate— ' is estimated by the City Architect at 87,0001, from which may be deducted the value of a piece of laud at the Old Bailey set free by the alteration etf the system, which the City Architect estimates at 9,0001. In work ing out these plans the City Architect has so arranged as to permit the smaller one to form an integral part of the larger one, so that. should it be the p'easure of the Court to carry out the recommendation of the commii tee in adopting the first-named plan, and it shoed here after be deemed expedient to carry out the larger one, no material alteration would Le necteesary, and but little loss would accrue. That portion of the reference which relates to the expenses of the gad, and also as to what steps it may be expedient to adept with regard to the officers, their salaries and duties, cannot Well be dealt with until the question as to the alteration of the gaol is determined. The question as to the expediency and legality of abolishing the prison altogether having been considered, it does not seem to be expedient, and the legality, therefore, hardly seemed to he an object to be ascertained, and that has therefore nut been made a matter of inquiry." The report (.f the sub-committee was signed—William Cubits, W. T. Copeland, T. Q. Finnic, R. Hartley Ken nedy. The report of the committee rccornmendieg it to the adoption of the Court was signed by 10 aldermen. Sir P. LAURIE said that tho subject treated in that report was one of such vast importance that a specia day ought to be appointed for the discussion of Aft merits, which would then be fully and deliberately gone into. He did nut object to the report, but it would be eatiafactory to get the unanimous assent and concur renca of the whole Court, instead of the simple report of a committee, however numerous it might be. (Rear, hear.) Alderman CIJBITT said, the report had not been hastily concocted, nor had any came been attached to it by any member of the Court who bad not gone fully and thoroughly into the subject. Last year circumstances bad arisen which brought the state of Newgate more Prominently before the Gaol Committee. The gover nor, from age and infirinit . i, resigned, and a new gover nor was appo'nted, when it became absolutely necessary to revise the system of discipline and management in order that the official might have full and proper in structions for the necessary conduct of the gaol. It was then found to he utterly impossible to get a satisfactory system of supervision unless great alterations were made in the structural part of the prison. He (Alderman Cubitt) moved—" That the report be received, and that it be referred back to the committee to act therein as they shall think fit." Alderman FINNIS said, he seconded the motion be a tuse he was setisfied that, in laying out 10,0001., that sum would not be lost, but would ultimately lead to a consi derable saving. A few days ago 13 female prisoners were coefined in Newgate, and, on account of the de fective structural ermngeirients, it ens necessary to burn 19 fires for the purpose of taking care of them. (Hear.) Alderman SIDNEY said, he very much rejoiced to think that the report hhd at length come to the Court considerati,in. He agreed with the former part of the report, e hich condemned the gaol of Newgate Ass being altogether irremediable, and which was probably at that moment the worst disciplined gaol in the king dom.' They had under their jurisdiction one of the best disciplined as well as one of the worst disciplined gaols in the country. They had a prison at Holloway which admitted of the easiest possible extension, and where the same discipline which was adopted there could be carried out ; and they had Newgate, with all its sinuosities, the prisoners actually 10-king after the keepers, i ns t ea d of the k , epers looking after the prisoners. To his (Aides* man Sidney's) knowledge, during the last few years several prosecutions had been abstesialted, and the sum mary jurisiiicAon of magistrates asked for rather than that persons should be put to the inconvenience and an o iance of mixing with the persons who loitered about the Central Criminal Court. In fact, there was no proper accommodation fi r either prosecutors or wit nesses. (Hear, hear.) Alderman Sidney then went into a variety cf details, showing that the cost of the support of prisoners in Newgate was double the amount of the expenditure at Holloway. Alderman and Sheriff ROSE testified to the immense inconvenience sustained by the public from the arrange' merits connected with the courts while trials were pro ceeding. It was an evil loudly calling for remedy. Alderman CARTER said that the state altogether of Newgate was of a most unsatisfactory character, and tbat a complete alteration ought to be made in it, both with respect to classification of prisoners and structural arrangements. Alderman SIDNEY then proposed the following amend ment : " l'hat a deputation of the Court be appointed to con fer with the Secretary of State for the Home Department with reference to the projected alterations in Newgate, and to report thereon to this Court ; and to learn front that Minister whether there is any objection to the plan of removing the prison to Holloway." Alderman CARTER seconded the amendment, which was put and negatived. The original motion was then put and carried, and the Court adjourned. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. OXFORD, WORCESTER, AND WOLVERHAMP TON. The er3inary half-yearly meeting of this company was hell yes! erday, at the London Tavern, Lieut.