The Sun. — London, England, 1864-06-01 00:00:00

IKPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE OF LORDS—Last Evening, The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at 5 o'clock. Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from various cattle dealers and others inKincardineshire against the law of hypothec. The Earl of DERBY presented a petition from Lanca shire against the County Courts Bill. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a second time :—Dnndee Churches and Hospital, Garstang and Knot End Railway, Sunningdale and Cambridge Town Railway, North British Railway (Perth Branch). The following bills were read a third time and passed : Erich Tramway, Chichester and Midharst Railway, and Chelmsford and Hernston Lane Head Road. EAST AND WEST JUNCTION RAILWAY, AND BLOCKLEY AND BANBURY RAILWAY BILLS, Lord CHELMSFORD moved the re-committal of these bills, on the ground of the exclusion of certain evidence and undue curtailment of the right of counsel to cross-examine witnesses before the select committee,to which the bills were referred. Lord STR.I.DBROKE, chairman of the committee in question, entered into a detailed explanation of the circum stances relative to the two bills, and defended the course the committee had pursued. Not taking evidence and not per mitting to cross-examine by counsel, formed no part of the case of those who were now complaining of the conduct of the committee. The motion was negatived without a division. On the motion of Earl GRANVILLE, the Penal Ser vitude Acts Amendment Bill was read a seeond time. The other business on the paper was disposed of, and their lordships adjourned. ROUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening. The SPEAKEP,took the chair at four o'clock, PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Scottish Central Railway (Dundee and Nevrtyle Extension) Bill was read a third time and passed. PERU. Mr. WEGUELIN asked the Under Secretary of State for Fcreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Government had received despatches relative to the seizure of the Chin cha Islands, belonging to Peru, by a Spanish naval squad ron; whether it was the opinion of her Majesty's Government that the occupation in time of peace of the territory of a friendly nation, without cause or declara tion of war, and the forcible detention of individuals of that nation to serve as hostages, was consistent with the usages of civilised nations, or the dicta of international law ; whe ther her Majesty's Government were prepared to admit the claim put forth by the Spanish Admiral and the Spanish Commissary of the right on the part of the Spanish Crown tc revindicate the property of said islands, a right they assert similar to that which Great Britain sanc tioned when she restored the island of Fernando Po, Azmolon, and Coserco, after a formal and uninterrupted possession during a considerable number of years : and, whether her Majesty's Government will interpose their good offices to bring about a settlement of the trifling matter of dispute which has led to these high-handed proceedings on the part of the Spanish officials ? _ Mr. LAYARD said that he was sorry to say he could not give satisfactory information on this matter. On Saturday last her Majesty's Government received dispatches from the British representative at Peru, from which it ap peared that the seizure alluded to was in consequence of certain claims not having been acceded to. THE STEAM RAMS. Mr. HODGKINSON asked the Secretary of the Admi • ralty, whether it was intended that the price to be paid for the Confederate rams shall be the subject of a supplemental vote, or whether it will be paid out of money already voted for some other purpose ? Lord C. PAGET said it would be his duty to bring on a supplemental estimate in reference to this subject. MR. HERBERT'S PICTURE. Mr COX asked the First Commissioner of Works whether he could make any arrangements by which the public may have the opportunity of viewing ➢lr Herbert's picture in the peers' robing room. Mr COWPER answered in the affirmative. CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA. Mr BAXTER. asked the hon member for Sunderland if he intended to bring on his motion with reference to the Confederate States of America on Friday Mr LINDSAY said that he would postpone his motion to the 17th of next month for political considerations. OUR, RELATIONS WITH BRAZIL. Mr. NE WDEGATE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if it was not the duty of the English Consuls who remained in Brazil since the suspension of dip lomatic relations to report to Earl Russell everything which concerned the English Government or English interests; and had her Majesty's Government not received from the Consul at Rio or otherwise information of a speech made in the Brazilian Senate, on Feb. 24, by M. Sinimbre, lately Minister of Justice, defending the conduct of the Under Secretary who wrote to ask the judges to vote against Mr Reeves, producing all the correspondence with the British Legation, and describing Mr Christie's notes complaining of the Under &oratory's conduct, by order and with ap proval of Earl Russell, as "most impertinent." Mr. LAYARD said that the consuls had sent their reports, but he thought it would not br advisable to answer the question of the hon. member. LYNALL THOMAS'S GUN. Mr. GREGOII,Y ached the Under Secretary of State for War whether the trials of Mr. Lynall Thomas's giin had been concluded, and whether, on the conclusion, a report of the trials would be laid before the house. The Marquis of HARTINGTON said that the trials of theso guns were for the present suspended in consequence of the bankruptcy of Mr. Thomas. POLAND. Mr. HENNESSY wished to know, if certain despatches relative to Poland which had passed between Count Wale ski and Count Persigny, would be laid on the table of the house, and whether they were authentic. Lord PALMERSTON said that, as ho understood the question, it appeared despatches were sent to the Prussian ambassador, but whether these were authentic or not he could not stare. Mr. H ENNESSY said he considered the answer most unsatisfactory, and would move that extracts of these despatches should be laid on the table of the house. CHINA. Mr. COBDEN moved the following resolution :—" That in the opinion of this house, the policy of non-int ervention by force of arms in the internal political affsi.rs of foreign countries, which we profess to observe `.fl our relations with the States of Europe and America, should be observed in our intercourse with China." lie Kidd that all parties in China, including. the natives and Sir Frederick Bruce, our representative, were dissatisfied with the policy this country had pursued towards that important empire. He contended that the policy of this country was defective in every element, and so far from being conducive to the interests of our commerce had a tendency and result directly the reverse, and he quoted statistics to show that the tra.:e with China was less extensive than that with Egypt, not withstanding the immense population and facilities afforded by the former country for the pure:ease of our articles of production. The fact was that China was the only country where we endeavoured to force our trade by violence, and the result was that in that direction our trade failed instead of being in a flourishing condition. What was the reason of that result ? It merely arose from a mistaken notion that, in order to extend trade with the Chinese, we should force on them our political connections. He condemned ministerial statements as being calculated to mislead, and accused Lord Palmerston as being a master of the language necessary to carry out that object, and the Under secretary for Foreign Affairs (Mr. Layard), as being one of his most apt pupils. (Laughter.) His observations applied to both parties of the house when in the Ministry. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) lie contrasted the policy suggested by the late Duke of Wellington in reference to China, which was one of kindness and forbearance, to that adopted recently by this country, which was the very opposite. The hon. member went at con siderable length into arguments in support of his views, and Was listened to with great attention by a house crowded on both sides. He stated in conclusion that his object was to obtain a promise from Government that there should be a committee appointed to inquire into the nature of our relations with China and Japan. Mr B. COCHRANE seconded the motion. Mr LAYS RD said it was somewhat curious that a ques tion like this, which had during the present session been more frequently before the house than almost any other, should have received so little attention from hon. members. They might all congratulate themselves on the speech which they had heard from his hon. friend, who was always ori ginal in his viewa,and on the present occasion more original than usual. He (Mr Layard) would do his best to answer his hon. friend , and first he would remark that he thought the reason why on many occasions it was difficult to get together a house to listen to a debate on China was not that the Government was desirous to count out, but because mem bers felt the deep responsiiiility they would i ncur by , po licy to the Go vernment dictating a and forcing them to pursue a particular course of action. If the Government had followed the a d v i ce given by several member, of that house on the Chinese question, most disastrous results would have ensued, not only to the interests of trade, but also to the lives of a large number of British subjects. Indeed, those hon. gentlemen themselves must have felt this, because they always avoided pressing the house to a division an any definite resolution. It was often said in that house that the duty of her Majesty's Government was simply to protect the treaty ports and defend their trade and com merce; but that was a question of degree, and not a ques tion of policy. The hon. gentleman who brought forward this motion introduced a new policy, and declared that they should entirely abandon the present policy in China, and that all direct relations with China should cease. That was an original view, which might be expected from his hon. friend's great capacity and knowledge; bat it was an opinion from which he should dissent, and one which he would show it was impossible to pursue. He confessed he had heard wiJi surprise the remarks of his hon. friend, that there had been a decrease in the trade of this country with China, for the returns of the declared and real value of the exports and imports proved a remarkable increase in that trade during the last few years—the only exception being a diminution in the cotton trade, consequent upon the cotton famine. His hon. friend had that evening started a new and original policy, but the remarks with which he soaght to enforce it were not very logical. s hon. friend referred to the example of Singapore, established as a free port by the exertions of Sir Stamford Raffles, and suggested that her Majesty's Government should pursue the same course, and, instead of having any commercial intercourse with the Chinese in the rivers, establish treaty ports. But if this country wanted to convert Chinese cities into free ports the consent of the Chinese Government should be ob tained. The fact was that Shanghai had virtually become a free port, and when Hong Kong had been ceded to this country it was only after having defeated the Chinese that . the concession had been obtained. Bu t tif the Chinese 'd oe vernment chose to withhold their consent, what was the obtained by course then to be taken ? If it could not be `;nut there were oth er indirect negotiation, what other m. eals where they t o adopt? But his hon. friend forgot Powers represented in China as v: e ll as E ng l and, and what ever demands this country made would be preferred also by those Powers. Her Mai ;sty's Government had o ft en b een charged with hrin - 6 - assisted the Chinese Government against the Taepreigs. (Hear.) They had so far assisted as to prevent th " el laepings from ent er i ng th e treaty ports and destroying . British produce. Notwithstanding what had been often stetted by his hon. and gallant friend behind him (Col'Jnel Sykes), his own impression was that the Taepings were mere marauders, who had no respect for treaties, and that if they had been allowed to go into the treaty ports the British trade there would have been annihilated. Admiral Hope, who had been somewhat sanguine in this respect, had, with some others, tried the experiment in China, but it had signally failed. With regard to the 30 mile radius hon, gent tlemenappeared to run away with the idea that each treaty port was to have a radius of thirty miles. Bat this was a mere military line, which had been pointed out for the necessary defence of the towns—no principle had been laid down beyond that necessary one, that large centres of commerce should be protected against hordes of marauders who were going to destroy their trade. It was true the 30-mile radius had proved a farce. He was not going to defend the conduct of those officers who had thought proper to exceed this limit ; but he might observe that her Majesty's Government had often expressed censure upon them. His hon. friend had alluded in the course of his speech to Sir Frederick Bruce, and stated that his policy differed from the policy of her Majesty's Government. There had never been any difference of opinion between her Majesty's Government and Sir Fre derick Bruce with respect to the policy to be pursued in China. Over and over again he had borne testimony in that house to the great ability and tact of Sir F. Bruce in the conduct of negotiations in China. He would read an extract from a despatch to show that, even upon the subject of the employment of foreign officers by the Chinese Go vernment, Sir F. Bruce was in accord with her Majesty's Government. Then, had their relations with the Chinese Government improved ? He ventured to think that the existence of that very correspondence between the two Go vernments was a proof of improved relations between the twc countries. He believed that the acceptance by the Chinese Government of Lord Elgin's mission was one of the most important concessions ever made by China to Eng land. And thenas regarded the treaty with Japan, England was not the first to enter into commercial relations with Japan. The United States of A.merica and Russia were both before them—and what would the country have thought if Russia and America had been allowed to enter into com mercial relations with Japan while England refused to do anything of the sort ? It was all very well to talk about the Taepings, and about their being subjected to a foreign dynasty. But the actual state of facts was nothing of the kind. The present dynasty, so far from being unpopular, was looked upon as having conferred great benefits upon the country. Not a single Chinaman had joined the Taepings. In conclusion, he would appeal to the house whether, after the explanations which had been given, the Government could have folio wed any other policy in China. Lord NAAS said the policy which he and those who thought with him advocated with respect to China was a policy of strict neutrality on the part of all our employes, both military and diplomatic, which would prevent them from meddling at all in Chinese affairs. For the last two or three years their policy had been directly the reverse of that; and if now they were compelled to fall back upon a policy of neutrality, that was because they had tried a dif ferent policy, and it had completely failed. The British Government had been imposed upon by the representations made to them, and it was entirely owing to their neglect, and the carelessness with which they had sent forth that expedition, that British authority had been exposed to a slight in China by the contemptuous dismissal of Captain Osborn. The Government of that country was centrally , strong and locally weak, and at the present time Captain Gordon was not, as was supposed, in the service of the Em.- peter of China, but was in the service of the Foo-tai of Shanghai, who habitually set aside all orders he received from Pekin. It was a disgrace to her Majesty's Govern ment that an officer in her Majesty's uniform should Le in command of such a force, and should be a witness of such atrocities as had been perpetrated at Foe-chuO. Mr. B. COCHRANE also censured the policy of the Go vernment, and observed that he should very much like to see a debtor and creditor account prepared, showing the losses which the country had sustained on the Lne hawl, and the advantages it had acquired on the other. He thought the balance so struck would supply an instructive and suggestive lesson. Mr. LIDDELL instanced the vast diminution which had taken place in the production of silk in the districts which were the scene of the Teeping war as a consequence of the policy pursued by her Majesty's Government of espous'.ng the Imperial cause. Referring to the withdrawal of the order in council permitting English officers to take seivice with the Chinese Government, the hon. gentleman ex pressed a hope that it was not only prospecVs e but retro spective, so as to apply to CaptaiLs Gordon and Cocke, and other officers who were already in the employ of the Em peror. Mr. GREGSON approved. of the policy of the Govern ment, and maintained 04 absolute necessity of holding and defending the treat-, ports. S ir J. ELPPINSTONE dissented from the recommenda tion of Mr r ..obden to withdraw from the treaty ports and esta blish a series of free ports along the coast of China. flic,oght that the Government were bound to provide some means of repressing the disorders and irregularities which prevailed there, and endeavour to pave the way for some amelioration of the system of government in China. _ _ Mr. WHITE believed that the continuance of the policy hitherto followed in China would act most disastrously on British interests and British honour in that partof the world. Mr. KINGLAKE, referring to an expression made use of by the noble lord (Naas), to the effect