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

IMPERIAL FARLUTaNT HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening, ROYAL ASSENT. The Royal assent was given by commission to the fol lowing bills :—T;nion 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 --Independent Gas Company —New Quay and Cornwall Junction Railway—Midland Railway (Bath and Thonabury)—Leeds, Bradford, and Halefort Junction—London and South Western Railways —Oswestry and Newton and other Railways (arrangements) —L'andidlo 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 Gas and Water—Hayling's Railway—London Docks, St. Katherine's Docks, and Victoria Docks Amalgamation — Stockport and Ashton Roads—Wisbeach Water—Grand Western Canal and Bristol and Exeter Railway— Newry and Armagh Railway—Carnarvon and Llanberris Railway—Fleetwood Docks—Vale of Crickhowell Rail way—Crieff and Methvin Junction and Branch Railway— Finchley, Willesden and Acton Railway—Londonderry Improvement—Cheddar Valley and Yalton Railway— Wersum Valley Railway—Pembroke and Tenby Railway—Wellington an.: Drayton Railway—Heiston and Penryn Railway—London and North Western Rail way—London, Chatham, and Dover Railway (No. 2) — Shrewsbury and WelchPool Railway—Charing-eross Rail way—Peeblesshire Roads (No. 2)—Belfast Improvement (No. 2) —Kingston and Eardsley Railway—Southern Railway—Ardrossan Harbour—Bolton Improvement— G rea t Northern R a ilway (Barnet Branch)—Walla se y Embankment—Llanelly Harbour Improvement—Maccles field, Bollington, and Maple Railway—Walford and Edge ware Junction. Railway. The Lords' Commissioners were the Lord Chancellor, Visconnt 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 Navigation—Bristol Port Extension Railway— Stockport Distrist Water—Blyth and Lyme Railway— Torbay and Brigham Railway—Midland Railway—North London Railway (Additional Powers). PENAL SERVITUDE. 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. He 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 reeking 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, bal if they were thrust back into their old courser, 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 HOUGIITON should prefer the bill to be lost rather than that it should be carried with this objectionable provision. 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. Ho 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 DONOUGHMO RE moved an amendment far the purpose of rendering the application of the bill com pulsory throughout the country, If it was goad for the metropolis it must be good for other places. Earl GRANVILLE opposed the amendment. The house divided, when there were— Contents Non-contents Majority The amendment was therefore rejected, The bill was thenpassed. 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 SHAFTESBURY expressed the satisfaction with which ho had witnessed the change which had taken place in public opinion with regard to this subject 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 Bill was read a third time and passed. THE GOVERNMENT OFFICES. Lord RE DESDALE called the att en ti on of the house to the line of frontage of the new Government offices in Down ing -street and ing-street, and asked wh e th er t h ere was any intention to acquire other property in that neighbour hood for other duces and the improvement of the approach to the Houses of Parliament. He thought the Government ought to purchaso 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 said 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 purchaso 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. wok the chair at 4 o'clock. NEW MEMBER.. Sir M. BEACH took the oaths and his seat on his election for East Gloucestershire. ROYAL COMMISSION. Sir A. CLIFFORD, Deputy Yeoman Usher of the Black Rod, summoned the members to the bar of the Upper House to hear the Royal assent given by c omm i s , sion to several bills for which see Lords' report. TE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed Albert, Bridge and Approaches — E rit h Tramways—Water ford and Limerick, Limerick and Foynes, and Rathkeale and Newcastle Junction Ryilways—Waterford and Wex ford Rsilway and Res:dare Harbour—West London Docks and Virarehouses—Nortb. 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 Bonverie, Mr Milnsr Gibson, Mr Sotheron Eatceurt, Mr Gathorne Hardy, Lord Robert Cecil, Mr Ingham, Mr Edward Egerton, Mr Scourfield, Mr IlaFaiird, Mr Adair, Mr Lowe, Colonel French, and Colonel Wilson Patten. Power to send for persons, papers, and records ; Five to be the quorum. The hon. and gallant member said that it had been custom- ary at the close of 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 during the session, and it was impossible to get through them in the com mittees of the House of Commons so as to en able them to be dealt with in the other house in. time. Of course they had as much right in the House of Lords to have their standing orders adhered to as they had in this house 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. SHELLE Y 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 the 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 subject should be one of the subjects on which the committee proposed should decide. After P. , ome remarks from Sir J, FERGITSSON and Mr AYRTON, Mr M. GIB SON 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 inflic ced 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 being made 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 bo 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 instrucaon to the Standing Orders Commitee. CAPTAIN DE BURGH. Mr BANBURY asked the Under