The Sun. — London, England, 1864-07-15 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARMA ZENT HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening, ROYAL ASSENT. The Royal assent was given by commission to the fol lowing bills i—TTnion Assessment Committee Act Amend ment—Coventry Free Grammar School—Superannuation (Union Officers) Government Annuities Act—Divorce and Matrimonial Causes—Greek Loan—Life Annuities and Life Assurance—Worcester, Bromyard, and Leomins ter Railway Settled Estates Act Amendment Durham University—Sunningdale and Cambridge Town Railway—Argyllshire Roads—lndependent Gas Company —New Quay and Cornwall Junction Railway—Midland Railway (Bath and Thornintry)—Leads, Bradford, and Halefort Junction—London and South Western Railways —Oswestry and Newton and other Railways (arrangements) —Llandidlo and TeiffeValleyßailway—Bodmin Railway— London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway—(Tunbridge Wells) —Scottish and North Eastern Railway—Southamp ton and Netley Railway—Rammell's Patent—Furness Gees and Water—Hayling's Railway—London Docks, St. Katherine's Docks, and Victoria Docks A ma lgamation — Stockport and Ashton Roads — Wisbeac h Water—Grand Western Canal and Bristol and Exeter Railway— iti ewry and Armagh Railway—Carnarvon and Llanberr.is Railway—Fleetwood Docks — Vale of C rickhowell l way—Crieff and Methvin Junction and Branch Railway— Finchley, Willesden and Acton Railway—Londonderry Improvement—Cheddar Valley and Yalton Railway— Wersum Valley Railway—Pe m broke and Tenby Railway—Wellington an.: Drayton Radway—Helston and Penryn Railway—Lon.don. and North Western Rail way—London, Chatham, an d Dover Ra ilw ay (No. 2)— Shrewsbury and Welchpool Railway—Char ing -cross Rail way—Peeblesshire Roads (No. 2)—Balfast Improvement (No. 2) —Kingston and Eardsley Railway—Southern Railway—Ardrossan. Harbotu—Bolton Improvement— Great Northern Railway (Barnet Branch)—Wallasey Embankment—Llanelly Harbour Improvement—Maccles field, Bollingtott , a nd Maple Railway—Walford and Edge ware Junction Railway. The Lords' Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, Viscount Sydney, and Earl St. Germans. Their lordships adjourned during pleasure. 'The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat upon the woolsack at the usual hour. PERILS OF RAILWAY TRAVELLING. Lord BROUGHAM called attention to this subject, and said it was exceedingly desirable that some steps should be taken to insist on some arrangement by which the pas sengers in railway carriages should have means of com municating with the guard. On foreign railways the sys tem was universal. He concluded by asking whether the Government intended taking steps to compel railway com panies to effect such a desirable object. Earl GRANVILLE said the subject was engaging the attention of the Government. His experience of foreign railways was, that whilst the guard could communicate with the passengers, the passengers could not communicate with the guard. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time :—Whitby Water—Bourton on the Water Railway—lsle of Wight Water—Hamilton and Streathern and Caledonian Railway —Clyde N a vigation—Bristol Port Extension Railway— Stockport Distrist Water—Blyth and Lyme Railway— Torbay and Brixham Railway—Midland Railway—North London Railway (Additional Powers). PENAL SERV I 1 UDE. The Commons' amendments to this bill were then taken into consideration. The Earl of SHAF TESBURY moved that their lordships insist on their amendments. Clause 4 provided that the ticket of leave man should report himself once a month, but their lordships were of opinion that such an arrangement would be pro ductive of much evil, and accordingly altered the clause so as to make it compulsory upon the ticket-of-leave man to report himself after leaving the prison, and after that as often as might be agreed upon. The bill went back to the Commons, where their lordships' amendment was objected to, and the clause was restored to its original state. H e moved that their lordships insist on their amendment, as he would rather imperil the passing of the bill than agree to such a cruel and unnecessary provision. The result of making a ticket of leave man report himself once a month would in effect be to prevent him ever obtaining honest employment, and under such circumstance the only course open to him was to relapse into crime. He contended that if these unfortunate men were taken by the hand at the proper time it would be the means of making them honest and in dustrious, but if they were thrust back into their old courses, by having to report themselves, as the bill now stood, evil, and not good, would be the result. The Earl of CARNARVON supported the amendments of the Commons. Earl GRANVILLE said that he thought there would be great danger of losing the bill if their lordships insisted upon their amendments. He should therefore reoommend them to accept the measure in the form in which it had come up from the Lower House. Lord HOUGHTON should prefer the bill to be lost rather than that it should be carried with this objectionable provielou. The Earl of LICHFIELD objected to the indiscriminate application of the system of supervision provided by the clause to all criminals coming out of a convict prison. He did not think that police supervision over the discharged convict had succeeded in Ireland—it had certainly failed in France. Ile would rather the bill should be lost than that such a clumsy piece of legislation as that embodied in the present clause should be adopted under the name of police supervision. The house then divided upon the question whether they should insist on their amendments from which the Com mons had disagreed. There were— Contents Non -contents Majority The Commons' amendments were therefore agreed to. THE PUBLIC AND REFRESHMENT HOUSES BILL. This bill was read a third time. On the question that the bill should pass. The Earl of DONOUGIIMO RE moved an amendment far the purpose of rendering the application of the bill com pulsory throughout the country. If it was good for the metropolis it must be good for other places. Earl GRANVILLE opposed the amendment. The house divided, when there were— Contents • 44 Non-contents Majority The amendment was therefore rejected. The bill was then passld. The Railways (Ireland) Acts Amendment Bill and the Drainage and Improvement of Land (Ireland) Bill were read a second time. THE FACTORY ACTS EXTENSION BILL. Earl GRANVILLE moved that the house should go into committee on this bill. The Earl of SHAF TESBURY expressed the satisfaction -with which he had witnessed the change which had taken place in public opinion with regard to this I übject since the Ten Hours' Bill passed, He believed that this bill would have the happy effect of affording the protection of the law to more than 100,000 children, and of affording them the opportunity of obtaining a good education. The noble earl then eulogised in high terms the conduct and character of the working classes of the country, adverting especially to the admirable manner in which the Lancashire people had conducted themselves throughout the cotton famine. He believed that the fact that, under so severe a trial, there had been no sedition, nor any disturbance of the peace, was greatly due to the protection which had been given to the people by the passing of the Factory Acts. The bill then passed through committee. The Indemnity Bill passed through committee. The Civil Bill Courts (Ireland) Bill was read a third time and passed. The India Stocks Transfer Act Amendment Bill, and the Defence Act Amendment Bill, passed through committee, The India Office Bl was read a third time and passed. TIIE GOVERNMENT OFFICES. Lard RE DESDALE called the attention of the house to the li ne o f f ro ntage of the new Government offices in Down ing -street and King-street, and asked whether there was any intention to acquire o ther property in that neighbou r . hoed for other offices and the improvement of the approach to the Houses of Parliament. He thought the Government ought to purchase the whole block of houses between George-street and the new Government offices. He wished to know whether it was intended to widen King. street. Earl GRANVILLE eaid it would be requisite to buy the block of buildings between King-street and Parliament street in order to give a decent approach to the new build ings. That purchase was now under the consideration of the Government. The house adjourned at twenty minutes past Seven o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS —Last Evening. The SPEAKER rook the chair at 4 o'clock. NEW MEMBER. M, BEACH took the oaths and his seat onhis elr,ction for East Gloucestershire. ROYAL COMMISSION. Sir A. CLIFFORD, Deputy Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, suramontd the members to the bar of the Upper House to hear the . Royal assent given by commis. sion, to several bills for RlVAwTEhich BUSINESS see Lords' report. P. The following bills were read a third time and passed : Albert Bridge and Approaches —Erith Tramways—Water ford and Limerick, Limerick and Foynes, and Rathkeale and Newcastle Junction