that Captain S. Osborn had ignominiously withdrawn, said that although ho hiaaself understood the meaning intended to be conveyed, he wiohed to afford the noble lord an opportunity of making clear the expression in his speech. Lord NAAS said he had no intention of saying anything in the least disrespectful to Captain Osborn, whose conduct was beyond all praise. (Hear, hear.) Colonel SYKES denied that the policy agreed upon by the Ministers of Russia, France, and America was identi cal with that pursued by her Majesty's Government. In fact, it was just the reverse. The Taepings had been re presented as desolators of the country, but if that were really the case, how did it happen that the districts occu pied by them had furnished us with nine. tenths of the silk which we obtained from China ? Lord PALMERSTON—There is this remarkable cha racter in the discussion, that while any hon. friend the member for Rochdale has taken a very wide and large view of the question, according to his notion of it, those who had followed him on the other side of the House had taken a very narrow and combined view, and had limited their ob • servationa to the recent transactions of the Government in regard to their policy in China, It is almost unnecessary to express an opinion with regard to the expedition of Cap• tain Sherard Osborn, and the employment of Major Gordon and the others, because he h a d stated upon a former occasion that the orders in Council under which theee officers were employed had been recalled, and there is no intention to renew them. Therefore that policy is entirely at an end, Captain at the same time that I entirely diff er f rom those who con demn na it. i g no rainions either in the gi or on th e groun d s on which he declined to continue the serv i ce. On the original undertaking There was of nothing Ca in Osbor n , contrary, the whole conduct of Captain Osborn from be ginning to end did him the highest possible honour and did the country honour also. At the same time, these measures have failed, and I am sorry for it; but they have failed, not from any fault of those who planned or those who engaged in them, but they failed simply from the effects of those international jealousies which are too apt to prevail in a country like China. My non. friend the member for Rochdale, on the other h an d , blames the whole policy of the Government of England in respect of our intercourse with China—not simply the con duct of a single administration. But, now, was our inter course with China sought for simply by the Government ? I admit at once that if the monopoly of the East India Com pany had been continued, none of th ose wars wou ld h ave occurred. In that case our intercour se w ith Chi n a w ou ld ave been very restricted ; there would have been no na tional honour at stake,and the Company would have thought it better to submit to any indignity rather than break off with the Imperial Government. But it was not within th e choice of the English Government to continue the monopoly; the whole country cried out against it. and therefore :t was abolished. Then ensued a series of conflicts with the Chinese Government, which brought us down to the treety of Pekin. The hon, member for Rochdale was very sentimental upon the objections made by the Chinese Government to allowing a British resident to go to Pekin ; but I take leave to say that, if there had been a Britieh resident at Pekin at the outset of these dis putes none of these wars would have taken place. Then I take the larger view, and I say the house and the country ought to con s id er , not the particular expediency of ono in dividual measure in the course of our policy with respect to China, but they ought to cons,der the great features of our policy. I quite concur in the opinion that our object in China is simply trade. But then trade must be protected by treaties. But was the extension of trade by treaties a matter of indifference to the nation ? Let me recall to the house the great delight which was felt throughout the country upon the conclusion of Sir IL Pottinger's treaty. Indeed, I remember myself endeavouring to abate the exul tation into which the house and the country was thrown upon the occasion of that treaty being announced. I very much agree with the hon. and gallant officer on the other side in the description he gave of the Taepings; but there can be no doubt, in waging such a war as this, to era be guilt on both sides, though we must 10 mit the htthearm of crime to be greatly on the side the Thep t nge. A _i laugh.) When that war to tee end, it is beS , ond 'the power of any mss in this non ntry to prediet% We know very well that for three thousand g'e'ars China has been the Fraat of tart /lent disturbances, revolts, and rebel and therefore it would be sanguine to expect an early termination of the war. But, sir, somebody said our objects in the war were selfish. Well, selfish no doubt they are, in a national point of view. But those who think this entettion relates solely to the particular merchants who export to China and who hove their establishments! there take a nar row and very limited view of the matter. Those merchants are merely the outfall by which the thousand rills of the country find their way to the great markets of the wort& Those merchants are the means by which are potted the industries cf hundreds of thousands of the Working classes. Therefore ' those persons who would h ave thi s c h ange o f policy, to narrow our foreign markets, and lessen the breadth of our trade, are taking the bread out of the mottles of the working classes of this country, and else: wing them of the means of gaining a liveliboed, 0 - o, no, and hear, hear.) As soon as we cease to tirade with foreign countries, the industries of those classes are stopped, and they are de prived of the assistance they would obtain from the mar kets for their industries in those countries, Therefore I do not admit the justice of the expression that ours has been a selfish policy, in the sense it was used. I say it is the duty of the Government to provide, not for the mere extension of the revenue, but for the derelop ment of the general industry and reeperity of the country, and to enable the industrious classes to pursae their calling with havantage and suc cess, and make themselves happy and prosperous at home. I say, then, that the policy the Governments of this country have pursued from the time of the East India Company to the present time hts been successful. I am persuaded that our relations with the central Govern ment of China are now so firmly established as not likely to be shaken, and that by those relations we shall find the commerce of the country annually increasingi and if we should be able to get an unrestricted commerce with so large a population as that of China, it would be of immense ad vantage to the increasing prosperity of the country. Mr. BRIGHT said the noble lord was more sanguine than the house generally was on this question; for, looking over the debate which had occurred that night, it appeared to him that, with little exception, there had been expressed nothing but condemnation of all that the noble lord had done and approved of with regard to China within the last thirty years. The honourable member for Lancaster (Mr. Gregson) had expressed that sort of con fidence in the noble lord that might lean° been reasonable in him towards a person older than himself some sixty or sixty-five years ago. (A. laugh.) He had followed the noble lord with a placidity that was perfectly charming, and, he supposed with a view of following the noble lord, the honourable member had been touting in the City for China merchants who followed the policy of the noble lord. He understood there were from 120 to 150 English merchants in China, some in extensive busi ness, and some not very considerable. Well, the policy of the noble lord ordered that there should be one ship of war from this country to support each three of those merchants. (Hear, hear.) That was a state of things with regard to our commerce which did not exist in any other part of the world. No doubt the merchants had a stake in that coun try, but the people of England had a mete also; and, look ing back to the last 30 years, there Was scarcely any portion of the history of this country of which they could less be proud than of our relations with China. Not only had the policy of the Government been condemned from both sides of that house, but it was evident that Sir Frederick Bruce himself was disgusted with it, We were, in fact, getting into a state of difficulty and mismanagement, from which nobody seemed to know exactly how we were to be extricated (Hear, hear.) The noble lord had admitted, as part of his defence that night, that everything he had said in regard to our more recent policy had bin a failure; and though, as he said, the failure of the plans might be no blame to the Government, the house would probably think that the con ception of plans so absurd and impossible was a blame to them. (Hear, hear.) Then the noble lord had treated them to some observations on these