Secretary of State for War, whether Captain De 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 De 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 Z e,aland 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 color,y, and the negociator of the proposed loan, had frankly confessed that he 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 £700,0 1 40 a year, and that nine-tenths of it were derived frout customs. If that were so, why did they not go into thn open market and raise a loan, without coming in Prom pauperis and asking for a guarantee from Parliament, of whose interference they were always so jealowt, in order to enable them to carry on a war with refe eence to the righteousness of which the people of Eng l'end 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 not consent to a guarantee, the consequence of which must 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 conviction that the burden must be shared by those who claimed and enjoyed the privileges of freedom. The 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 oharge 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 tinued 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 ATTOIITN. Sir S. NORTHCOTE hoped, if the loan were agreed to, 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 Maoties 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 ONVn defence, in the first place 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 the governor. accompanied by the statement that the colonists had made all the exe r ti ons t h at could be expected from 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 ADDER LEY tho u g ht that, on the whole, th e pro position case, w however,a s cue altogether exceptionable,migh t f a fairly and hel y sanction. trusted it would not be regarded as a precedent. The colony was perfectly solvent, and the Government seemed to have taken every possible precaution, by providing a sinking fund, to prevent ultimate loss to the Imperial treasury. Sir J. TRELA.WNY considered that it was her Ma jesty's Ministers, and not the colony, who were at fault fur the present state of things; and ho 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 ambush 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 THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY 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 ,T, 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. 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 £11,600,000 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 gang 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- T INGTON 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 Acts Extension Bill passed through committee. Several bills were also advanced a stage, and The house was counted out at half-past 2 o'clock. The 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 ',lands of the Prince of Wales those rewards which they 'mu' 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 theni. 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 fulfilled their duties by keeping their cottages as clean and tidy as circumstances would allow, soon enlarged its field of operations, and gradually became the means of en couraging 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 they may exhibit will remain unrecognised. Though the association lost its beneficent prop and sup porter, and doubts were entertained as to the successful prosecution of its objects, it was wisely resolved that a society which had been started under such favourable auspices, sad 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 efficiency. 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 be 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 part 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 tent 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 Portnall 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 difficult, and only to be attained after some exertion and display of patience. Another tent was devoted to the display of horticultural productions of less pretending but not less satisfactory character, for the size and perfection of the vegetables and fruit displayed in it by the cottagers and others were sufficient to prove that the allotments and gardens in which the trophies had been produced had been carefully and skilfully cultivated. In a third tent was dis played an exceedingly multifarious collection under the heßcla of "Needlework" and " Handicraft," and here, with out doubt, was the most interesting part of the display. It seems likely and proper enough for gardeners,farm labourers and even sewerm9 (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 vocations, 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. Ho 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 Herne's oak, A juvenile scholar of Eton, aged 11, intimated, by showing the model of a cannon, that at no dis tant day he will contend the palm with our Armetrongs and Whitworths ; and a future Turner, though now a watchmaker, evidenced his taste in colour by the exhibition of two oil paintings, though he did not prove that he could pass an examination for the civil service, but rather the contrary, as on the ticket describing one of his production% —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, Viscount Kirkaldy, Col. Sir C. B. Phipps, Major-Gen. Seymour, the Dean of Windsor, Col. Ponsonby, Lieut.-Col. Keppel, 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 oilier gentlemen. The proceedings commenced by Mr 11, 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 prises was the same as during the last three or four years, namely, £2OO ; and also stated that since the commencement of the institu tion in 1850 the total number of persons rewarded was 2,584. 