The Sun. — London, England, 1863-06-12 00:00:00

SEA —FELLOWS nntl CO., Shipbrolzerß, 127, F enehurch-gtreet, E.C, require MIDSTITPMEN and OUR First-class APPRENTICF,-; in an A 1 cliff per India nian. 1,50 ) tons. P)emitim moderate, returne in wages. AISO stout L a d s, w i t h out prem i um , for other ships. Wages 435. SEA. —MIDSHIPMEN required for splendid ships for Australia and India. Premium, 50 to 60 wanted, may be paid in two instalments. Apprentices also with and without premium.—Apply to W. Suther ;and, ship and passage broker, 11, Fenchurch-buildings, by 107, F enchurch-street. Established 1851. SEA —VAC kNCIES fnr MIDSHIPMEN And APPRENTICES in a first-class London shipping-firm. x :rernium mod.rate. Al o ,ipprenti . es without pr(mium.— A.Pply to SIMIIoNDS and Co.. 38, St. Mary-at-hill, East cheap, E.C. Third aficers and Stewards wanted. ATLANTIC AND GREAT WESTERN RAILWAY. TOK ) C OUPONS DUE W Ist Jul y next DIVISION. will be PAID ; in London, at the Cans lidated Bank (Limited), 4, Lombard - street , Lon - QT.), at the rate of to the dollar. London, No. 2, Old Bead-street, June 9, 1963. VAST AND WEST INDIA DOCK COM PANY.—The Court of Dire -tors of the East and West -India Dock Company hereby give notice, that the Transfer Rooks of the said Comnany will be Shut on Saturday, th e 20th day of June, and Open again on Friday, the 3d day of July, 1863. By order of the Court, GEORGE coLLrN, s ecretary. East and West India Dock House, Billiter-.quare, sth June, 1 c 3. N°. 22,139 MRS. BROTHERTON'S :-ELY r oVEL.. _ Now ready, at all the Libraries, in 3 vols., REbPECIABLEs SINNERS. By MRS. BROTHERTON, Author of "Arthur Brandon." "A very attractive novel."—Sun. Hurst and Blackett, 13, Great Marlborough-street. Now ready at all the Libraries, in 3 vols., THIRD EDI I'ION " „ LOST AND SAVED." By the Hon. MRS. NORTO N. ' Lost and S ave d' i s a novel of ra e exce llence ; fresh in its thought, artistic in its grouping!, shrewd and • übtle in its eharac,er-painting an d with a brave soul sp eakin g through it. It is Mrs:Norton's best prose work ; and, dis tinctively original, as every work r-f' true genius must be, its place is beside the best contemporar. . fiction."—Examiner. Hurst and Blackett, 13, Great Marlborough-street. Second Edition, donßevise d Enlarged, with numerous Illustrati, £2 10s. 6d., E LEMENTS of CHWIEMISTRY, Theoretical and . P rac ti ca l. ByWILLIAM ALLEN MILLER, M.D. F.R.S., Professor of Chemistry, King's College. Loudon. PART L—CHEMICAL PHYSICS. 1 , s. 6d. lI.—INORGANIC CEiE wiltaiiY. 20s. M.-O,iGANIC CHEMISTRY. 20s. London: Parker, Son, and Bourn, West Strand. THE SECOND EDITION.-MR. HENRY KINGSLEY'S NEW NOVEL, AU S TIN ELL IO T, Is now ready, 2 vols., 21s. Macmillan and Co., 23, Henrietta-street, Covent-garden ; and Cambridge. Now ready at all the Libraries, crown Bvo., price 65., BEAUTIES OF TROPICAL SCENERY. and Ot er TROPICAL POEMS. With Notes, His torical and Explanatory. By the Author of "The Nuptials of Barcelona." " This work contains many heauties_"—Morning Post "A volume of word pictures."—Observer. "His descriptions make the reader's mouth water for the luxuries and charms of both sea and land in those parts."— Era. "They offer an enticing picture."—Parthenon. London: Robert Hardwicke, 192, Pfccadt ly. Now ready at all the Libraries, A NEW NOVEL, BY THE REV. J. PYCROFT, Author of " Twenty Years in the Church," ii)R A GON'S TEETH 2 vols., post Bvo., cloth boards, price 21e. A.D. 1720. R OYAL EXCHANGE ASSURANCE CORPORATION (Established by Charter of his Majesty George the First) FOR SEA, FIRE, LIFE, AND ANNUITIES. Offices, Royal Exchange, London. Branch Office, 29, Pall-mall. OCTAVIUS WIGRAM, Esq., Governor. GEORGE PEARRES BARCLAY, Esq., S u b-G ov ernor. Sir JOHN HENRY P ELLY, Bart., Dputy-Governor. DIRECTORS. Henry Bainbridge, Esq. Wilmot Holland, Esq. Ronert Barclay, Es q. Earl of Leven and Melville. John Garratt Cattley, Esq' Chas. Jno. Manning, Esq. Mark Currie Close, Es Henry Nelson, Esq. William Davidson, Esq The Hon. Josceline W. Percy. Thomas Dent, Esq. Charles Robinson, Esq. Alexander Druce, Esq. Samuel Leo schuster, Esq. Fredk. Jos. Edlmann, Esq. Eric Carrington Smith, Esq. Rive rsdale W. Grenfell, Esq. William Soltau, Esq. obt. Amad eus Heath, Esq . Joseph Somes, Esq., M.P. Tetlow Hibbert, Esq.' William Wallace. FAQ. °as. Stewart Hodgson, Esq. Chas. Baring Young, Esq. Medical Referee, SAMUEL SOLLY, Esq., F.R.S. NOTICE.