R A ilways—Waterford and Wex ford Rai{way and Rosslare Harbour—West London Docks and Warehouses—North Western and Charing-cross Rail way. STANDING ORDERS REVISION. Colonel W. PATTEN moved for a select committee to revise the Standing Orders : —Mr Massey, Lord Stanley, Mr Edward Pleydell Bouverie, Mr Milner Gibson, Mr Sotheron Estc. - .urt, Mr , Gathorne Hardy, Lord Robert Cecil, Mr IrArini Mr Edward Egerton, Mr Scourfield, Mr alssarcl, Mr Adair, 41r Lowe, Colonel French, and Colonel W ilson Patten. Power to send for persons, papers, and records ; Five to be the quorum. The hon. and galls .nt member said that it had been custom ary at the close a f the session to reconsider the standing orders with a view to their improvement, availing themselves of the experience of the session. There were no less than 505 private bills this session to be decided cl firing the session, and it was impcissible to get through them in the com mittees of OA House of Commons so as to enable them t , a be dealt with in the other house in time. Of co urse they had as much right in the House of Lords to have their standing orders adhered to as they had in this Louse in regard to private business. It had been proposed to have a tribunal external to this house to deal with the facts of any private bills, and to have the merits .considered by a committee of the house. He did not feel, when this proposition was made, that he could accede to it. A proposal had also been made to reduce the number of members of committees to two. He was also opposed to that proposal, because he thought it would disturb public confidence in the decisions of com mittees. He thought it would be advisable to have the number of committees reduced from five to four, and to give the chairman a double vote in cases of difficulty. Sir J. SHELLEY said he thought more time should be given to consider this question. He gave notice that to morrow he would move that the hon. baronet, the member for Eversham (Sir H. Willoughby), and the hon. and learned member for the Tower Hamlets (Mr Ayrton) be added to the committee. Sir L. PALK drew attention to the unnecessary number of witnesses that were called to prove a particular point, notwithstanding Cae intimation of the committee that they were satisfied with reference to that point. The reply vir tually of counsel was that the committee would take the conduct of the bills into their hands. He thought that this subjcet should be one of the subjects on which the commit'tee proposed should decide, After some remarks from Sir J, FERGITSSOIi and Mr AXIITON, Mr M. GIBSON said he thought this question should be referred to the select committee of standing orders. Mr HODGSON and Mr WHALLEY made a few observa tions. Lord STANLEY advocated the subject being referred to a select committee, and he considered that reducing the number of members of a committee to three would give the members greater responsibility, and be attended with benefit. There was no necessity for any new regulation relative to the admission of a number of witnesses to particular points, as that power was vested in committees. He contended that the real remedy to meet an evil which was manifest in regard to private bill legislation, was to extend the hours in the day on which committees sat, which at present were about three hours and a half. Lord E. HOWARD drew attention to the hardships inflicted in certain districts by bills being promoted for railways which it was never intended to construct, but which were intended merely to embarrass landed proprietors in the neighbourhood. Lord R. CECIL said that a committee of the house should have the power to impose costs in the event of frivolous objections beingade to an undertaking. Mr MASSEY Agreed with the noble lord (Lord R. Cecil) as regarded the infliction of costs, and he thought the ex periment by the hon. and gallant member (Col. W. Patten) was entitled to an experiment, although he saw serious dif ficulties in dealing with the subject. He thought the house should have sufficient confidence in the standing orders committee to allow the subject to be referred to that tribunal, in order that a national scheme might be agreed on, which from the zeal and intelligence of this committee might be expected to obtain the sanction of the house. Mr SOTHERN ESTCOURT wished his name to be withdrawn from the committee, which was agreed to. PRIVATE BILL REFEREES. On the motion of Col. W. PATTEN, that it was expe dient that referees should be constituted under the autho• rity of this house for the more speedy and econo mical decision of certain questions of fact com monly arising in the proceedings upon private bills, the resolution was ordered to be an instruction to the Standing Orders Commitee. CAPTAIN DE BURGH. Mr HANBURY asked the Under Secretary of State for War, whether Captain Da Burgh should be allowed to command the Uxbridge Yeomanry Cavalry when charges which are preferred against him are still unsettled ; and whether the order for the annual assembling of the yeomanry can be countermanded until the matters pending be cleared up ? The Marquis of HARTINGTON explained that Captain Do Burgh had satisfied the Lord Lieutenant of the county in reference to the complaints made of him. NEW ZEALAND LOAN BILL. On the order for reading the New Zealand Guarantee of Loan Bill a second time, Mr A. MILLS moved as an amendment that the bill be read a second time that day three months. The hon. mem ber said that he had good authority for asserting that, if the present war lasted until the month of April next, it would cost the English taxpayer not less than a million and a half sterling in the course of the year, It further ap peared that Mr Ward, the agent for the colony, and the negotiator of the proposed loan, had frankly confessed that ho had no power to bind the New Zealand Legislature, either in respect of the repayment of the loan or the con tribution of the colony towards the military expenditure. The question then was, whether the House of Commons ought, under these circumstances, to guarantee this million loan. It was said that the revenue of New Zealand amounted to £700,000 a year, and that nine tenths of it were derived from customs. If that were so, why did they not go into the open market and raise a loan, without coming in forma pauperis and asking for a guarantee from Parliament, of whose interference they were always so jealous, in order to enable them to carry on a war with reference to the righteousness of which the people of Eng land had serious misgivings; and the real cause of which lay in the greed of the colonists for the acquisition of land. He hoped the house would n.'et consent to a guarantee, the consequence of which rar e st be to impose upon the mother country a heavy burden and check that spirit of self reliance and national 'vigour which our colonel communi ties could only, realise when they had been brought to the convictioe,. that the burden must be shared by those who claimPed and enjoyed the privileges of freedom. 'rhe CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the proposal had been carefully considered by the Government from a financial point of view, and there could be no doubt as to the solvency of the colony and its disposition to fulfil its engagements. The policy of the war had been approved by the Imperial Government, and we could not, therefore, justly throw the expense exclusively upon the colony. New Zealand was the first of our colo nial possessions that had made any large contribution to wards the cost of a war—and the inducements to the Go vernment to take part in the loan were, that one-half the amount would go immediately into the Imperial Exchequer to pay off existing debts, and that a great improvement would be effected in the future regulations of the charge for military assistance. Mr WHITESIDE contended that in asking Parliament to guarantee the loan, the Government were bound to ex plain their policy, and state whether the war was to be con tinned to maintain the honour of the country, or if it was in tended to exterminate the natives and distribute their lands amongst those who were engaged in the accomplishment of that object. Mr ROEBUCK reiterated his well-known and oft-ex pressed views with respect to the natural repugnance exist ing between the white and the brown races, and the inevit able disappearance of the latter before the advancing tide of civilisation, the cupidity of the whites, and the introduction of those potent agents of Christian colonisation, fire-water and 'tobacco. If we persisted in the endeavour to maintain the colony of New Zealand we were also bound to guarantee this loan and face the direful necessity which had now come upon us of utterly exterminating the natives—for it was quite impossible that the European and the Maori could exist side by side with each other. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY objected to the house mixing itself up with the financial transactions of New Zealand, and observed that he understood the gentleman who had negotiated the loan was connected with a local government that was no longer in power. The amendment was also supported by Mr ArrovN. Sir S. NORTHCOTE hoped, if the loan were agreed to, I that the mother country would be set free from the system of making advances to New Zealand out of the Treasury chest. He would like to know what 'exertions the colonists themselves had made in their own behalf for the services of the war. Mr CARDWELL said he could not subscribe to the ideas of Mr Roebuck on colonisation. So far as the Mum ice were concerned, he thought they were an example that the brown man need not necessarily disappear before the white. As to the efforts which the colonists had put forth in their own defence, in the first plaee the entire male population of the province of Auckland capable of bearing arms had abandoned the profitable pursuits of industry to defend their homes against the natives ; and, in the next place, the New Zealand Assembly had agreed to raise 5,000 military settlers in that province, and to obtain a loan of three millions for the purpose upon the guarantee of the Imperial Parliament. This proposal had come recommended by the approval of th e governor. accompanied by the statement that the colonists had made all the exertions that could be expected rom them. Of this amount the Government had consented to ask the Imperial guarantee of one million, and they did so after having satisfied themselves that the security was ample and indisputable. Mr ADDERLEY thought that, on the whole, the pro position s e howev er w , as cu e which the house might fairly sanction. i wasreag l a to rd g e e d th a e s r a e p x r c e e e p e t d io e n n a t. bl T e, he an co d lon h y e trusted it w le id not be t v:a k s en pe e r v fe e e r t y plysooslsibvenlet,parneedaudon theG, over nment seemed to have by providing a sinking fund, to prevent ultimate loss to the Imperial treasury. Sir J. TRELAWNY considered that it was her Ma jesty's Ministers, and not the colony, who were at fault for the present state of things; and he held that it was an un dignified course on their part to make war against the natives simply because one or two officers and a company of men had been led into an arabresh and attacked. He hoped the house would reject the bill, The debate was continued by Mr J. B. Smith, Colonel Sykes, Mr Whalley (who attributed the New Zealand TEE SUN, LONDON, . FRID►AY EVENING, JULY 15, 1864. troubles to the action of the Roman Catholic priests), and Mr C. Fortescue. Mr COBDEN observed that, stated shortly, the question was this—We had a debtor owing £500,000, and he said to his creditor, " My credit is not very good in the City ; but if you will endorse my bill for a million, I shall be able to discount it in the City upon your credit, and will then pay you your £500,000." But what interest had the English people, who were to provide the guarantee in this matter ? In an economical sense the New Zealand colonists were immeasurably above the population of Great Britain; yet the latter were asked to bear the expenses of a war carried on in the colony ; and for what object ? According to the member for Sheffield, who, presuming on a long career of eccentricity, had uttered sentiments which were more fitted for a Parliament of Thugs, it was the extermination of the native race. But the real object was the acquisition of land by the colonists; for the price of wool was enormously high, and sheep pasturage was very profitable. The English Parliament, however, had parted with all sovereignty and jurisdiction over the lands of New Zealand, and could not dispose of a single acre of them. As to the boasted revenue of the colony, it was made up chiefly of customs dues on imports, the operation of which was to fetter our trade. In fact, the trade was a factitious one and thinking the time was come when the Imperial Parliament ought to take another course with reference to these colonial matters, he should vote for the amendment. Sir J. HAY also opposed the bill. Lord STANLEY objected to the guarantee, because it was proposed in the worst and most indefensible form. If the house gave any assistance to New Zealand it had better be done by paying down hard cash. They would then know what they were parting with. But in this case the responsibility which the country incurred was totally out of proportion to the assistance given. Sir J. FERGUSSON protested against the doctrine laid down by some of the opponents of the bill, as calculated to sever all connection between the mother country and her colonies. _ _ _ Lord PALMERSTON said the land question had no thing whatever to do with the present war,and argued that the security offered by the colony was ample. Moreover, he thought it was only just to guarantee the loan, for if it were raised in the open market the colonists would have to pay 7 or 8 per cent., instead of a considerably lower rate. In answer to Major STUART, Mr CARDWELL said that a clause would be intro duced into the bill making the advance of the loan by the Imperial Treasury, conditional upon the acceptance ty the New Zealand Legislature of the terms upon which the amount was to be guaranteed. On a division the bill was read a second time by 92 to 55. —Pembroke Castle—the word Wales had an unfortunate "h" in it. The scholars in some of the schools in the neighbourhood exhibited frocks, shirts, shifts, and other articles, showing that needlework is not neglected in the useful education they are receiving. Some of the exhibitors were of exceedingly tender years, even as low as 6 and 7. Taking the multifarious nature of the collection into consi deration, it is certain that the exhibitors in all classes de serve the encouragement they met with yesterday, liberal as it was. The Prince of Wales, attended by Lord Alfred Hervey and Capt, Grey, left Waterloo station yesterday afternoon at 2 40, by the ordinary passenger train, to which a royal saloon carriage was attached. On arriving at the Home Park his royal highness was received with great joy by the people assembled, though they were much disappointed at finding that the Princess of Wales was absent. The prince was conducted to a pavilion placed in an enclosure, within which were seated many ladies and gentlemen, subscribers to the association, and others, and without which were standing a far more numerous assemblage, who had paid a smaller sum for admission than was required of those who occupied the inner circle. The prince entered the enclosure by the eastern entrance, where he was met by Col. Sir C. B, Phipps,, Major-Gen. Seymour, the Mayor of Windsor, and the committee of the association, and, passing through the dining tents, at once proceeded to the pavilion, where he was supported by Lord Alfred Hervey, Viscounl Kirkaldy, Col, Sir C. B. Phipps, Major-Gen. Seymour, the Dean of Windsor, Col. Ponsonby, Lieut.-Col. Koppel, Col. R. H. Vyse and Mr Vansittart (the members for the borough), the Rev Seymour Neville, Mr T. Cleave (the mayor), Mr Alderman Blunt, and other gentlemen. The proceedings commenced by Mr H, Wrench, one of the numerous hon. secretaries, reading a report of the committee for the past year, which gave a very satisfactory account of the hopes and prospects of the society, and stated that the sum now apportioned for prizes was the same as during the last three or four years, namely, £200; and also stated that since the commencement of the institu tion in 1850 the total number of persons rewarded was 2,684. No less than 114 persons belonging to the first six classes received rewards for such virtues as are generally recog nised by agricultural societies, and rewards were plentilnl enough to those who had distinguished themselves by their needlework and handicraft and by their vegetable produc tions. The amount distributed was thus apportioned—First class, £l6l 15s ; needlework, £ll Os 6d; vegetables, £lolls 6d ; and handicraft, £9 5s 6d. Certificates, enclosed in a neat frame and ready for hanging in the homes of those to whom they were apportioned, were also distributed by the Prince. These certificates consisted of a large card, oa which was a medallion portrait of the Prince Consort, and words stating that they were presented in honour of the royal founder. An additional proof of the interest the Queen takes in the society is shown by the fact, as stated in the report, that the signature at the bottom of each card, " Victoria R," written in a fine bold hand, is the royal autograph, which, of Course, renders the recognition of merit tar more precious to its recipient. Mr Wrench also read the awards of the judges and of the committee, which necessarily occupied some time, in consequence of the num ber of persons to whom rewards were distributed ; but in about an hour from the commencement the proceedings were concluded, and the prince proceeded to inspect the con.ten , s of the tents. His Royal Highness soon afterwards left Windsor, travelling by the 5.15 train on the South Western Railway to Waterloo Station. The Scots Fusilier Guards' band played on the ground during the afternoon. In the evening the members and friends of the associa tion dined together at the town-hall, Windsor, under the presidency of Col. the Hon. Sir C. B. Phipps, one of the vice-presidents, The