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 plentiful 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, ou, which was a medallion portrait of the Prince Consort, and words stating that they ware 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 conten'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 polling. Ot 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 For Mr Grant Majority for Mr Clemente Alderman CHALLIS then declared 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 seconded, 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 kmgdom yesterday in Birmingham. It wag 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 £9 108 for bars. At the preliminary meeting, however, Mr W. D. Forster, M.P. for South Staffordshire, 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, he 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 V. per ton. And this is so without there being any probability of wages being brought down at the finished iron works. Hitherto the price 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, there 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 ob 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, INQUEST. Yesterday morning Mr W. J. Pay ne, coroner for the duchy of Lancaster, held an i n q uir y at the White Hart Tavern, Strand, respecti n g the deat h of Mr John Bryant, aged 61 years, who 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 street, Strand. Witness had known him in the establish. ment for 18 or 20 years. He was not in an y difficult y at his employers. For the last f e w weeks he had been ver y stran ge in his manner, apparently in consequence of the receipt of a letter from his wife, who was in Colney Hatch Asylum. Ho was very reserved, and he never stated to witness wha his grief arose from. On Monday afternoon witness found him in the closet on his 'toss. The place was covered with blood. Witness lifted him uP, and found that 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 himself. Mr. E. R. Hodge said that he was one of the firm of Sotheby and Co. Deceased was strange latterly. He spoke to witness abut domestic troubles. Two or three years ago he mentioned his wise having g iven way tc intemperance, and his own unhappiness in consequence. She was then living with him. He suffered 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 wait of sober habits. Mr James S. Bryant, No. 362, Gray's-inn-road, said that deceased lived with him. Deceased was in a state of great excitement on Sunday. He had 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 wife'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 his income tax. He said that would be sufficient for a few days. He spoke of being in pecuniary difficulties on ac count of his wife's infirmity. After other evidences 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 lives. The 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 brave and proud rakes, 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 hare made a good defence, it is true. They were wilful and obstinate. Finding a difficulty in their way, they attempted to rid, through it, and break th . e . fence that would not part or bend. But unfortunately the small pecple that was to reap all this glory could only hope to succeed by our assis. 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 strugele 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 in 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 are beaten at a stand-up fight; a whole regiment is put to the rout, and its officers 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 heads, 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 Maoriesjhaving 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 only did what the bravest and best soldiers have done before—retreat from a position in seleich they could only fail. If the 43d Regiment retired too soon—and it cer tainly 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 ritlepit, and the very swing of several hundred tomahawks. Oae 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 man into the very jaws of death, and keeps him there. They had 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 epecu ators, and of the colonists who want land and can't get it, is very hard, we douot not ; but hard es their case is, it is still 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 shcot 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 Irish 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 can 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. But 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 hand than they have done hitherto, both by risking their own persons and by dividing the cost. 