— [he usual fifteen days allowed for payment of FIRE PREMIUMS falling due at Midsummer will expire on 4th July. FIRE and LIFE ASSURANCES may be effected with this f 'crporation on advantageous terms. In the Life Department, assurances are granted with par ticipation in Profits, or, at lower Premiums, without such Participation. The Reversionary Bonus on British Policies has averaged nearly 2 per cent. per annum on the sum assured. Equivalent reductions have been made in the Premiums ayable by persons who preferred that form of Bonus. The divisions of Profit take piaci:. every Five years. Any sum not exceeding £15,000 may be insured on one Life. This Corporation affords to the Assured— Liberal participation in Profits—with exemption from the liabilities of partnership. A rate of Bonus equal to the average returns of Mutual Societies—with the guarantee of a large invested Capital Stock. The advantages of modern practice,—with the security , of an Office whose resources have been tested by the ex perience of nearly a CENTURY AND A HALF. The Corporation have always allowed the Assured to serve in the Militia, Yeomanry, or Volunteer Corps within the United Kingdom, free of charge. ROYAL EXCHANGE, LONDON. ROBT. P. STEELE. Secretary. THE ADELAIDE (NORTH ARM) PORT AND RAILWAY 14:XTENSEON AND LAND COM PANY, SOUTH AUSTRALIA (Limited). Capital £4')0,000, in 20, , 00 shares of £?0 each. Flrst issue 10,000 shares. Depo -it. 10s. per share. sr , d 10s. on allotment. Calls not to exceed £3, at intervals of' not less than hree months. A Portion of the capital reserved for the Colony. lye per cent. per annum guaranteed during the construct►on _ of the works. Payments will be received in advance of calls. DIRECTORS. Georze Lathom Brown, Esq. (Director of the Cape Town Dock and Railway Company), Old Broad-s reet, London. Lord Robert Cecil, M.P., 11, Duchess-street, Portland-place, London l 'rederick , Doulton, Esq., M.P. (Director of the London and je, ol olaial Bank). Manor nous , Dulwich. ° J. III Henry Harri-on, Esq. (Messrs. J. H. Harrison and Co., Australian Merchants), Gresham-street, Lond.in. Marshall. Esq (Messrs. Wilson, Bowles, and Co., Mer benants) 9, Mincing-lane, London, E.C. Ran Alex ,nder IVcArthur ; Messrs. W. an i A. M'Arthur, Australian Merchants), 46, Moorgate-stri et, London. George Peacock, Esq., Australian lerchant, 1, Lime-street- Eq are, London Albert Pelly, Esq. (Messrs. A. Pelly and Co., Merchants), Finch-lane, London, E C, lienry Spicer, Esq (Messrs. E. and H. Spicer, Merchants), London and Adelaide. LOCAL BOARD. Hon. John Baker (late Member of the Legislative Council), A delaide. Bon. George Hawker (Speaker of the Legislative Assembly), Adelai e. Captain Lipson, R.N. (late Harbour Master), Adelaide. Hon. Col. O'Halloran ( llember of the Legislative Council), Adelaide. Hon. ; hos. Reynolds, M.P. (late Chief Secretary), Adelaide. Hon. Abraham Scott, M.L.C., :Vier hant, Adelaide. BAP RI RS. Messrs. Barclay, Bevan, i ritton, and Co., Lombard-street, London. South Australian Banking Company, Adelaide. BROKERS. Messrs. A. Scrutton and Son, 81, Old Broad-street. London. SOLICITORS. Messrs, Phi Mrs and Son, 11, Abehurch-lane, London. SECRETARY—W. 11. Payne, ESQ. Offices-36, Old Broad-stre_t, London, E.C. PROSPECTUS. 