healths of the Queen, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred, the patrons of the association, were drunk with much enthusiasm. The Election of a Common Councilman for the Ward of Cripplegate Within, Yesterday the poll of the freemen, inhabitants of the ward of Cripplegate Within, took place before Mr Alder. man Challis, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., for the election of a commoner to serve in the room of the late Mr B. B. Brown, deceased. As we stated yesterday, the candidates were Mr W. Clements and Mr A. Grant. both well known as men of position and long residence in the ward, and consequently the voting was very spirited on both sides, the candidates not varying in closeness of numbers more than four at any period of the pulling. Of the 180 voters upon the autho rised ward list 107 recorded their votes, and at 4 o'clock, when the poll closed, the Alderman declared the numbers to be— For Mr Clements 55 For Mr Grant Maj6rity for Mr Clements Alderman CHALLIS then declued Mr William Clements duly elected to serve as one of the representatives of the ward in the Court of Common Council for the remainder of the present civic year. Both the newly elected representative and Mr Grant having thanked the numerous electors present for the sup port they had respectively received, Mr CLEMENTS proposed, and Mr GRANT seconde d, a vote of thanks to the worthy alderman for the ability and courtesy he had displayed in presiding over the wardmote, which the Alderman briefly acknowledged, commenting upon the kindly manner in which the contest—one of the severest he ever remembered—had been conducted. Great Excitement in the Iron Trade, Reduction in Prices. There was immense excitement amongst the makers, sellers, and buyers of iron from all parts of the Ivngdon yesterday in Birmingham. It was the day for the quarterly meeting of ironmasters to be held in that town. At the pre liminary meeting of the trade held a fortnight ago in the same district, it was stated that the prices at which iron should be sold by the leading firms should be those which have ruled for some months past, and which are in the pro portion of £9 10s for bars. At the preliminary meeting, however, Mr W. D. Forster, M.P. for South Staff ,rdshire, objected to the decision, and said he would not be ruled by it, but promised that he would not take any contrary action until quarter day (yesterday). Yesterday, however, ho came to the meeting and said he had reduced his prices 20s per ton. Loud complaints and protestations of unfairness followed from other masters, who were thus compelled also to reduce. Iron is therefore down £1 per ton. And this is so without there being any probability of wages being brought down at the finished iron works. Hitherto the prico of finished iron has been understood to depend upon wages- It was forced up when masters were beaten in a strike with their puddlers about 18 months ago, and prices have been advanced with every additional rise. Now, however, tbere is a reduction without any arrangement as to wages. Indeed it is understood that wages are not to be affected by this change, for the trade is not prepared to stand together and demand that the men shall accept lower wages or be locked out; and it is well known that no individual firm is strong enough to reduce their own men while the union of the workmen exists. Masters will now therefore be selling iron at 20s a ton under the prices which they have hitherto oh tained,'without being able themselves to secure any set off in the way of labour or cost of material, excepting to the extent to which Shropshire pigs are used, and that is very limited. Buying was checked yesterday by the suddenness of the alteration in prices, merchants and consumers imagining that even better terms may be obtained by negotiation. Painful Suicide in Wellington-street, Strand, INQUESr, Yesterday morning Mr W. J. Payn e, coroner for the duchy of Lancaster, held an inquiry at the White Hart Tavern, Strand, respecti n g the death of Mr John Bryant, age,. 61 years, w ho committed suicide under very painful circumstances : William Pratt, porter, said that deceased was a cataloguer of books at Messrs, Sotheby and Co.'s, 13, Wellington st reet, Strand, Witness had known him in the establish. ment for 18 or 20 years. He was not in any difficulty at his employers. For the last few weeks he had been very strange in his manner, apparently in consequence of the receipt of a letter from his wife, who was in Colney Hatch Asylum. He was very reserved, and he never stated to witness wha his grief arose from. On Monday a fternoon witness found him in the closet on his kaess. The place was covered with blood. Witness lifted him lip, and found th at his throat was cut. He was quite dead, but still warm. All the arteries of his throat were divided. Witness found a razor in the pan. He had no quarrel with any one—he was quite in a distinct department from the porters. Money matters were not wrong, so far as witness knew. Witness did not know whether deceased was related to his wife be. fore marriage. Deceased used to speak strongly against suicide, and say that no one but a fool would kill hi mse lf. Mr. E. R. Hodge said that h e was one of the firm o f Sotheby and Co. Deceased wa s strange latterly. He spoke to witness abut domestic troubl es. Two or t h ree years ago he mentioned his wi . e having g iven way to intemperance, and his own unhappiness in consequence. She was then living with him. He suff3red more acutely latterly, and he told witness that his wife had attempted to drown herself. Witness believed the statement was incorrect that she had been removed to an asylum. His conduct was correct in his business. He wan of sober habits. Mr James S. Bryamt, No. 362, Gray's-inn-road, said that deceased lived with him. Deceased was in a state of great excitement on Sunday. li e b a d given Mrs Bryant money on the Saturday, and he was irritated at none being in her possession on the Sunday. He never threatened to destroy himself. He always. spoke strongly against suicide. It was not in consequence of his w ife's attempt that he spoke against suicide. The razor produced belonged to deceased. Deceased told witness that he had asked the firm for an ad vance of £2O. Witness did not know whether he had been refused it. Mr Hodge said that the deceased applied for the advance, but he received £2 of the amount on the Saturday to pay s his income tax. He said that would he sufficient for a few days. He spoke of being in pecuniary difficulties on ae• count of his wife's infirmity. After other evidence, The Coroner summed up, and remarked that generally he found that persons who expressed strong feelings against suicide were generally more likely than others to destroy their lived. Thd Jury returned a verdict of " Suicide while in a state of unsound mind." SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS, TlMES.—There is a Zealand in the northern hemisphere, and a Zealand in the southern; New Zealand we call it, but no doubt it is a namesake of the northern, Both are islands, and both are occu pied by bra'rc and proud races, apt to take a high ground, and well able to defend a moderate one. The mention of the former just now is painfully suggestive. We have had to leave it in the lurch. We have made a good defence, it is true. They were wilful and obstinate. Finding a difficulty in their Way, they attempted to ride through it, and break the fence that would not part or bend. But unfortunately the small people that was to reap all this glory could only hope to succeed by our amis• tance, at our risk and our cost, and in a cause upon which We had tendered our counsels in vain. So, upon counting the cost we declined to enter on an interminable and unprofitable struggle that did not even promise us the pleasure of doing things as we might think best. Not altogether without loss of credit, we backed out of the affair. We have not been so fortunate iu the other hemisphere with the other Zealand. There, too, we have to play second fiddle to a Colonial Legislature; there, too, we have to find all the ships, all the men, all the money— everything, in fact, with the single reserve that we are not to be allowed a voice in the conduct of affairs. We are to maintain an army, which we have seen put at 10,000 men, and a fleet, both provided with the best new rifled guns and muskets, and subsisted at the cost of several thousand pounds a day, with out having even the chance of being listened to a moment either as to the conduct of the war or as to our dealings with the natives. All that we know and that we learn, especially from the last mail, is that we are driving the savages from one resting point to another, that we are doing our work with that weapon which strikes down women and children even before it touches the fighting men—starvation, and that meanwhile we are acquiring no glory, not even the very small glory to be picked up by clearing off savages with courage and skill. We are out-generalled, we are surprised ; we fall into ambuscades ; we ace beaten at a stand-up fight; a whole regiment is put to the rout, and its