-Colonel Rushout, M P., presiding. The CHAIRMAN, after a few remarks, moved the adop tion of the report, an abstract of which has already ap peared in The Sun. Mr. T. S. PAKINGTON seconded the motion. Mr. MAXWELL said be could not assent to the motion. for the adoption of the report, and therefore be moved an amendment, calling for the appointment of a com mittee of shareholders to examine into the accounts, affairs, and management of the company, their relations with other companies, and the expediency of creating new capital, with power to call for books, papers, and information, and to employ an accountant, or such other as istance as they might deem necessary to enable them properly to prepare a report, to be laid before a future meeting. (Cheers.) Mr. WALLACE seconded the amendment. After a desultory discussion, The CHAIRMAN moved that a dividend should be de clared upon the first preferential stock at the rate of 5& per cent. Mr. SERJEANT GASELEE, as an amendinent, moved that the dividend should be postponed until after the r int 'h. report of the c mirnittee of investigation- Mr. PARSONS seconded the amendment. Ai ter to ther discussion, the motion for payment of the dividend was unanimously agreed tr. The CHAIRMAN then, amid lUticti laughter, proposed a resolution authorising the director , to postpone pay- • mint of the dividend until it emld be made without detriment to the interests of the company. A good de .l of discussion followed, resulting in a de cision that dividend warrants should be issued to pre sent shareholders bearing interest until paid. Mr. Maxwed's raJtion, for a committee of investiga tion was then again brought forward, and agreed to, the following gentlemen - being appointed to act—ll s ' Messrs. Fenton, H. Maud, W. Letham, J. Wilson, and Sir S. M. Peto, Bart. The CHAIRMAN stated that the next business of the meeting was the election of the retiring directors ; but Mr. Serjeant G&SELEH proposed the adjournment of the meeting until the Bth of April, for the reception of the report of the committee, which was at once agree 4 to, the election of directors being postponed. EAST KENT. The directors in their half-yearly report state they aro happy to be enabled to inform the proprietors that the progress made (-luring the past half-year in the works at Rochester Bridge has been satisfactory. The founda tions, as aispears by the engineers' report annexed , are compfet , :d, and a considerable portion of the euperstructure finished and delivered at Rochester. large sun Las been expended in the; purchase or land, and the arrangements with landowners between Chatham and Sittingbourne are so far advanced that: the company will be able to take possession if the land at an early period. The works at the Roches' ter and Chatham tunnels were commenced shortly before the half-yearly meeting, and were continued till the end of Nev ember. About that period log' gestions were made to the beard by their late de puty chairman, Mr. Sad eir, in favour of an arrange' meet to effect a rapid completion of the whole line, by means of a strong combination of part'es for the purpose of cerrying out the who's of the works between Strood and Dover sirnulta ieously. In pursunnee of this policy' negotiations were opened with various pa-ties to effect this object. and tee board bad hop d to be able to report that a satisfactory arrangement had been agreed on, but the sudden death of Mr. Sadleir, and other circumstances, have prevented the Loard from being able to complete any arrangement. They therefore propose, after trams acting the hu-iness contained in the notice, to adjourn the meeting to the 4th April next, by which time they expect to Le in a position to ley before the proprietors such a combination as will be sati -factory to them, and wilt insure the completion of the line. With the view of carry ing out speedilya rid effectively any arrangement on whicle tLey may decide, the director, have made a call of 21.10 3 . per share, payable on the 12th of April next. The per' maneut survey of the Dover Extension line is completed, and the notice plans for purchase of land are prepared. An oi ening having presented itself for improving the company's line, and connecting it with the authorised line of the Westminster Terminus Company, by eon struetieg a line from Dartford, through Lewisham, to join the terminus of that company at Clapham, and of thus securing to this a West-end terminus, and also the shortest and most direct route to Dover, the board con sidered that they ought not to lose the opportunity -of of - Alining en valuable an addition to the East Kent lines Accordingly a bill was introduced into Parliament this session for a line from Dartford to Lewisham, and from Lewisham to Clapham,, with running powers over the Westminster Termini's Company's line, and over the tu.le Eastern Company's line from Strood to Dartfoed. This bill has pegged standing orders, and been read a first tome in the House of Coo: moils." The eegineer, in his re-port, states as follows : " During the past half year the works of the founds tons and superstructure of the Medway Bridge at R ,chester have been proceeding with vigour, and I have the satisfaetion of reporting that the cylinders are now all down, complete in place, filled with concrete ready fir the reception of the brickwork and masonry, which latter branches of the work are also in a state of con siderable forwardness, and proceeding in a perfectly satisfactory manner. " The ironwork of the bri'lge, lam glad to say; ig als, in a very advanced state, and of a character entirely satisfactory bo:h as to workmanship and material ; considerable portion has arrived, and is in course of being put tegether in place, upon staging erected for the purpose. The manufacture of the rest is rapidly pro ceeding'', and is so forward that no delay need be appre henlea in its delivery. • " I see no reason to doubt the completion of this imp7rtant work by ; the end of the ensuing summer, and considerably within the time fixed by the act of Parliament. " Some considerable progress has been made with the works of the tunnels at Fort Pitt and Chatham, but these operations are at present in abeyance, for rea sons rather of finance and general policy than °Vele' gineeling.“ ELYTII AND TYNE. The directors of this company recommend a dividend of 10 per cei t. on the preference shares, and 9 pet cent. on the ordinary and extension shares. NORTH AND SOUTH-WESTERN JUNCTION- The half-yearly meeting of this company was held at the Euston station yesterday—Mr. H. Tootal in the chair. The report stated that the balance available for dividend was 1,9211. 14s. td., out of which th• directors recommended a dividend to be paid for the half-year at the rate of 5 per cent. per annum, leav ing a balance in hand of 4251. 5.?. 6d. to be carried fore are'. The report was adopted. DUBLIN AND DROGHEDA. Tile report of the directors of this line has been. issued to the shareholders. A dividend at the rate of per cent. per annum is recommended. MO . The L quietly, American were esti 60 0 Ame Specu a nd Mar 3 1d. to 4 Per lb. 1 / 1 1 : TI unteli 1)1'11 COll Lo l light, Wi Ari and r i thick P a l equi aer bear - Ge th ; `tri, sic