1. This company is formed for the purpose of affording sore convenient accommodation for the shipp'ng and com merce of the colony of South Australia under the following ci rcumstances 11. The colony of South Australia, with its mineral and agricultural products, is admittedly rich I , ' al: things which ton tend to create an extensive and prosperous trade with D, 'her countries, and thing retards its elevation to the convenienteint of commercial prosperity so much as the want Of and sufficient accommodation for the shipping r esorting thereto. lhat portion of the Port of Adelaide to which the shipping at present resorts is about seven miles rom the city of that name, and situated at the extremity of an arm of the Lea, which a ft er l eav i ng the po i n t k n own as the North Arm "” tunes a narrow and tortuous channel, two miles and three quarters in length, difficult to navigate withou. grounding, and except at flood tide and with a favourable wind inacces sible to vessels without th expense of a steam-tug ; this ter • Urinates in shoal water, where vessels are crowded t , gether ,, for the most part uround, subject to all the risks of brokenl ribs, broken backs, and conflagration —nor can these, diead vantages and rho. s be remedied at the present shipping place, as the water is shoaling up every year, and with a.l the pre sent heavy and constant expense inc. rred in dredging can not be sufficiently deepened for vessels to lie afloat. (See Appendix.) IV. The serious and important nature of this question has frequentlyengaged the attention of the Colonial Government and Parliament, and it may be sale.y affirmed that the effect of the testimony of success! e Governors and other authori ties, colonists and shipping masters resorting to the port has down to the present day b en condemnatory , f the "resent sh pping place and in favour of the North A m, as affording the requisite 'Belittles for accommodating a large amount of shipping of all class, and of becoming, as originally in tended, and still desired, the permanent part for Adelaide. (See Appendix.) V. A. the North Arm is a magnificent sheet of deep Water land-locked, forming a natural basal of great extent, With smooth water and of easy navigation for vessels of the largest burden ; and the site ~ e lected by the Company, unlike the adjacent land, is eli vated above the highest flood, has d eep water in immediate proximity to the shore, and an abundant supply of fresh water, with a frontage to the harbour of over 3,t 00 feet in length for wharf purposes, and of over 1.500 lateral y, immediately abutting on the site re served for Government Graving Docks. VI. An adv. ntageous arr-ngement has been made with the proprietors of t e land require,i for the purposes of the Company, by which nearly two-thirds of the purchase money will be taken in eferred shares, to remain in the h Inds of the directors, on terms securing to the shareholders a priority of dividend t o th e extent of 5 per cent., till the profits yield sufficient to pay that amount of dividend on the aggregate of the p rid-up capital and deferred shares. The remaining one third is to be paid in cash, at pe lode favour able to the shareholders. The property secured is about 700 acres (extending from the river across Lefevre's peninsula, about one mile in breadth to the Gulf Anchorage), to be con nected with tire western bank by means of a steam floating bridge, and the Company has also arranged to purchase on favourable terms additional land on the we-tern bank oppo- Hite the site already secured, with a view to bringing both aides of the harbour within the sphere of the Company's Operations. VII. IL is intended to construct upwards of 2,000 feet of wharf frontage at once, v here vesseis of the largest tonnage may lay alongside, and to erect wharves, warehouses, and other conveniences, affording ample accommodation to the Shipping resorting to the port. Also an extenre on of two utiles of railway to complete the line already laid down by the Government, from the city of Adelaide to the North Arm, and a shore line of four-and-a-half miles to the D:y-Creek Station, on the Great North and Murray River Railway, thereby effecting a saving of 1 , miles of carriage between the great producing districts and the port of the colony, Vile As proving the opening afforded for additional ship accommodation by the increasing prosperity of the colony, the cOmmercP.l returns show that !he exp ir. s and impor s for the year 1850 amountea to £1,416,389. that of' 1860 to .