offers shot down while trying in vain to rally their men ; after thundering for hours against wooden stockades, our men are scared and paralysed by terrific yells. We are not even al lowed the opportunity of retrieving our disgrace, for the enemy escape in the night. Upon counting heade, with more than a hundred killed and wounded on our side, we cannot hope to have dis abled more than forty of the foe. So we have to content ourselves with the beggarly consolation that, though we are killing the natives slowly, they are only 60,000 ; and that though we don't shoot many, yet famine and disease are doing our work, and we shall eventually succeed in exterminating a brave and high-spirited race. The disaster at Gate Pah tells its own story. All went on well till the troops, having forced several lines of defence, and fancying resistance was at an end, suddenly found themselves exposed to a deadly fire from all sides, and from the very ground below their feet, besides a hand-to-hand encounter, in which they had to meet tomahawks as well as they could with the bayonet. Even when they had recovered from the first surprise they were still at a disadvantage in their firearms, the Maoriesltiaving double barrelled smooth bores, and the British soldier the Enfield rifle, certainly not intended for close quarters. As every inch of the ground was very cleverly laid out for this occasion, and the defenders had pro bably fallen back only to draw the assailants into this fiery furnace, we must not be too hard on the soldiers, who on'y did what the bravest and best soldiers have done before—retreat from a position in which they could only fail. If the 43d Regiment retired too soon--and it cer talnly did retire without waiting for orders or con sulting even the safety of its officers—it did not retire without first suffering terrible loss. The officers fell, because no doubt they were picked off from loopholes; and while they were doing their best to rally and reanimate their men, their fate added to the general discouragement. We must not, then, be hard on men who did their duty up to the very loophole of the hidden foe, the very mouth of the rifiepit, and the very swing of several hundred tomahawks. One thing, however, is too evident. While the officers did their duty as they will do, almost equally in the best and worst of causes, the soldiers had not the enthusiasm which drives a mart into the very jaws of death, and keeps him there. They bad no wish to be shot down, riddled, or hacked and hewn into pieces— for what ? For the glory of Old England ? For the protection of their altars and hearths, their wives and families? For vengeance? For justice and mercy ? No, for none of these things, but just to clear off some poor fellows from their own native land, and obtain the title clear of incumbrances for the speculators at Auckland. That the case of these specu store, end of the colonists who want land and can't get it, is very hard, we doubt not ; but hard es their case is, it is stiil harder to die for it, par ticularly when they are in no hurry to die for it themselves, or even to pay other people to die for it. The disaster betrays, what we have other means of knowing, that the soldiers we land in New Zealand are in one respect seriously " demoralised," as a military critic would express it. They have their own opinion upon the war and have lost all faith in its justice and wisdom. They dont like shoot ing down savages upon their own lard. It has been repeatedly stated by soldiers that the most hateful work they were ever employed on was collecting tithes, levying distresses, and supporting other legal processes upon the hien peasantry. That is the feel ing which now pervades the British forces in New Zealand. They don't like the work, and therefore they don't do it as well as they would if their hearts were in it. It may be something to fight for—what is not ?—but it is not a thing to die for. If the colonists want the land, let them fight for it and die for it. They clan do so with some reason. Their blood is up. They have lost houses and land, cattle and everything. Many, we fear, have lost relatives and servants. It is a good cause in their case, and to their colonial apprehension. Bat it is a very sordid, very coldblooded affair for the British sol dier, who knows only what he sees. If, then, the war is to proceed with any hopes of success, the colonists must take it more in hard than they have done hith e rt o , b o th b y r i s king their awn persons and by dividing the coat. Post—We are anxiously expecting the details of the truce arranged between Denmark and the Allied German Powers. In other words, we shall be interested to learn the extent of the concessions which the former Power has made. We have little doubt that they will be far less advantageous to Denmark than those proposed at the London Con ference, and we at all events may learn the useful lesson of abstaining for the future from the thank less task of peacemaking between belligerents who were from the outset determined to settle their quarrel their own way. -The accession of Count Moltke and the reactionary party to power was sig nificant of peace crisis. The departure of Prince John for Berlin gave rise to rumours that he bad proposed to Prussia the annexation of Holstein and the lower part of Schleswig. There is every reason to believe such was the case, but that, however strongiy inclined Count Bismarck may have been to accept so tempting an offer, the obstacles in the way of a solution so purely Prussian were too for midable even for that skilful politician to overcome. This proposal, however, did not emanate from the present Government, who are reported to have con ceived the idea of entering the German Confedera tion with the two Duchies one and indivisible, upon conditions apparently so favourable to many that they have formed the basis of overtures for peace. Unfortunately it does not rest with Denmark and Germany alone to settle this question as they may think best. The Emperor Napoleon has maintained hitherto an attitude of remarkable reserve, but we can scarcely suppose he will permit the accession of a whole monarchy to the German Federation with out either exacting a compensation or objecting to the proposed scheme in toto. It is not likely, more over, that Russia anticipated this denouement when she promised the Allied German Powers her cordial co-operation and support. At the same time she is too deeply committed to the Holy Alliance to back out of her engagements, and may reconcile herself more easily to the prospect of an increased Federal Germany than to the only other alternative which would seem possible, that of a Scandanavia. In fact, Russia would prefer to see Denmark united under Oldenburg under the most favourable conditions possible to the kingdom, but as she cannot gain her point, she will be better satisfied with the German than with the French solution. We may consider, then, that any terms which Germany may make with Denmark Russia will agree to, and that she considers the greatest danger to her power to be, not the addition to the German Federation, but those European ideas and tendencies which have been alluded to by Bismarck as the justification of t he renewal of the Holy Alliance. Nobody can folloz the remarks made upon the documents latelyphu ls listed without arriving at the conviction, whic by degrees becoming more firmy esteblished abroad, of their genuin eness. From one end of E urope to the other their publication has produced an excite ment which has not yet subsided, and which has called forth the most frantic denials on the part of THE WAR IN DENMARK. On the order for supply, Mr GRIFFITH drew attention to the rumour that the Prussians had demanded, as the conditions of making peace, the payment by Denmark of £11,G00,000 sterling, and the surrender of the Danish fleet ; and inquired whether her Majesty's Ministers were disposed to regard the latter por tion of the demand with indifference. _ _ Lord PALMERSTON replied that no information of so monstrous a proposition having been made had reached the Government. Mr S. FITZGERALD asked whether the house was to understand that Ministers had received no information of an armistice having been concluded, and that negotiations for peace were gc ing on. Lord PALMERSTON had reason to believe that pro. posals for an armistice had been made, but was not aware that they had been concluded. The house then went into committee of supply, and agreed to the votes for the National and Portrait Galleries. In committee of the whole house the Marquis of HAR TINGTON moved resolutions providing a further sum of £650,000 for the construction of works for the defence of the dockyards and arsenals, and the ports of Dover and Portland, and the creation of a central arsenal, to be charged upon the Consolidated Fund, the Commissioners of the Treasury being authorised to raise the amount by annui ties for 30 years, The resolutions were agreed to. The Bleaching and Dyeing Works ;tots Extension Bill passed through committee. Several bills were also advanced a stage, and The house was co out at half-past 2 o'clock. ri h e