Chinese marauders. The noble lord said the natural history of a war between all highly-civilised and semi-barbarous nations was, that tire pleasantness arose, disputes were occasioned, wars followed disputes, and afterwards were carried on for such a length of time that the highly civilised nation had been battered pretty nearly to pieces by the semi-barbarous nation; then the semi barbarous nation became entirely submis sive, and nothing could positively be more friendly and harmonious than the future relations of the two nations. (Laughter.) That was what the noble lord told them, and that was what he expected to be the result of his policy. He believed that our breaking through the se clusion of the capital city of Pekin had shattered the whole political and social systemof an empire containing one-third or quarter of the whole population of the globe. If he were the noble lord, 'ete should not speak boastingly of a policy which had, brought about such a grave and disastrous result to so large a portion of the human race. The noble lord had even an audacity beyond that ; for he had charged the hon. member for Rochdale, by implication, with not having any ref erd for the condition of the iuterests of the industrious Classes of this country. The noble lord attempted to per suade the house that the Cline trade was of so great int • portance to the working classes of this country as to make it worth while to indulge in the policy which he had carried out. The truth was, the profit of the export China trade for thirty years past had not paid the cost of the wars which bad taken place, and if the same course was pursued with regard to the rest of our foreign trade, we should require 2,000 ships of war for its guardianship. The policy of the noble lord for some time hal been a total failure, and he hoped he would for once come to the conclusion that he was not infallible, and that the united good sense and wisdcm which sprang from experience, as shown by the discussion in the house that night, was rather that which ought to govern a great question of foreign policy like this, than the prejudices which the noble lord had so passionately cherished for thirty years, that they seemed at last to have got the better of his reason and his judgment. (Hear, hear.) The motion was then withdrawn. Mr Alderman SALOMONS obtained leave to bring in a bill to facilitate the traffic of the metropolis by improving the communic ttions across the river Thames, and Mr HANKEY a Bia for defraying out of fees a portion of the expense of carrying into effect the Charitable Trusts Act, 1853. SCHOOL INSPECTORS' REPORTS. Lord PALMERSTON moved the nomination of the Select Committee on Education (Inspectors' Reports), to consist of 15 members. Mr CLAY moved, as an amendment, that it be referred to the General Committee of Elections to nominate a solect committee of five members. After a long discussion, in which Lord PALMERSTON signified his readiness to adopt the amendment, Mr HENNESSY moved that the debate be adjourned. Upon a division this motion was negatived by 61 to 30. The discussion was then resumed with some degree of warmth, and ultimately the debate was adjourned. The orders of the day were then disposed of, and the house adjourned at 25 minutes to 2 o'clock. The National Colonial Emigration Society. Yesterday afternoon a public meeting of the promoters of this society, which was established in June, 1862, for the encouragement of emigration generally to the British Co lonies, was held at Willis's Rooms, Ring-street, St. James's, and was presided over by the Right Hon. Lord Lyttelton, president of the society. The proceedings were commenced by Mr. Arthur Hodg son, the hon. secretary, reading a report from the council of the society, which gave a detail of its operations during a period of 19 months. From this document it appeared that in the course of that period the society assisted in sending 104 emigrants to Canada, 3 to Vancouver's Island, 6 to New South Wales, 81. to Victoria, 120 to South Australia, 85 to Queensland, 17 to Tasmania, and 3 to Western Australia ; while to the New Zealand Provinces they had sent 42 to Auckland, 233 to Canterbury, 12 to Nelson, 6 to Wellington, 1 to Otago, 1 to Southland, and 10 to Hawke's Bay, which, with 2 sent to Natal, made a total of 731. It also appeared that over and above this number, since the close of the society's financial year in December last, 100 ether persons had been assisted by the society to emigrate to the Canadian, Aus tralian, New Zealand, and Cape Colonies. A large number of those assisted had come from the distressed districts of Lancashire and Cheshire, and special donations in aid of that particular class of emigrants had been received to the amount of £591 14s ]Od, which included a grant of £661 made by the Mansion-house Relief Committee. Endeavours were being made to promote the formation of co-operative committees in each colony for the purpose of affording to n ewly-arrived emigrants the bmaefit of their advice and as sistance,as also of receiving and transmitting to this country any moneys that colonists might wish to send to their friends or relations about to emigrate. In order, however, to carry out and render permanent the operations of the society, it was scr iecTs B s a i r i y o u t l h d a t b e t h e e o n a m s d o e u r n a t b o l y r d i n o la c r a e t a i o s n e d s an a n d d a nannual sub earnest - appeal was made to the public for funds in order that the society might be enabled more effectually than had hitherto been done to carry out its benevolent object, pleBn6d2i,tutoreJr2:s36l6ll7,4t 9d, of been £3,339 4 s 4d, an d From the bal ance - sheet it appeared that the total receipts of which £1,575 15 s Gd f th ro e m to : ta u l n e e ; was in the shape of grants to emigrants, while there was a balance at the bankers of £772 6s Bd. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report, stated that while there was at present no particular pressure which rendered emigration on a large scale necessary, still the effect of such a society was always needed to help on the natural and healthy flow of emigration which would at all times be more or less going on to the colonies. While there was no particular reason in England, there was in the far north of Scotland, in the Hebrides, a large population suffer ing very severely, and to whom emigration to soma of the THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JUNE 1, 1864. colonies would be a blessing, and whom, did its ineans per mit—which they did not at present - --.the society would readily assist in sending there. Cases such as that show Pf. the absolute necessity of some f, such organf od i mi, hoped the means would be —wineto ena bl e the d society more effectually - ,and he Th A ,meet them. xcev Mr Cnorr, in seconding the motion, thought they should Make it kLoVrn to the public—seeing the stream of etoitration which ivsa proceeding to the States of Ame rica--4hat, with the assistance of the society, emigrants 'could tt at as cheap a rate to the Australian colonies as they now get to New York. The report having been accepted, Mr MERRYVALE then moved a resolution to the effect that, as a well-regulated system of emigration was calculated to increase the prosperity of the mother country, and as the society provided such a system, it was deserving of the sup port of the public. The resolution having been seconded by Mr SPOTTIS WOOD, it was unanimously adopted. The office-bearers of the toeiety for the current year were then re•electr2. ) and the proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the noble chairman, Threatened Extension of Church Rates. ---= - 4- Yesterday- a deputation waited on Lord Palmer stOn, at Cambridge. house, to represent to his lordship the necessity for so altering the Church-building Acts Consolidation Bill as to carry out the intention of Parliament in respect to church rates. The de• putation consisted of the following members of Parliament :—Lord Henley, Sir C Douglas, Sir F. Crossley, Sir S. M. Pets, Mr Hadfield, Mr J. R. Mills, Mr render, Mr Dillwyn, Mr. J. White, Mr Sutton Western, Mr Dodson, Sir F. Goldsmid, Mr Lawson, Mr Leathern, Mr Potter, Mr Ayrton, Mr G. S. Lefevre, Mr Pilkington, Mr Hardcastle, Mr Baines, Mr Alcock, Mr Paget, Mr Hibbert, Mr Wickham, Mr Pease, Mr Denby Seymour, Mr P. A. Taylor, and Col. Sykes. Sir Charles Douglas intro duced the business of the deputation, by reading a statement respecting their object, which was de scribed as being, not to state general objections to church rates, but to urge the necessity of inserting in the bill now before Parliament, a clause distinctly prohibiting the levy of church rates in new parishes. The deputation submitted that a great injustice would be done if the acts were consolidated without giving effect to the intentions of the legislature. It was also pointed out that the omission of any clauses from the present bill would not redress the griev ance complained of ; while the consolidation of the law would, practically, put an obstacle in the way of further legislation. Finally, it