£3,423,107, and that of 861 to £4,0 ,, 3,165, the wharf dues upon which amount to upwards of £30,000 per annum Ix. The frontage of the proposed wharves, extending for upwards of half a mile, where vessels drawing upwards of 20 feet of water can come alongside at low water, offers such superior aavantages as must obviously secure a large propor tion of this business, and thus a very large return t o th e shareholders, as by col onial law the wharf clue-. for all goods landed are levied according. to regulated tariff. Other impor tant sources of revenue are nsupplied by the rental of commo dl warehouses included theestiamt estimates, than £12,000 a , the aggregate r ental of which cannot be estimated _ Year; also by the railways, land, and other t r h e e nt o a p ls e . ra w t h th ic n h a Will accrue from the large population which of the company wi'l atract to their property. of X. The cost of the undertaking, incladrinarlwtahyeepoumrcmh a the land, the construction of wharyes 9 , n 0 umn purchase c tion, and the e ection of warehouses e t vi he a r ed aro aa m d m e o a d t a i - - tion above-mentioned, has been carefully revised, E at a sum within mated by the late companyM the first iss , e of the p'. capital. •It is also estimated that the whole of this amount will not be required for twa Years. Responsible contractors are prepared to works within th e eatimat . Any f ur ther capital willonly execute the be raised as th e increase of business and the advantage of the company requires. XI. The proprietors of the land will place in the possession of the directurs s curittes to pay spercent. per annum on the paid-up capital until the wnees are so far completed , as to en able the directors to commencedes the business of th" ammo any. XII, The dire ct rs tent advanta, es offered t r y re th to draw attention to the im or refer to the map .ande present undertaking, and con fidentlyin the appendix, which ernb tine official documents set forth ces the site of the Company's property, as estabtishiner the necessity for, and the nighty proposeda works. remunerative character of, th Prospectuses, with maps an e ti at th brokers, solinitors, and of ialdixes. can be obtsinel on sTretary at th e Com pany's offices, 36. Old Br oa d- street, FORM OF APPLICATION Fort SII"A. E s R C. To the Directors of the Adel a id e (North Arm Port snd Rail- So u th Australia way Ext (Limited)ension and Laud Company, Gentlemen,—Having paid to your, blahnekreerbs;3r eqsuserss Barclay Bevan, Bevan, and Co., the sum of £ witl allot me shares of £2O each in the Adelaide (North Arm) Port and Railway Extension and Land Company, Australia (Limit d) ; a d I hereby agre e to accept suc,ag.oruth"' pursuant to the articles cif association, or any smaller num ber that may he allotted to me, and to p ay the calls on ti shares allotted. And I request you to place my n ame on the register of shareholders.—l a ce, Gentlemen, your obedient servant, Usual signature Name in full Address in full Date L. Booth, 307, Regent-street, W. TO CHRISTIANS THROUGHOUT THE WORLD.—An ADDRESS from the CHRISTIANS of ALL DENOMINATIONS in the CONFEDERATE STATES of AID RIuA, signed by ne,rly One Hundred Ministers of the Ga,spel, in THE INDEX of June 11.