Late Prince Consort's Windsor Association, After a lapse of two years, during which no distribution of prizes in connection with this association has taken place, those whom the Prince Consort designed to benefit by the operations of the society, and over whose welfare he so kindly watched, were again called together yesterday after noon, under the shadow of Windsor Castle, to receive at the hands of the Prince of Wales those rewards which they had earned by their industry, frugality, or ingenuity, and which will no doubt urge the recipients to compete for fur ther prizes in coming years, and to endeavour, if possible, better to deserve them. The association, which originated in 1850 from a desire of the Prince Consort to encourage the cottagers in and around Windsor, and to bestow some mark of approbation on those housewives in humble stations who best fulfi lied their duties by keeping their cottages as dem and tidy as circumstances would allow, moon enlarged its field of operations, and gradually hocame the means of en- eouraging and rewarding agricultural labourers, handi craftsmen, and others who were found worthy of material marks of approbation. The various aims and objects com• prised within the scope of ordinary agricultural societies are included in the sphere of operations of the Windsor Asso ciation, which also encourages an exhibition of horticultural productions, of specimens of art and skill manufactured by cottagers and others in their leisure hours, and in fact holds out a helping hand in all directions, so that no persons in humble life living within a tolerably extensive circuit of Windsor Castle need fear that any remarkable virtue they may possess will be overlooked, nor that any skill or talent the; may exhibit will remain unrecognised. Though the association lost its beneficent prop and sup porter, and doubts were entertained as to the successful prosecutisn of its objects, it was wisely resolved that a society which had been started under such favourable auspices, and which had been the means of conferring such benefit on Windsor itself, and on so many of the parishes round it, should be maintained; and, encouraged by the direct sanction of the Queen, the committee resolved to pursue its useful labours and to further strengthen and support the society. The gratifying show of yesterday, and the presence of the Prince of Wales, who graciously distri buted the prizes to those who had gained them, must have been gratifying to the gentlemen who have been the means of keeping the association together and maintaining its efficie,Ficy. Like as with all other English institutions which deserve to prosper, the proceedings of yesterday commenced with a dinner to the exhibitors about to be rewarded. To this feast no less than 247 were founded to b 9 eligible, and they certainly proved themselves to be capable of appreciating such substantial rewards as were set before them. This exceedingly satisfactory commencement of the events of the day took place in one of the Queen's tents, erected on that Dart of the Home Park lying between the South- Western Railway Station and the Castle, and on the same spot were also erected a number of other tents kindly lent for the occasion from the royal stores, and others of larger dimensions which had been procured for the better display of the objects sent for exhibition, One tont was filled with choice flowers contributed, though not for competition, by Mr Turner, of Slough; Mr Ingram, of the royal gardens at Frogmore ; Mr Drake, of Amersham ; the Rev. J. L. Joynes, of Eton College ; the Rev. W. Carter of the same institution; Colonel Challoner of Portuall Park, and others. Though, as has been stated, these flowers were not for competition they were the subjects of much competition in others, for their great beauty and brilliancy caused the large tent in which they were exhibited to be filled through out the greater part of the afternoon to such a degree as to render locomotion and circulation exceedingly difficulty and only to be attained after some exertion and display of patience. Another tent was devoted ft the display of horticultural productions of less pretending but not loss satisfactory character, for the size and perfection of the vegetables and fruit displan;'s in it by the cottagers and others were sufficie::6 to prove that the allottnents and gardens in svi'L s o the trophies had been produced had been careful'; and skilfully cultivated. In a third tent was dis- P i .syed an exceedingly :nultifarious collection under the I heads of "Needlework" and " Handicraft," and here, with out doubt, was the most interesting part of the display. It seems likely and proper enough-for gardoners,farm labourers and even sewermen (of which class was one of the exhibitors) to produce prodigious potatoes, Brobdignagian beans, colossal, and such like edibles ; but when one finds that among the articles properly classed as needlework some half dozen of her Majesty's household troops are Competitors ; when an interesting young footman, aged 20, exhibits a child's frock "made in leisure hours ;" when a coachmaker's labourer occupies his spare time in the production of a similar article; and when, amongst a miscellaneous collec tion, one finds that a coalheaver shows a pair of boots of his own manufacture, and that a soldier exhibits several pin cushions, the thought will arise that some of these worthy people have -missed their voca , ions, though great credit must undoubtedly be given to them for the skill displayed. One man of the Coldstreams exhibits a patchwork quilt, and another a table-cover made in a similar manner; while a third, belonging to the Scots Fusiliers, proudly displayed a complete pair of trousers made of small pieces of red and white cloth cut diamond shape, after the fashion of the border round his undress cap. He was not so fortunate as his comrades in obtaining a prize, but his ingenuity, and perhaps, his workmanship, was worthy of such a reward. A footman and gardener showed that his mind was concentrated on his business by the production of a vermin-trap, and a tray for silver, divided into compartments. A smith ex hibited a table, and a pair of snuff-boxes made from the wood of Rerne's oak, A juvenile scholar of Eton, aged 11, intimated, by showing the model of a cannon, that at no die tent day he will contend the palm with our Arsastrongs and Whitworths ; and a future Turner, thoush now a watchmaker, evidenced his taste in colour by the ea hibition o, two oil paintings, though he did not prove that b.e could pass an examination for the civil service, but ra the: the contrary, as (II the ticket describing one of his psr,i auctions the Prussian official press. Did not the German public know the value of those denials they would cease to canvass the authenticity of despatches of such vital importance to their liberties ; but they are too conversant with all the conditions before tnem to allow themselves to be for one instant de luded into the idea of giving the slightest weight to an official dental on such a subject. They ask with perfect reason what other course was left to Bis marck but to deny his own despatches; had he ac knowledged their authenticity nothing could have prevented that European war which he is so de. sirous to anticipate by the league he has formed, but which is still impending. The Emperor could not in the face of Europe and of his own subjects have submitted tamely to the consolidation of a combination proclaimed by Bismarck in one of his letters to be specially directed against him self. How could the Prussian Minister admit that he e:,l"ote that despatch and yet expect to keep ' --o evils he cho se the least ; nor the peace ? Or ti.. the history of diplomacy will it be the first time in a c ct to avert the that a statesman has denied a 5..7 as France disasters disasters of a war ;— for such a was . might wage with Prussia upon the strengte. of those despatches could not fail at the present moment to be most disastrous. Just as it is a great advantage for a Government to dissolve Par liament upon some popular cry with which to go to the country, so the Emperor would have appealed to Europe with the despatches in his hand in which the authors admit they have deter mined to destroy its liberties. What other course was left for Bismarck but to deny them 1 1 Federal Germany appreciates the dilemma he was in, but is none the less watchful or alarmed. The Prussian official press strives in vain to restore confidence, and the very energy of its efforts proves how inopportune our revelation has been, and how seriously it has impeded the prosecution of the Prussian policy. There can be no doubt that it will compel Bismarck to make concessions to Liberal Germany which he would not have thought of had he not felt the necessity of lulling their suspicions and making some amends for the conspiracyof which he has been convicted against their liberties. We may hope, then, that we have done good service to the cause of Liberty, and it shall not be oar fault if we do not do more. So far from being deterred, either by the denials of the Prussian Minister, or the abuse