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 had 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 Garman 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 the renewal of the Holy Alliance. Nobody can follow the remarks made upon the documents lately pub lished without arriving at the conviction, which is by degrees becoming more B emly established abroad, of their genuineness. From one end of Europe to the other their publication has produced an excite ment which has not yet subsided, and which has called forth the most frantic denials or. the part of 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 them to allow themselves to be for one instant de luded into the idea of giving the slightest weight to an official denial 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 be 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 Mister admit that he wrote that despatch and y et expeel to keep the peace ? Of two evils he chose the least ; te2r will it be the first time in the history of diplomacy that a statesman has denied a fact to avert the disasters of a war ;—for such a war as France might wage with Prussia upon the strength 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 P 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 our 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 Bain the Government knew nothing about them, thereby admitting that they bad never been denied. We have no doubt that it Mr. Layard will refer to a despatch from Lord Napier, dated some time about the middle of Feb• ruary, lie 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 against 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 Rations are intes 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 himseii had been asked how long he de manded for the accomplishment of the enterprise his 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 r ei g n of Jose p h 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. defen2ed himself spinet 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 the one party has fought for empire and the other only for independence. But 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 OWN 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 superior 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. to 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, has been maintained at every port which has at once so good a harbour and such means of commu nication with the interior as to be available for commercial purposes; but it is also true that the Federals have hardly gained a single naval success, and have sustained several naval disasters. It is true also that they have been able to occupy several points on the vast extent of Southern coast which are commanded from the sea, and to obtain 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. But 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 the 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 • army after army , to t he number of several hundred ' thousands, has been hurled against it, and completely shattered; a quarter 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 Wash ington, and that, instead of asking whether Grant can take the city, men, both North and South, 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 yean had brought the Federal army of the West to Chattanooga ; he is not so very far from Atlanta; but while 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, 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 scene of our chief interest and by the gigantic mag. tude of the operations in Virginia ; but it has a very ,erious bearing on the position of the contending s te d Powers. It has dri ven the inveders out of Arkansas ins r o crushedand them in Louisiana. It has half- de, y wholly paralysed a powerful fleet and ...-0 a considerable army. It has released some '20,00 0 Confederate troops against Sherman's rear. There is no Federal army in Tennessee capable of resisting the light forces which have been sent thither by the Confederates. Such is the position of effairs 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 probab ilit y. r Every month of war improves the relative posl' tion of the Confederates. The worst, is over for them; their severest sufferings have heel: endured. the period of their extreme depression is 'eles ed . ; , they have passed the crisis at which the resC eree ; accumulated in peace were completely exhaust ° d ' they are no w depending on those which they pro duce, and can continue to produce, in spite of war. They have completely adapted their social, induse 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 nite.Cn, and arms are increasing—their losses in wa r do not apl. -seer to be greater than the natural growth . of the popui,tion can replace, for of the wounde d only those who are crippled quit the army, and these take the place of A le -bodied men in civil oce .!' cupation, who are thus rent:ered available for the army, and the only permanent . iminution of their force is measured by the number ot" killed—always a small portion of the butcher's bill. on the other hand, grow weaker every daj.. Their army is disbanding itself as the reg imentsFedereie, coCriPle te• their term of service, and they find themselves un able even to replace the retiring veterans by s . ll equal number of raw recruits. Their currency is sinking with extreme rapidity,and a financial crisis, which may occur to-morrow, can hardly be long postponed. Their Government shrinks from conscription, and cannot do without it—disconten t grows every day, and a disaster in the field might 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. No sober politician considers that the independence of the South has yet to be achieved—it is only in 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 a ccord to the Government of Richmond that recognition which it has received from the public opiniod Of Europe—they would do very much to bring the war to a close, and spare the 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 th' 3 South. On the other hand, if we wait to recognis e the Confederates till we cannot help it we shall have no claim on their friendship and no right 0 3 their assistance when the North does find the claw 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 ha s just approved Lord Russell's betrayal of Denmarict and in which the authors of our Polish and Anieri' 