—Pub li-hed every Thursday, at 13, Bouvezie-street, Fleet street, E. C. Price Ed. THE CZAR'S DREAM. by " JOHN DAVIS," with Anticipations of Bibury and Stoc bridge, by " BEAcoti" slate of Re l's Life); and all the Spotting News of the Week-see THE SPORTING GAZETTE (Limited) of SATURDAY, June 13, the only p per that prophecied Ma caroni and Lord Clifden first and second for the Derby, Queen Bertha for the Oaks, and the Ranger for the Grand. Prix de Paris.—Price 3d .• Stamped. 4d. Office-14. York street, Covent-garden ; and to be had of all newsagents. T HE tiTRE ROYAL DRURY-LANE, JUNE 39, 1P63. •+ Grand MELANGE DRAMATIQUE will take place in AID of the FUNDS for a NATIONAL METROPOLITAN MONUMENT to SHAKESPEARE, under the immediate Patronaze of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Prin cess of Wales, before whom 60 eminent artistes will have the honour of appearing. -Hon. Sec., Mr. Adolphus Francis, 43, Cumberland-street, Hyde-park. S. THALBERG'S FAREWELL. STITALBERG'S FAREWELL MATINEE • in London, at the ANOVER-SQUARE ROOMS, on MONDAY next, June 15. Stalls, 21s. ; family tickets, to admit four, 3 guineas ; unre served seats, 10s. 6d. ; to be had at the libraries and music sellers, and of Mr. Fish, Hanover-square HOOmS, where the plan of the seats may be seen. HALF-CROWN TICKE fS for TO-MoRROW'S GRAND CONCEEr at the CRYSTAL PALACE.— Re,,erved Stalls and Gui Lea Season Ti.kets at 2, EXETER_ HALL. Open until Eight o'clock This Evening. NO. 2. EXETER HALL.-ARTOT, PAREPA DELLE SEDIE, FIICCA, and LOTTO, at TO. MORROW'S CRYSTAL PAL , CE CONCERT. Half-Crown Tickets up to Eight o'clock To-Night. The rice of Tickets To-morrow will be Five z•hillings. A few Reserved Stalls Half-a-Crown. Apply early. SAWYER'S FAMOUS LONDON DINNER FOS THIS DAY. At 2s. 6d. each Person. SOUPS. Asparagus. Julienne. FISH. Mackerel, Maitre d'Hotel. Fried Fillets of Whitings. ENTREES. Grenadin an Petit Pois. .Escollops of Mutton, sauce Tomate. JOINTS. Roast Beef. Roast Mutton. SWEETS. Tapioca Puddings. Lemon Jellies. Cheese and Salad. An extensive and carefully selected stock of FRENCH, RHENISH, MOSELLE, and other WINES, imported ex pressly for the London Dinner. THE LONDON, 191, FLEET-STREET. THOXF O R D, e, OXFORD STREET. Every Evening will be performed Selections from the following Operas : Verdi's LA FORZA. DEL DES LINO ; and Flotow's MA RTIIA. Supported by Miss Russell, Miss Townley, &c.; Messrs. Albert, Green, Bernardi, Finish, Kimberley, and W. Evans, with full band and chorus. Conducted by Mr. Jonghmans. Drew Dean's Flute Solos UNSWORTH, the modern Demosthenes. Eugene, W. Randall, J. Hutch enson, awl the mat vellous ARTHUR and BERTRAND. "These two Parisian clowns have carried the art of tumbling to apparently the highest pitch of perfection, and it is impossible even for the most staid of visitors to avoid b e ing amused by their origin 1 gambols. They elicit shouts of laughter and applause."—Times, April 7, 1863. CANTERBURY HALL AND FINE ARTS GALLERY. NOTICE. ENTIRE ('RANGE OF ENTERTAINMENT. this Evening the Marvellous ARTHUR and BERTRAND, the Two Fren h Clowns. ARTHUR LLOYD'S bur esque Drama, arranged cxpressly for him. A. B. HOLLINGSWORTH'S new Comiealities, &c, SAM COLLINS, with new Songs. UNSWOR the celebrated Stump Orator. EUGENE, and G. HUTCHINSON. GRAND SELECTIONS fr , m OPERAS, GLEES, and CANTATAS. Principal Arti.tes - Mips Russell. Miss Townley ; Mr. Green, Signor finnan, and Signor Tivoli. Conductor, Mr. Jonghmans. Admission -Ball, ed. ; stalls and balcony, is. ROYAL ALHAMBRA PALACE.—lmmense Success of the Great Spanish Gymnasts, the RISARELIS. TIOYAL ALHAMBRA PALACE. This magnificent Building, the Best Ventilated and Coolest Place of Resort in London, 14 OPEN DAILY from Twelve to Five FREE OF CHARGE. The Choicest Wines and Refreshments. ARGYLL R 0 0 M S.-JULLIEN'S PR' MENADE CONCERTS. NOTICE.