was urged that the opponents of church rates were not desirous of taking away a power already exercised, but of pre venting power being placed in the hands of those to whom it had expressly been declared it ought not to be given. The general terms of the reply given by Lord Palmerston induced many of the deputa tion to hope that the arguments now had some weight. Though his lordship declined to give any pledge, he stated distinctly that the object the Go vernment had in view was to consolidate the various acts and not to introduce any amendments either on the one side or the other. His lordship said that he was informed by the Attorney-General that in the opinion of the hon. and learned gentleman such would really be the effect of the measure ; at all events that was the intention of the Government. If the law was doubtful at present, ithelon ged to the proper judicial tribunals to determine the law. To remove the doubt would bo in feet to alter the law; and that was a course which the Government did not propose to adopt. If the result of judicial decisions was to show that the law was not what it ought to be, the parties aggrieved would be at liberty to try and bring about an amendment. It was said that by consolidating existing laws new force was given to them, but his lordship demurred to that proposition; and as to the statement that the committee had made certain alterations in the position of the clauses, if they had done so that was not tantamount to making an alteration in the law itself. His lordship pro mised to consult the Attorney-General and the Home Secretary in reference to the views placed before him by the deputation, and concluded by reiterating that the object of the Government was not by strategy to alter the law, but simply to bring together the various enactments that were scattered through keveral acts of parliament with reference to the church building question—a state of the law which was very inconvenient to those who had to administer it. A conversation took place after the statement of the noble earl. It was suggested that as it was purely a church question, and would not benefit dissenters, the latter had a right to ask the Government to waive the present bill until the law on the subject was settled, and that, as there is a case now before the legal tribunals of the country (Gough v. Jones) which turns upon the construction of the acts, it would be unfair to bias that case in any way. Lord Palmerston said that the deputa tion were asking for two pledges, first, that the Government would postpone the Consolidation Act, and then that they would alter the law. The only pledge that he could give, however, was that he would consult his colleagues about it. One hon. member stated that there were not six clauses of the bill as it stands which were identical with tha corresponding clauses in the old acts. His lordship asked whether the meaning was altered,and the reply was that it certainly was. Some further conversation took place, in which a clause was read to his lordship which would pre vent the act giving power to levy rates for district churches, and a confident hope 19.48 expressed that, es both the prorate and the anti-rate parties were desirous that no alteration should at present be made in the law, the Government would allow the bill to drop. It was also stated that the anti church -rate party was not fairly represented on the committee of last session. UNIVERSITY INTELLIGENCE, CAMBRIDGE, May 31. At a congregation this day it was proposed by special grace to pass honorary degrees in law upon those whose names have a l rea dy b een published — to wit : the Prince of W a l es , the Duke of Cam bridge, Prince Louis of H esse , E ar l G r anville, the Duke of Manchest er , Ea r l St an h ope , E a rl Spencer, Earl Carnarvon, Viscount Eversley, Lord Palmer ston, Lord Leigh, Lord Harris, Sir E. B. B. Lytton, Sir William Page Wood, Sir Charles Eastlake, General Knollys, the Dean of Westminster, Mr. Hope, M.P., and Mr. Watson, president of the Royal College of Physicians. Opposition was offered to several of these graces,but the one propos ing to confer the honorary degree upon the Duke of Manchester was carried by 133 placets to 5 non placets. The grace proposing to confer the honorary degree upon Lord Leigh was noneplaceted, but carried by 127 placets to 4 nonmplacets. The pro position to confer the honorary degree upon the Rev. tha Dean of Westminster was at once non placeted, and that amid cheers and hisses from the galleries where undergraduates most do congregate. The poll being taken, however, there appeared-- placets, 120; non-placets, 19. This, a result not formally announced, but understood, was received with loud cheers. Voting followed with regard to the recommendations of the library and astro nomical syndicates, and the changes proposed; these were all matters of detail, and call for no observa tion. Grace 33, however, proposed to carry into effect the late recommendations of the syndicate in regard to the proposed changes in the ordinary B.A. examination, and the pass examinations having re ference thereto. The grace proposing the adoption of the scheme was rejected by 54 non-placets to 47 placets. SURGERY.—Examined and approved for the de gree of Master in Surgery—Alfred Godson, M.A., Trinity College. I , aw.—Bachelors of Law Examination, Easter Term—Examined and approved—Ballock, Christ's ; Cordeaux, Christ's ; Haldane, Trinity ; Henslowe, Emmen. ; Ds. Jardine, Christ& ; Lidderdale, St. Peter's ; Martin, Trinity Hall ; Ds. Mozeley, King's; Nicho:s, Sr. John's ; Ross, E., Trinity. I. T. Abdy, LL.D. ; F. W. Gibbs, M.A, ; Henry Davidson, M.A.; L. T. Baines, M.S. At the congregation mentioned above the follow ing degrees were conferred—M.A., Augustus Henry Hunt, St. Peter's College; Wm. Henry Hutchinson, Pembroke College; Fred. Um. Blumberg, Caius College; Wm. Clavell Ingram, Jesus College ; Chas. Tremlow Royds, Ch r i s t' s C o ll e ge; John Eaet es , Sidney College. L M.M., Peter's College. James Geo. Wm. Marshall, St. M.A., of Dubl!n, was admitted ad eundem gradum. Alleged Poisoning of Three Children, 'Yesterday morning Mr W. Carter, the Surrey coroner, resumed tho investigation into the alhged poisoning of three children. of Itcnry and Ann Webber. The jury, which was originally empannelled in a cottage near Spa Bottom, between Esher and Cobham, re-assembled at the White Lion Inn, Cobham-street. It appeared from the evidence taken on the first occasion, that Henry Webber was a sawyer, residing with his wife and five children at a lodge adjoining the residence of Captain Bretterton, midway between Esher and Cobham, On Wed nesday, the 20th of last month, Sohn Webber, one of the children, aged five years, was suddenly seized with violent vomiting and purging, and he died in 18 hours, without having been seen by a medical man. On the same day Henry, a boy aged 14 years, was attacked with precisely similar symptoms, but medicine being given him, he ulti • mately recovered. On Friday, the 22d, Eliza, aged two years and six months, was taken ill in the same way, and she died in 15 hours. None of the children had eaten food, other than their regular sustenance. Henry 'Webber was too ill upon the first occasion to be examined, but by great care has survived, and gave minute evidence as to the action of the poison. Henry Webber, aged 14 years, deposed-4 reside with my father at Spa Bottom. His present wife is not my mother. Eliz t was my half-sister. I was taken ill on the Saturday before the Thursday on which she died. My head ached very much. I was not sick. I felt unwell in the bowels at seven o'clock in the morning. My brother John was lying dead at that time, atA he had been taken ill in the bowels at first in the way I was. I had medicine given me on the Thursday night, and it was in the form of a powder. My stepmother gave me the powder, mixed in a tea cup, and she said she had given Eliza some powder too. I saw a powder given to John on Monday night. I gave it to my stepmother, but I did not see her mix it. Neither I nor my brother or sister had eaten anything in the woods. Our usual food was bread and butter or dripping, and beet. We had tea to drink, and we never wanted food. My father and mother were not in the habit of quarrelling. All the children were treated alike. I never heard my stepmother make any threat. She used to beat me and her own chil dren when we deserved it. Dr. Albert J. Bernays, Professor of Chemistry and Phy siological Chemist at St. Thomas's Hospital, said that he received from a police -constable, a jar containing the sto mach and intestines of Eliza Webber. He made an analysis, assisted,by Dr. Lees. The examination of the con tents of the stomach was without result. In the tissues of the stomach there was found arsenic. It was distinctly present, but in a very small quantity. The purging and vomiting would have the effect of removing the larger quan tity of arsenic had it been taken into the body. It was, in his opinion, totally impossible that the arsenic could have been conveyed in the chalk mixture given by Mr. Smith. Looking