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 coup" teract, by an adverse parliamentary vote, whatever, effect may be produced by the manifestation 0' English feeling out of doors, in sympathy with the South and in confident expectation of her complete and speedy triumph. COUNTRY MARKETS. MANC IIE STER—THURSDAY. A fair attendance at our market to-day, but the busin.es° passing was limited, and for bo th En g lish and forelgil wheat an advance of is per qr and ld to 2d per cental was realised. Oats Id per 451 b dearer, and oatmeal dull at forA mcr rates. Flour met a slow demand. English bei!a ° again advanced 6 d tols per qr , Ind ian corn and E g ypoo beans as betore. BURTON- ON-TR ,ENT—Truntspa.Y. our market, and we quotC ar k , eat, Barley rather dull, an The usual show of grain at advance of 6d to is on wh( other articles unaltered. Old white wheat..42s to 46s New do. 44s to 48s Malting barley....32s to 35s Grinding d0.....26s to 30s Old red . wheat, „ .37s to 44s New do. 43s to 45 5 Oats 2ls to 2 93 Beans 3ss to 4..1 BIRMINGHAM—THURSDAY. There was a rather better supply of English wheat at market to-day, and last week's extreme prices is —English wheat was sold at 40s to 445 for white , a nd °" to 428 per 36 stone for red, Barley, new malting, 3 08 ,V„ 38s per qr; grinding, 24s to 265. Oats, old, 22s to 3" per 30 stone; Irish, 18s to 245. Beans, 365 to 40s per 0 1. • Peas, 34s to 38s per 36 stone. MONMOUTH—TUESDAY. at The local markets have been doing a moderate anfot2 r of business during the last six days, and the prices I° wheat are maintained. Barley rather dull, at former rates. The average quotations are as follows : NV neat, white 5s 3d to 5s 8d 1 Barley. 3. 9 ' l 3s 2d to - ed Ditto red .0s Od to Os Od I Oats .. 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 is 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. Average Prices. Wheat 42s 5d I Oats .. 21s 10c/ A Barley 3os 4d Beans - Total Supply and Sales. Wheat ... 946 qrs Sold 907 qrs 8ar1ey........ 157 qrs Sold 116 qrs Oats Beans lll qrs Sold 80 qrs Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. July 19 ' via Marseilles Brazil and Cape Verde, by British packet. * * Aug. l uly 143 : Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. July 9 * . China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. July 1,; via Marseilles ...July 1 ' Falkland Islands .. Gibraltar, via Southampton .. July 12 ' India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton July hg, ,„. via Marseilles July 1 ' India (Bombay), via Southampton July ..... ,: t via Marseilles JulY "7' Portugal.... Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton July --- 14. via Marseilles Newfoundland ..July 0 ' Oporto and Vigo . U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... July 14 ' by U.S. packet.... 15. by Canadian packet.JulY All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, I Ju ly 14 California. and British Columbia. - Th ylDv a zr i t ra sEti bl E e m w e 'r d .l ic — am H e o n ll t r : r y e s a adapted Ointment n t to and th the i t s :° l all a ges, ranks, and classes of the community. Inceratie ti e l bad legs, and enlargement of the g la nds should be 'fl.rt.. foreenten with warm water and then dressed with this 0 1 / J a , ment. In a few days it will display its cooling and cur 's Live powers over the diseased parts when the complaint 10 become chronic, or has weakened the constitution. way's pills should be taken while his ointment is used tu tree the whole body from any taints or foul humours. 13 %, ointment and pills may be employed with the utmost co tike dense ; they contain no ingredients which can do slightest harm, or cause any s hock to the most nervou s° delicate. Births. Of BERESFORD,—At Lypiatt-terraoe, Cheltenham, the Captain H. M. Beresford, of a son. QulN.—On the 12th inst., at Wilmington House, ItYde/ the Hon. Mrs. Wyndham Quin, of a son SEWARD —On the 14th inst., at Penn road Villas, •- loway, the wife of Wm. Seward, Esq., of a son. t°D STEWART.—On the 12th inst., at Richmond, SurroYs wife of B. Stewart, Esq., of a son. Marriages. BEituvgnhu—nßowolmNßs.e—avOern, Esq., to jatanSe theth SetIodi:1:1 daughter of George Robbins, Esq., of Midford Gag Somersetshire. g a 'st MINCHENEA — BRIDGES. — On the 13th inst., at -- James's, Holloway, Albert, third son of the ate 11qt, Minchener, Esq., of Canon-street west, to Ada 1‘ 16 1 1 1, ° 03 only daughter of the late Sir Brook Bridges) of Priory, Gunstone-park, East Kent. Deaths. ,„ us e, BALDWIN.—On the 12rh inst., at the Sessions Clerkenwell, George Dimsdle Baldwin. Esq P e ., r z tl ed Clerk of the Peace for the county of Middlesex' " 52. E. GRINFIELD.—On the 9th inst., at Brighton, the -Lo'' W. Gribtield, M.A., aged 80. n 355 HERNE.—On the 13th i ns t., a t Tollington-park, - 5 Herne, Esq. of, HoKER.-0a the 3th inst., t his residene J. goo H of 30, Bartlett's- I buildings, a London, and c (3oldhe rbou'l Waddon, near Croydon, Surrey, solicitor aged 61- London: Prat' ;,ed and Pylotished by WILLIANI AND S ' I4) ot No. 112, Strand, Printer, at InE Surr ()dice n v e l Strand, ‘n the Preoluot ot the "iavoy, .n the COW, JUlttaleeex.rFriday, July 15, lat. P HI I noorpo liabi . Car ital, increa in ful Stearn Deposit, other rnontl be all J. C. TM 1, Etta Chas. Co.. lc Chas. V and C J. 11. P; J. C. W Feint] Messrs. J. C. W, THI Incorpo NPORit Jame s ~Ylllian Th e ,s Ilenjam ario, -- E. tAT. 1 stadt Saltn 4 George _Oil al Williar Chair George Tryct ' , Joseph Robert and The No londo 3 Ziverp zianc!i, Chan;Glasgo Messrs stree cheat S. L . p Temp, The' larg-e Noc Liv '.Lau( solic - 1 ... Ap Attyn BO pE the i balm lette and 1 Corn retu I' A PoN Par 7.11 9 DIM