—Duri g the Week the Selections will be—" Der Friesehntz "—" ' a Forza del Deetino "—"Il Trovatore " "Don Giovanni," &o. LEVY, the greet wonder on the Cornet-a-Pistcn, plays from half-past Nine to Twelve. Admission, ls. 29, GEORGE-STREET, HANOVER-SQUARE. THE LONDON ANATOMICAL MUSEUM, containing 1,200 Models, Natural Preparations, V onstro shies, dr,c., illustrating every part of the Human Frame ; also the Moving Anatomical Dying Zouavc, Julia Pastrana, &c. Admission, One z , hilling for Gentlemen only), from 10 till 10. Lecture at Four. Illustrated Catalogue free for two stamps. Address the Secretary, as above. M R. T. CARRICK begs to announce to hie Artist Friends and th e P u bli c, th a t hi s Photographic stablahment, 32, Regent-street, Piccadilly-circus, is now in full operation. Cartes de Visite, 10 for 10s. 6d; 21 for £l. Miniatures on Ivory, Marble, and the Photographic base in his former styles. T HE best TROUSERS for gentlemen to wear are those made by ELSTOB, of 60, New Bond-street. They are neither FO low in price as to necessitate their being carelessly put together, nor so dear as to gain only the wealthy as purchasers. "In media via tutissimus ibis." ELSTOB'S TROUSERS, TWENTY-ONE SHILLINGS PER PAIR. HOME and FOREIGN INQUIRY OFFI CE Confidential inquiries and legal investigations •rt vatelv instituted with the utmost fidelity and despatch ! ! in England and all parts on the Continent, by Mr. POLLAKY, 14, George-street, Mansion-house, E.C. THE FARMER'S -BAROMETER, 50g ne w Instrumen'„ by 1N egretti and Zambra, will a cor rectly indicate whether the Ba; ometer falls fbr Rain or for Wind. Particulars by enclosing stamp.-1, Hatton-garden; 57, Cornhill ; and 122, Regent-street. ANEVER FAILING REMED`i.-1 Dr. SCOTT'S BILIOUS and LIVER PILLS, pr e ar ed without any mercurial ingrzdient, from the recipe of DI. I eat, of Bromley, Kent, will be found invaluable to all who uffer from bilious and iver complaints, indigestion, wind. Puma, giddiness, izziness of the eyes, &o. For habitual i ostiveness, as a family aperient medicine, and as a purifier , t the blood, they 4re truly excellent; mild in their opera lon and grateful to he stomach, they create app e ite, pro- Tolt d edigestion, and strengthen the whole nervous system. YW. Lambert, 8, King William-street, Oa ring-cross. green t i mea ° l3 , and by most druggists, in boxew,l6. W.., and three Scott's he quantity in one. 2s. 9d. Be sure to ;Ask for Dr. Bilious and Liver Pills. The genuine are a square etampPaokage, with " William Lambert," cm:sired on the -,,-' ___...- / ._....... ,,N, . .•••,ati,..... - ...A - _ - - ..,_. - ..fiiii'mr- FA:, • 1 .-", • t - 2.,..-..i.m - 1 • "" , ' A • 1 _*.. ,IK ...,„ ), _,.Q.:th72w,„ ~. .i., ,,, ;. , ; ( ,. , •1 , Ikt,,- - i ..i ., - i 1.,, , ,, 4 , -"- ------- 17 1 - k.; • ' ---- '",..‘, , 1 41 4,44 4 " . 41 1 4 -'r ligi E I A - 5 :: ,,,i 1 1e " '.. ' 1 :1•V ';* . . ~ 1/ 4 \ fb \ A ti • .., la -. r „4 . a_ ~, ,},_..: . . - '149 1R0 • . --' ....,...„..4., ~,T, , , `-=‘, wiza-. --,......e, , t- -1 , . -4' t . - ti )141 101 , rr ' yoior*- ..," T ' ' . D tr • -' Xi, t'retha.",h.i.ll..k ' ti s 3)- ''' ' ': 4'..lr - -.4.- _ "L' . .': , ' ' PRICE.— -..4d. STAMPED ....sd. Wardens, and Court of Assistants ventured to offer for your Roy honorary freedom of a corporation ven erable for its Royal Highness's acceptance the antiquity, distinguished for its loyalty, and eminent ror its usefulness in dispensing its noble charities, and promoting education based on sound Christian principles. The gracious condescension with which your Royal Highness was pleased to intimate Tour acceptance of the freedom was gratifying to every , t w 'r le a d te g rn m i , t 7 : l - 8. o a t: ai N t ih t o ,o se lie b it eh o a c i r f m l iss t i c o g n save tender to your Royal Highness their most, member of o a f cli th n e o To enrol the name of your Royal Highness among its illustrious honorary members, and to welcome your Royal Highness to its hospitalities as a citizen and merchant