at the evidence, he should say that some of the symptoms were consistent with poisoning by arsenic, and others were not, which certainly raised a doubt in his mind whether arsenic had caused the death. Dr A. S.,vaine Taylor, F.8,,C.5., Professor of Chemistry and Medical Jurisprudence at Guy's Hospital, was then sworn, and he said that he received from a police officer 4 oz. of blood, and the liver and heart, both kidneys, a por tion of the brain, and the bladder of the deceased child Eliza Webber. In the brain and heart he found no traces of mine ral poison of any kind. He took 12 oz. of the liver and found no trace, not the thousandth part of a grain of arsenic. When a person died from arsenic traces of it could be found in 4 oz, of liver, that was when the person died in the same space of time alter the taking of arsenic, as the illness of this child had lasted. He deemed it unnecessaey to examine the bladder and kidneys, as when arsenic was not found in the liver, it was never traceable in these organs. He got about 4 oz, of evacuation. He tested them and found no arsenic, but there was a trace of mercury, which was to be seen on the copper gauz; produced. The Coroner said that a small quantityof calomelhad been prescribed for the child by the surgeon called in. Would that have accounted for the appearance of mercury ? Dr, Taylor said undoubtedly it would, He tested and found that the mercury was not due to the presence of corrosive sublimate, He had entirely failed to find poison. But he could not give an opinion as to the cause of death until he heard all the evidence as to the symptoms present before death. The Coroner then read over at length the evidence in question, which showed that all three cuiltiren had been at tacked in precisely the same manner. Professor Taylor said that after hearing all the evidence, and bearing in mind the results of the analysis, he cams to the satie conclusion as Mr. Smith, that the child died from it fiammation of the stomach and intestines, not caused by mineral poison. He might say that children were very sus ceptible to inflammatory action arising from the effusion of cesspools. Contiguous to Weber's-lodge was a cesspool, which, though perhaps not necessarily emitting a xious swell, ought to be removed. He was inclined to consider that such was the cause of the singular attack from which the two children died. But even if he had found arsenic in the quantity racutioned by Dr. Bernays, he would still consider that the poison had not caused the death, but that it was due to gastro-entceritis. The Corner having summed up, The jury returned a verdict "That deeeaseds' deaths arose from gastro-enteritis the result of natural causes." AQUATICS. ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB. The first regatta of the above distinguished club this sea son took place yesterday, and was one of the finest matches on record, although is is much to be regretted that the rain which fell heavily during the afternoon marred much of the pleasure which would otherwise have been experienced in witnessing it. There were four prizes for competition for the first class—cutters exceeding 35 tons, a prize value 100 soya for the first boat—and 50 sovs for the second. For the third class, exceeding 12 and not exceeding 20 tons, a prize of 40 s , )vs, and 20 sovs for the second boat—and the following had been entered and started : First Class, Yachts. Tons. Owners. 1. Moequito 69 .„ M. T. Ouldsworth 2. Surge 54 Mr. W. W. F. Hay 3. Astarte 4. Volante 6O .. Mr. 11. Maudslay 5. Vindex Third Class. 1, Vampire 20 .. Capt, J. E, Commerell, RN, 2. Satanella .... 13 .-, Capt. 13. Bennett 3, Dudu l5 .. Captains Baldock and Rudge 4. Zerlina 5, Alexandra l5 .. Mr. G, Harrison Half a minute time per ton for difference of tonnage. The course originally intended for the larger craft was from Gravesend round the Mouse Light and back, and for the smaller reund the Note Light and back, but owing to the wind being dead on end and the flood having begun well to make ere the larger class got more than 3 miles below the Nore, the course was reversed and they turned round the steamer, which was there anchored for the purpose, the lesser yachts going nearly the entire distance. The Prin cess of Wales steamer had been chartered by the club for the conveyance of members of the club and their friends, and left London-bridge at ten in the morning with a very large and fashionable party. The vessel proceeded direct to Gravesend at full speed, where at two o'clock the noble commodore, Lord Alfred Paget, ordered a gun to be fired for the fleet to get in readiness, which was succeeded by a second, in five minutes afterwards, to start. Of the above fleet the Mosquito, the far-famed clipper of former years, then the property of Lord Loridesborough, has not been engaged of late in match sailing, but although built about 15 years ago, her owner gallantly entered her in this race to contend against the new clippers of the pre sent day. There she wae,back in her old form, and well she played her part in the great race which followed. The Surge is an entirely new boat, by Tepe, of Fairlie, last year, and was very successful in the Irish Channel. The Astarte was also new from the hands cf Roy, of Southampton, and the Volante and Vindex are both well known as very fine wea therly craft, the former of' the two being an old boat. In the third class the Vampire has fur years been well known as the most formidable boat of her class ; the Satanella is a new boat, by Aldons ; the Dudu, a new boat, by Hatcher; the Zerlina, a new boat, by Panhill, and the Alexandra, a boat of last year, by Mr Harrison, her owner. Besides the Prince of Wales there were two other steamers and the fol lowing fleet of gentlemen's yachts accompanying the races: —The Stella, Cyclone, Antagonist, Aquiline, Mars, Violet, Agatha, Med ea, Night Thought, Syren, Whirlwind, Phenix, Minos, Phantom, Fleur-de-lis, Blue Bell, and others. When the signal was fired simultaneously for the start of both classes, the seamanship on board the yachts was worthy of this great club, and soon their elegant spars were covered with canvas. We may treat of the first class at some length, but the third class were soon lost in the attention bestowed on the larger craft. The Volante was very quick to get her canvas up, Surge next, then Mosquito and Vindex, The Surge was lira away, the Mars second, the Vindex third. There was at the time a nice wind from E.N.E., which freshened into a whole sail breeze. They all made a board directly to the northward, the Vindex smartly setting her topsail, which was immediately followed by the Surge doing the same ; the Mosquito, which had a nice berth at the start, leading the )(index, Surge, and Volante, the latter racing close in shore. The Musq'rito and Surge now began to steal away from the others. The Astarte had gone about astern of all the others first. The Mosquito immediately drew away from the Surge, and the order by the Lower Pier at Gravesend was Mosquito, Surge, Volante, Astarte last. Nearing East Thbury the Mosquito was leading by some lengths, the Volante and Vindex crossing each other on different boards. Soon after this the Mosquito was two beards ahead of the second boat, and showing her fine turn ing prop rties as in days of yore. The Surge was at this time fourth, and the Astarte last. In the lower part of the Reach the Mosquito bad slightly increased her lead. The Astarte and the Volaete were now engaged in a very fine race, when the Volante was by accident unfortunately put hors de combat. The Volante it was thought did not turn so fast to windw ar d as f ormer l y , an d th e Astarte having dis posed of the Surge by passing her on the same tack, had become almost l eve l w ith th e V o l an te. The Astarte going about under the l e e of the Volante, and not being quick enough her boom caught the topmast stay of the Volante, broke her mast, which, falling, broke the gaff and her toTY sail hung over the mainsail to leeward. This was entirely the effect of accident, and, being so, no protest was made by the owners of the injured craft. This left the Astarte second, the Vindex third, and the purge fourth. Half-way down the Lower Hope the Mosquito was still a ~ ^,ouple of boards a-head, the Vindex and Astarte holding a fine iase for the second place. At the middle Thigh Buoy the Mosquito still led as before, the struggle for second place continuing between the Vindex and Astarte ; but on arriv ing at the Chapman the Astarte went ahead of her, the one being on the port and the other on the starboard tack, the Astarte holding a very good wind, but, as it was thought, being somewhat slow in stays. Off Southend the Astarte forereached the Mosquito, both being on the starboard tack ; but in the next board the Astarte, being hampered by a schooner, had to bear up, and thus give the Mosquito an advantage, by which she profited, and so main took the lead. The Astarte and Vindex now shifted their topsails, and set jib-headed ones; but the Astarte again gradually overhauled the Mosquito, the wind freshening, and went into first place, which she continued to hold till rounding the steamer. Throughout the journey down, the Vindex had proved herself a very fine yacht to windward. There was a signal of protest by the Vindex against the Astarte for not giving way when upon the port tack, as she was bouni to do, but it was not persevered in. The rounding was as follows : H. M.S. 1 Astarte 2 Mosquito 3 Vindex 4 Surge 3 20 25 In rounding the Viudes broke the jaws of her gaff. They all now spanked up before the wind with a flowing sheet and good flood tide under them, and nothing occurred worthy of notice upon the return, the race finishing in the following times and order : H, M. S. 1 Astarte 2 Mosquito 3 Vindes 4 Surge . 