which has been abundantly lavished upon us by his official journals, we shall hope ere long to publish some further despatches of a still more re cent date. We are perfectly prepared to enter with the Prussian Minister upon a contest of assertion and denial, but we would• beg him to bear in mind that when at last his denials prove valueless, he will not have improved his position by persisting in them. Meanwhile we have waited in vain for any repudiation on the part of the Russian Government. In reply to a question by Mr. A. Seymour, a few nights ago, Mr. Layard said the Government knew nothing about them, th er eby admitting that they had never been denied. We have no doubt that if Mr. Layard will refer to a despatch from Lord Napier, dated some time about the middle of Feb • ruary, he will find mention made of one of the despatches alluded to by Prince Gortschkoff. It is now quite clear that, so far as England is concerned, no fear of our opposition to a Holy Alliance influenced those who were engaged in renewing it. The effect of the Government majority the other night would have dispelled any such alarm had it existed, and the impression which, until then, had only been gaining ground, has now become a fixed idea, which may at any moment prove erroneous, that no Continental question, no alliance of the strong against the weak, or of despotism ga lust liberty, will induce us to take up arms. So far as we are concerned, then, the Holy Alliance may imagine it may proceed with impunity. The reasons that France has hesitated to act in Europe is simply that she conceives herself deprived of an ally upon whom she had depended, and in her struggle against banded despotism she will only be able to count upon the nationalities which are op pressed. It is probable that these are not quite ready and that the train is not yet laid as it should be. Should peace be arranged between Denmark and the Allies, it is possible the struggle may be indefinitely postponed ; but inasmuch as whole nations are intee rested in seeing the war which seems drawing to a close extend over the length and breadth of Europe, we shall not believe in the establishment of a per• manent peace until the changes which may take place in Germany have received the sanction and ar proval of the Emperor Napoleon. HERALD.—That man must be endowed with an almost American credulity who continues to doubt that the independence of the Confederate States is an accomplished reality. If, at the outset, Mr. Seward himself had been asked how long he de manded for the accomplishment of the enterprise hie Government had undertaken, he would cer tainly have been satisfied with a single year; and would have been content to allow that, if at the end of that period the Confederates could still keep the field in Virginia, the European Powers would be entitled to recognise their independence. Three years have almost elapsed since the first defeat of the Federals, and during the whole of that time the Confederates have fought, not as Spain fought against France during the uneasy reign of Joseph Bonaparte, not as the Spanish colonies fought against Spain, not even as our own American colo nies fought against the armies of George 111., but as Russia fought Napoleon in 1815, or as Frederic 11. defen3ed himself against Austria in the Seven Years' War. The war has been waged for the most part on Southern soil ; it has so far not been a war on equal terms, that t he one party has fought for empire and the other only for independence. Ban it has in no way partaken of the character of an insurrectionary as distinguished from an interna tional war. The Confederate Government has, from first to last, held a position of perfect equality with that of the Northern States. It has administered with undisputed authority the affairs of its owe country, and the Federal Government has been un able to exercise any other than a military power there, and that only within the territory covered by its own armies. The State Governments have gone on as regularly as ever; the administration of the civil law is as perfect in the South as in any Euro pean country, and while in the Northern States the necessities of an aggressive war have been held to require the exercise of a militay.authority sisperior to the law, the civil authorities have never been over-ridden by martial law in any Southern district not actually invaded or threatened by the enemy. I'o deny to such a Government the status of inde pendence accorded to Nicaragua or to Greece cer tainly seems the height of absurdity, and this im pression is not weakened when we look to the military operations that have taken place. It is true that at sea the Federals have been able to main tain a decided superiority, and that a blockade, efficient enough to impose very serious difficulties in the way of the export of any bulky commodities, h„,,: been maintained at every port which has at once so -cod a h ar bour and such means of 4. commu nication with .." i • n terior as to be available for but it is also true that the ;gaine,".l a single naval success, commercial Federals havep u o hardlyr p se s an d have sustained several naviii disasters. It is tru e also that they have been able to CeennY several points on the vast extent of Southern coast which are commanded from the s”, and to obtait; the control of a considerable portion of the inland waters of the South. They have also penetrated at various points the long and indefensible frontier line, and pushed their armies far into Southern territory. Bat they have not been able to con quer a single State ; and the chief fruit of three years of warfare, besides the disputed possession of Tennessee, is a wide-spread devastation and a considerable havoc among the labouring popula tion of the South. Hundreds of homes and farms have been destroyed, and thousands of negroes stolen, of whom the majority have perished by disease and neglect ; some towns have been burnt ; two or three, which lie at the mercy of gun• boats, have been occupied; and this is all that has been achieved. The Southern armies have sus. tained no great disaster in th e field ; they have in flicted half a score of the most terrible defeats re corded in history. Their capital, with a sort of bravado, was planted near their most endangered frontier • ar my after army , t o the number of several hundred ' thousands, has been hurled against it, and comp l ete ly s hattered; a q uarter of a million of corpses are manuring the plains of Virginia — and with this result, that Richmond is now stronger than it ever was, and very much safer than both North and South, Wash ington, and that, instead of asking whether Grant can take the city, men, are expecting to hear that Lee has taken Grant's camp, and that a third of the invading army has been left in the hands of the victors. Sherman has followed up the long and cossly march which last year had brought the Federal army of the West to Chattanooga ; ho is not so very far from Atlanta; but white no one fears for Atlanta, all the friends of the North tremble for Sherman and his army. Charleston has been attacked in vain ; and after crushing repulses, the Federal besiegers are driven to amuse themselves by a bombardment which, i.hough it succeed in killing now and then an inno cent child, or murdering a bride at the altar, might be continued for a hundred years without bringing the city any nearer to a surrender. Mobile and Savannah are found unassailable. In Louisiana the Confederates have gained over Banks a victory perhaps the most complete and decisive of the war. The importance of that victory is dwarfed in our eyes by distance from the .eene of our chief inte res t a nd by the gig antic me g . tude of the operations i n Virginia; but it has a very serious bearing on the position of the contending Powers. It has driven the invaders out of Arkang ,, s and crushed them in Louisiana. It has halt cle• stroyed and wholly paralysed a powerful fleet and 4ee, a considerable army. It has released some 20,000 Confederate troops against Sherman's rear. There is no Federal army in Tennessee capable of resisting the light forces which have been sent thither b° the Confederates. Such is the position of affairs after three years of war ; and, looking upon it, does any man who values his reputation for sincerity dare to say that the subjugation of the South is still within the bounds of rational probability Every month of war improves the relative post' tion of the Confederates. The worst is over for them; their severest sufferings have been endured. the period of their extreme depression is closed; they have passed the crisis at which the resources accumulated in peace were completely exhausted,. they are now depending on those which they pro duce, and can continue to produce, in spite of war. They have completely adapted their social, indus trial, and political organisation to their present state, and find themselves able to provide amply for all their needs. Their supplies of food,clothing, ammu nition, and arms are increasing—their losses in war do not appear to be greater than the natural growth of the population can replace, for of