5lB 35 Of the third• class match we are not able to say much, for the reason before assigned. The Vampire, Satanella, and Dudu were very smart in setting their canvas and getting away, but the Zerlina and the Alexandra were somewhat slower, The first three were soon in trim, but the Zerlina getting her peak halyards foul was thrown astern of the others. Placed in a line below the others they also made a board to the north shore, and the Vampire soon after the start took a decided lead, which she held some distance up, There was some fine sailing between the Alexandra and Dudu, and was continued to Thames Haven, where the Alexandra led, the Dudu second, and Vampire third. but ou approaching the Chapman, the wind freshening, the Vampire passed her boats and took the first place, and from that point continued to lead all the way down. No time was kept at the turning boat, but the following is the order in which they rounded : Vampire three minutes ahead. Dada second, by a minute. Alexandra one minute ahead of the Zerlina, which was six minutes before the Satanella. They kept the same order all the way home, finishing as follows : H. M. S 1. Vampire 2. Dudu - 55 3 3. Alexandra 4. Satanella Z2rlina, not timed. The noble Commodore then presented Mr. A. Duncan, of the Vindex, with the fi-st prize of his class, and Mr. Houldsworth, of the Mosquito, with the second, winning by time ; Captains Cermoran and Baldock, the owners of the Vampire and Dudu, with the prizes of their class. Too much praise cannot be given to Mr. Watt, the steward of the Princess of Wales, ',for the excellence of the provi sions on board, SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. HERALD.—"Atdo toi, Dieu Caldera." The manly and self-reliant motto of the Confederate States seemed at first a too arrogant challenge to their enemies end to the world. When four years ego the new republic drew its sword and threw away the scabbard, its case appeared desperate to those at a distance who calmly cacniated the chances of its success or failure. The Northern and Southern peoples of the late Union, sprung from th.: Fame stock and nurtured in the same traditions, did not se:ern 80 dissimilar that either side could he supposed to ha 7 9 a moral advantage which would neutralise a dis parity in numbers. Subtract from them the doubtful populations of the Border States, and we have less than six millions of Southerners to con • tend with at least twenty millions of Northern men. It did not seem possible at first that the small minority should succeed in asserting its rights without the actiNe assistance of powerful friends. No such friends volunteered to the rescue, and most of us regarded the cause of in th.pendence as loot, and looked pityingly nn the Southerners as doomed men. The event has most happily disappointed such melancholy forebodings. We are now in the middle of the fourth year of tee war, and at every point of the wide battle-field the Southerners have by this time the best of it. hope less, desperate, in the last stage of exhaustion of money and men, the North has braced itself up for one more convulsive onslaught on the Confederate lines. Fresh as at Ctrs!, and stimulated with con fidence gained by repeated victory, with resources which are but just developing, and a supply of material and men who seem to spring from the ground in their country's need, the South has set itself defiantly against the mighty hosts of its an tagonist, and hurled them back, bleeding and wounded from the lines of Richmond. Such a spec tacle as this has never been seen in the world. It is satisfactory to find that now and then the right can triumph over might—that the just cause, however weak, can prevail by the mere reason of the confidence in its justice, which arms the breasts of its champions with tri9le steel. The Southerners have acted up to their have motto and well earned their reward. They have, grandly proved themselves a nation, and have earned the applause of Europe, of the world, and of posterity'. We may venture already to speak of this campaign of Lee as the greatest of the many triumphs of a great gene ral. If his previous exploits had not earned it, his successful resistance to the immense army of Grant would have vindicated for him, alone among Ame rican generals of this second revolutionary war, the title to rank with the great captains of Europe. He is probably the only man in America who knows how to handle au army of 100,000 men. The attacks made upon him have been disjointed attacks, each by a general of a division of 30,000 or 40,000 men. There has been no effective combination between his assailants. Sedgwicl sloes not come up until Hancock is defeated. Burnside is somewhere in the rear while Warren is being annihilated. The whole mass of the Confederate army, kept well in hand, and played altogether like the pieces on a vest chessboard, has been set at work to crush these generals in detail. Vigour is, doubtless, a quality most essential for a soldier, and this military attribute may be claimed for Genera/ Grant. But the history of the campaign so far confirms the opinion which We Ventured to express at the out set, that in science and strategy, the qualities which command success in such extended operations, Grant is a mere infant in the hands of Lee. The statements of Northern telegrams, and the com ments made upon them in Europe, as to the repulse of Lee and his retreat over a -rest extent of country, are known by this time to be fictitious and illusory. He has not been defeated. In all the sanginary struggles from the 6th to the 13th he was victorious. He gained tWo pitched battles—one at Wilderness, on the 6th; the Other at Spottsylvania, on the 12th. He has not retreated Otee d single mile of ground, but has assumed and successfully defended the posi tion which from the very first he intended to occupy, which is eight miles sont:-.-east of the Rapi dan fords, and bars the road to Rich;,"_ond. Wit h his camp behind and in front of the Ce; River, he fights behind earthworks which were lane:?' - ously constructed under his directions after the battle of Gettysburg. On hilly vantage ground, or in thick woods where the Confederate soldier, invisible to the enemy, cm shoot him down at his leisure, the guns and rifles of the Southern army can play with most deadly effect on bodies of the enemy which may imperil themselves on the plain in front. In the battle of the 12th the advantages of this position were well seen. The losses of the Confederates are supposed to have borne no comparison with those of the army of Grant. The slaughter of the Federals was such as has no parallel in history. Whole regiments have disap• peered from the muster-roll, whole divisions have been annihilated. There is no room for the wounded in the town of Fredericksburg, where the open streets have been turned into hospital wards, and the foot of man and horse stumbles as it treads on the gaunt prostrate forms of dead and dying. 'The wisdom of Lee's strategy has b een t err ibly v indi cated in a judgment which recalls to the minds of remorseful Northerners the destruction of the host of Sennacherib by the breath of God. It will take 100,000 men to repair the gaps that have been na Ade in the Federal army, and with what sort of confidence can thi s h e t aco mb of fresh victims be expected to march to the death for a broken Union, whose knell has now been sounded on these blood-stained Virginian fields P General Grant has paid the penalty of his over weening presumption. M'Clellan long ago pro nounced the direct advance to Richmond to be utterly impracticable. Hooker attempted it and was ruined. Meade reconnoitered it, and coin• cided in the opinion of M'Ciellan. Grant, nothing daunted, rushed forward and gave battle on the presumption that in the long run two men must conquer one, this being the simple secret of his vaunted strategy. It is possible, that when he crossed the Rapidan at Germania Ford, Grant in tended a flank march upon Richmond, by wey 9f Gordonsville, where he would have approached is on the went side, comparatively undefended. Le; rendered this movement impossible by moving for ward at once and attacking Grant at Wilderness. He turned his right wing, and cut him off from Germania Mills and the Rapidan River, driving . him eastward upon Fredericksburg as a base of operations, and leaving him no choice but to take th e direct road to Richmond or retreat. Having accomplisnafi his purpose in the battle of the 6th, Lee again took tic his impregnable position at Spot!- sylvania, against Nv - ;2ich Grant has hurled 1115 legions in vain. When tha' Federals are sufficiently exhausted it will ba Ger.-teal Lee's ttnn to atatime the offensive. POST.—The debate on our Chinese policy, which about a month since was abruptly brought to a con clusion by a "count out," was resumed las'a evening by Mr. Cobden. Mr. Cobden suggested ibr our existing difficulties might he overcome, and all escape effected from an embarrassing situation, bY, the establishment of free ports and the confinement of our trading operations to places thus subjected to our own immediate jurisdiction. But, as Mr... Layard observed, Shanghae and Hong Kong are &- the present moment free ports, and the estahlishmena . of others could only be effected by the cession to us of Formosa and some other islands in the Chin a Seas. This cession would, hetsvever, be refused by the Chinese Government, for the very sufficient reason that the establishment of a number of free ports would enable us to absorb the entire of the external trade of the empire. But wheeler this were so or not, we should find ourselves oblig 4nl to adopt the same measures for their protection and . for the maintenance of our commercial relations with the interior which we are now compelled to employ, nor could we ever hope to isolate ourselves completely from the country which would constitute the base of our operations. It has bees more than once asserted that we are assisting th e , Chinese Government to suppress a rebellion ; and thereby departing from that broad line of po;lol which we have for at least half a century pre - scribed to ourselves in respect to the internal dis sensions of foreign States. This is, however, a grave error. To us it is a matter of indifference what dynasty rules at Pekin. But we are obliged to recognise a de facto Government, and more especially so because it manifests a desire of keep' ing faith with us. The Taepings are in arms ostensibly for the purpose of subverting the exist: ing Government, but in reality for the sake 0. 1 plundering every town into which they can effect all entrance. No one affects to doubt what would be the consequences if Shanghae fell into the bands of the Taepings. It would be given over to indis criminate pillage, and such of the inhabitants as remained in it probably put to the sword , If the rebels were actuated by the motives which in other countries not unfrequently lead a section of the population to resist the established Govern ment, it might be an open question whether wo welejustified in aiding the Emperor of China . to resist nis revolted s u bj ec t s , b u t un d er p r esent cir cumstances no alternative is left us but to co-operate with the authorities in resisting a common enemy But we content ourselv es w ith ac ti ng on the de fensive. We have not sent an army to China to assist the Emperor in subduing the Taepings ; we are satisfied with taking measures to prevent their encroaching on territory which, though not abso lutely ours, we are justified in considering under our protection. Our position in China may be anomalous, and our relations with the Imperial Go. vernment may be peculiar, but the former could not be abandoned, nor the latter seriously modified without jeopardising the lives and property of large numbers of individuals who have taken up their residence and invested their capital in China in the belief that they were entitled to claim the protee• non of the British Government. COUNTRY MARKETS. LIVERPOOL-TUESDAY. There was a good attendance both of town and country dealers at market to-day, and more business was done than for a long time past. Wheat met with a good consume' tive demand at id to 2d per 100 lb dearer on the sveyk• Flour more inquired for, but nominally unaltered in price' Oats and oatmeal a slow sale, the latter article especially. In Indian corn there was a limited business, and quoted 3d per qr dearer, Barley, beans, and peas were steady at pre vious rates. • SHEFFIELD—TUESDAY. At our market to-day there was a small supply O f wheat in bulk. Higher prices were asked, but eventually a fair business was done at last week's extreme rates• Beans and barley at late rates. Oats advanced slightlY. Flour atd other articles as before. fled wheat, per load of 3 imperial bushels...lss Od to 16s Oa White /1 ...17s Od to 18s Od ' New red New white „ Beans fl ..15s Od to 16s Od ...17s Od to 18s Od ...15s Gd to 17s 00 Peas, per qr 40s Od to 44s Od Grinding barley, per qr 29 s Od to 30s OA Malting ditto, „ 32s Od to 35s Od Oats 9 9 l9B Od to 2 4 s Od Flour; is 4d to is Sd per 14 lb. MARKET HARBOROUGH—TrEsDAY. White wheat, 41s to 41s ; red, 36s t 0398 per 36 stone• Malting barley at 30s to 35s per qr.; grinding, 26s to 2 8 ! per 30 st, Oats, old, 24s to 278; niw, 20s to 238 per 30 at. ; beans, 36s to 42s per qr. MELTON MOWBRAY—TUESDAY. The following were the currencies :—New white wheat , 408 Od to 43s Od ; new red, 36s Od to 39s per 36 stone ; beans, 38s to 40s for old; new sorts, 35s to 37s per 33 st. . barley, 338 to 35s,for malting, and 27s to 29s per qr. I ° l grinding; new oats, 198 to 23s Od per 24 stone; old, 2 4i to 285., LEEDS-TUESDAY. There was a small show of fresh grain this week, and fair business was done in wheat, last Tuesday's rates being rather exceeded, Oats and beans were firm, Averages—May 30—Wheat 39s 5d per qr. —Barley 31s B,ld —Oats. ~20s ltd - - —Beans 35s Gd - -- —Peas .30s Od BRISTOL —TUESDAY. There was a moderate att en d ance o f m ill ers today, 9 ' la but a very inactive business doing. English and foreig li ,, wheat held for is per qr more money. Barley dull. 00,7 a trifle easier. B eans ma d e ls above late rates. Peas an d other spring corn dull. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. June IS• via Marseilles June I'2. Brazil and Cape Yards, by British packet. June s. ri Cape of Go o d H o p e , A scens i on , an d S t. H e l ena J un e 2 " . China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. June , via Marseilles June L'" Falkland Islands.. Gibraltar, via Southampton June 2. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton June 2• via Marseilles June 12. India (Bombay), via Southampton J une 11. via Marseilles June 5• Portugal.... Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton June 2. via Marseilles June 5 Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo .. If. S. and British N. America, Ey Brit. packet.... June g. by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packet. June 3- Al! parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, 1 June 10. California. and British Columbia.. [ADTERTISE]LENT.I—RoIIoway'e Ointment and Pills.l Conclusive Evidence.—Scarcely a day passes withq: leaving behind it some proof of the curative powers of IP% loway's world-esteemed Ointment and Pills. A lady writeg from Allerton, Notts, on the 7th March, 1864,—" l ie ! leave to state that a few weeks ago I had the misfortune to bruise my leg most severely. To my great surprise 0 13 ,.„ inexpressible delight, your wonderful remedi e s were 13 " sooner applied than they gave me ease, stopped inftanir°,; tion, and made a perfect cure in an incredibly short tireel , Testimonials such as the foregoing, whi c h m i g ht be mul tiplied to any extent, should console the afilicted, and give hope to the de=pairing, when worn out by maladies seem unrelievable. Births. ------ COCPER.—On the 28th ult., at 5, Bryanston• square, wife of Lieut.,Colonel Edw a rd C oo p er , o f a son al l daughter. CAPEL.—On the 31st ult , at 25, Princes•square, 1 3351‘ water, the wife of Arthur R. Capel, Esq., of a son. LAMBERT.—On the 28th ult., at The Lodge, Great Ml"' vern, Lady Lambert, of a son. WILSON,—On the 29th ult., at East Hill, Wandsworth'the wife of G. F. Wilson, Esq., F.R,S., of a son. Marriages. DIVIES.—GIL2ERT.—On the 21st ult., at Mayfield , Sg t s ; sex, Mr. G. Clement Davies, of 5, Love-lane, Loud oo, Caroline, only daughter of Mr. W. Gilbert, Morel Rouse, Mayfield. St. STUBBS.—Conr.—On the 25th ult., et the Church of Martin-on-thc-Bill, Scarborough, Wm Themes St lies' Esq., second son of the Rev. George Stubbs, of Roclil. ter, Durham, to Anne Cramond, eldest daughter of Corp, Esq., of Kensington, Middlesex, Deaths. Not' BVIIDEN.—On the 29th ult., at Ladbroke-place, E. 9 ting-hill, Miss Sarah Burden, formerly of 31, PiccadiltY, aged 71. -r , ncig FRANKLIN.—On the 25th ult., at Leamington , • Franklin, Esq„ M.D., aged 85. Geo. LEwts.—On the 29th ult., at Bryanston-street , W. Lewis, Es., agol 62. Puim,f2s.—On q the 29th ult., at Clapham, Philip E,q., aged 62. Uougt 3l WHEELER.—On the 29th ult., at Belgrave - g ate Leicester, Thomas Wheeler, aged 65. -0 w' WRIGHT.—On the 29th ult., at his residence, hill, Robert Wright, Esq., of the Corn Exebange• ' lane, aged 75. London : Primed and Prbffslied by WILLIAM AND 02, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at 'IRE Surt Office Strand, , n the Precinct of the 'savoy, n the Counl MitellemeX.—Wednes clay, June 1, 1861.