the wounded only those who are crippled quit the army, and these take the place of able-booted men in civil oc caurt;:ioanno,,wthheo aornelythprmuesre,anned.:ered available for the At diminution of their force is measured by the number of killed—always a small portion of ti;e butcher's bi. 2 I. The Federals, on the other hand, grove weaker eve:y day, Their army is disbanding itself as the regimee'tB complete their term of service, and they find themselves un able even to replace the retiring veterans . by an equal number of raw recruits. Their curren:l' i 8 sinking with extreme rapidity, and a financial cre. 4B 9 which may occur to-morrow, can hardly be lore; postponed. Their Government shrinks from a conscription, and cannot do without it—discontent. grows every day, and a disaster in the field mighe , shake the power of the President to its foundation. - Under these circumstances, it seems perfectly absurd that the policy of European powers should be influenced by an affectation so palpable as that of uncertainty as to the issue of the war. ND sober politician considers that the independence) of the South has yet to be achieved—it is only it diplomatic dispatches that statesmen speak of the , Confederate States as a merely inchoate nationality; but, unhappily, it is by diplomatic language and not by expressions of personal opinion that Europe can influence the feelings or the conduct of America. If Lord Russell would speak to the Confederate Government as every one speaks of it, he would secure for England a warm and faithful ally, whose friendship would do more than an army of 50,000 men to protect the frontier of Canada. If England and France would speak through their Governments the opinion of their people—if they would accord , to the Government of Richmond that recognition which it has received from the public opinion or Europe—they would do very much to bring the war' to a close, and spare ehe lives of tens of thousands who must otherwise perish before the North will consent to confess itself beaten. The ill-will of the North towards this country is already so bitter that we can hardly exasperate it. The United States would go to war with us now if they dared ; they will not be the more likely to dare it if we prove . our contempt of their menaces by recognising the South. On the other hand, if we wait to recognise the Confederates till we cannot help it we shall have no claim on their friendship and no right to their assistance when the North does find the cow' rage to quarrel with us. Recognition, then, so far from tending to precipitate war, is the best possible guarantee for permanent peace between ourselves and the United States; and if either Parliament or the Administration were capable of a courageous and far-sighted policy, Mr. Lindsay's motion might. have a chance of being carried, and. of rendering material service to the country and to mankind. But to submit such a motion to a house which has just approved Lord Russell's betrayal of Denmark! , and in which the authors of our Polish and Amerie can policy have an obedient majority of eighteen, is simply to invite defeat, to give an advantage to the Northern faction in Parliament, and to comae teract, by an adverse parliamentary vote, whatever effect may be produced by the manifestation of English feeling out of doors, in sympathy with the South and in confident expectation of her complete and speedy triumph. COUNTRY MARKETS. MANCHESTER--THIIRSDAY. A fair attendance at our market to-day, but the business passing was limited, and for both English and foreign wheat an advance of is per qr and ld to 2d per cental was realised. Oats ld per 451 b dearer, and oatmeal dull at for* mer rates. Flour met a slow demand. English beans again advanced 6d tols per qr , Indian corn and Egyptian beans as before. BURTON. ON-TR The usual show of grain at advance of 6d to is on whl other articles unaltered. Old white wheat..42s to 46s I Old red wheat, ...378 to 400 New do. ~ 44s to 48s I New do. ..43s to 45s Malting bar1ey.....32s to 35s I Oats 2ls to 29s Grinding d0.....26s to 30s I Beans . 3ss to 430 ,ENT-THURSDAY. our market, and we quote an eat. Barley rather dull, and BIRMINGHAM-THURSDAY. There was a rather better supply of English wheat at market to-day, and last week's extreme prices is higher. —English wheat was sold .at 40s to 44s for white, and 360 to 42s per 36 stone for red. Barley, new malting, 30s to 38s per qr ; grinding, 24s to 265. Oats, old, 22s to 300 per 30 stone ; Irish, 18s to 245. Beans, 36s to 40s per qr• Peas, 34s to 38s per 36 stone. MONMOUTH—TUESDAY. The local markets have been doing a moderate amount of business during the last six days, and the prices for wheat are maintained. Barley rather dull, at former rates. The average quotations are as follows : Wheat, white 5s 3d to 58 8d 8ar1ey...... 3s 2d to 3s 9a Ditto red .0s Od to Os Od I Oats_.. 2s 2d to 2s 7d EDINBURGH GRAIN—JuLY 13. To. day there was a fair supply of grain, which sold at fully last week's prices. Wheat on the top Os 6d up... average Os 9d up. Barley on the top la 9d down ...average 2s 4d up. Oats on the top Os 6d down.. average Os 3d up. Beans on the top is Od up average 2s 8d up. Avex age Prices. Wheat 42s 5d I Oats. 2ls 10d_ Barley 3os 4d Beans 3Bs 5 d _ Total Supply and Sales. Wheat .. 946 qrs Sold 907 qrs 8ar1ey...,.... 157 qrs Sold 116 qrs Oats Beans lll qrs Sold BO qrs Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. July 19• via Marseilles July 13. Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet. Aug. 4. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena July 2 9 . China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southamptou.July 1 9 via Marseilles ..July 14. Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton July 12. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton July 2 9 ' via Marseilles July Ft' India (Bombay), via Southampton . A ....July --- - via Marseilles Portugal.... ...... Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton July --" via Marseilles N e wfoundland .... . July 20 Op o rto and Vigo .. U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet .... July 1 4. 4 by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packet. July 15. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, I J u ly 14 California. and British Columbia.. [ADVERTISBIKENT.I—HoIIoway's Ointment and QillB.l These admirable medicamen ts are ada p ted to the wants t, all ages, ranks, and classes of the community. Ulceration s, bad legs, and enlargement of the glands should be ftr B , fomentea with warm water and then dressed with this °inv . went. In a few days it will display its cooling and curs , tive powers over the diseased parts when the complaint 1 10 b ecom e chronic, or has weakened the constitution. Ililo' way's pills should be taken while his ointment is used to free the whole body from any taints or foul humours. Both ointment and pills may be employed with the utmost COO denee ; they contain no ingredients which can do t ll° slightest harm, or cause any c h oc k to the most nervous Or delicate. Births. BERESFORD.—At Lypiatt-terrace, Cheltenham, the wife of Captain H. M. Beresford, of a son. Quiz.—On the 12th inst., at Wilmington House. RO C ' the Hon. Mrs. Wyndham Quin, of a son. SEWA.RD.—On the 14th inst., at Penn road Villas, gol loway, the wife of Wm. Seward, Esq., of a son. STEWART.—On the 12th inst., at Richmond, Surrey, tI IG wife of B. Stewart, Esq., of a son. Marriages. BEAVER—RoBstio.—On the 12th inst„ at South Stoke; Hugh Rowland Beaver, Es., to Ma Jane, the eid ea daughter of George Robbin q s, Esq., ry of Midford Castle' Sonaersetshire. MINCHENEA—BRIDGES.—On the 13th inst., at Sant James's, Holloway, Albert, third son of the late Mi nc hener, Esq., of Canon-street west, to Ada Marto% only daughter of the late Sir Brook Bridges, of Priory, Gunstone-park, East Kent. Deaths. BILDWIN.—On the 12th inst., at the Sessions Ilot l° t 7 Clerkeuwell, George Dirnedale Baldwin, EN , DeP,,%l Clerk of the Peace for the county of Middlesex, ob 52. GRINFIELD,—On the 9th inst. , at Brighton, the BA' W. Grinfield, M.A., ag e d 80. Jam lIERNE.—On the 13th i ns t., at Tollington-park, Herne, Esq. !! em IlooKEß.—On the 13th i ns t., at his residence , J. 'D og of 30, Bartlett' s -b u ildi ngs , London, and ldharboi Waddon, near Croydon, Surrey, solicitor, aged 61. London : Primed and Prbh.shed by WILL IA.M. AN D 1 ' C m, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at l'nE SUN Office Na- al Strand, in the Precinct ut the 'Savoy, n the Coital Allddlviex.—Friday, July 15,1864. Tir 'acorn liaU Cat inere in fu Stem Denosi other moni be al J. C. 1, Ea Chas. Co., Chas. and I J. 11. 1 J. C. V Fenc MeBsre J. C. w A pr tame (Limit taking the rig nninicE and th, mills f, deals a Londo The - . log th Sawing Steam for the alms App] to the Westrt for, vel allotte, Pros had of Tg Deposi James Willia 'rbe Denial 0 ad Salts G eorgi OCE Wlllia Chaff Georg, Try( Josepl Rob eri E.e. The N Londo Liver! Tith Ilanct chai Glasg. Bressr strei ches S. L. l Temj and E. W. chew Peter and Lil Ilan The a lar„ , r, Ma, it In elude( Pany and a and o cont h Pang. Tin Pal 11:8( Pas