tailor." His ROYAL HIGHNESS made the following reply : —Mr. Warden and Gentlemen,—lt is with a real pleasure that I have come here to take up my free dom of the Merchant Taylors' Company. The his tory of the princes of England who have become freemen of your ancient corporation has increased my ambition to follow their example. Were another motive wanting, it would be supplied by the revered and dear memory of him whose words on a similar occasion you have heard in this room where 1 now address you. The wealth and respectability of the Merchant Taylors proclaim the wisdom with which its affairs . are administered, and its widely-extended charities the spirit in which its wealth is used. The history of its educational establishments tells its own tale of the success which has attended the liberal principles and sound basis on which they are formed. Mr. Warden and gentlemen, I am proud to belong to a company which thus nobly works for the benefit of the human race, and I esteem it a honour to have my name enrolled among the freemen of the Mer chant Taylors' Company. The ceremony of admitting his Royal Highness to the freedom of the company having terminated his Royal Highness, accompanied by the honorary members and the master wardens and court of as sistants, repaired to the drawingroom and joined the many distinguished guests there assembled. At the banquet, which was shortly afterwards served in the hall, an extraordinary magnificence was observable. The display of the company's famous resources of hospitality was carried to its utmost height ; and the massive wealth of decora tion was crowned with flowers of the choicest kinds, in a profusion scarcely to be imagined. The Master Warden presided, having on his right hand the Prince of Wales, and on his left the Duke of Cam bridge. The toast of " Her Majesty the Queen" was drunk with great enthusiasm ; and The MASTER WARDEN then said—This is an eventful day for the Merchant Taylors' Company. The heir apparent to the throne of these realms has honoured this ancient and loyal corporation in be coming one of its honorary members, and has, with gracious condescension, accepted the invitation of the master and wardens to honour the entertain ment with his company on this occasion. I feel that in his Royal Highness's presence it would ill become me, to say more than to ask you to join with me very heartily in drinking the health of their " Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales," assuring them of our loyal and dutiful re gard, and of our earnest prayers that they may long be blessed with a continuance of every earthly hap piness, and dwell in the hearts and affections of the British nation. (Great cheering.) The Prince of WALES said—Waster Warden, your Royal Highnesses, my Lords and Gentlemen, It would ill become if I did not in a few words re spond to the hearty and cordial manner in which you have referred to my admission as a member of your ancient corporation. I have in an other place alluded to the noble hospitality of the Merchant Taylors' Company, but I am now enabled practically to bear testimony to the splendid entertainment which has been so liberally dispensed in this hall, and of which I shall ever retain the most lively as well as the most grateful recollection. (Loud cheere.) The next toast was "Their Royal Highnesses the Duke of Cambridge and the Crown Prince of Prussia, Citizens and Merchant Taylors, and the other illustrious branches of the Royal Family." This was succeeded by " The Army, the Navy, and the Volunteers," coupled with the names of the Duke of Cambridge and Duke of Somerset, His Royal Highness the Duke of CAMBRIDGE said—Master Warden, you have done me the honour to propose my health in a double capacity, first as a member of the Royal family, and next as the head of the army. You have also requested me to return thanks for the volunteers, As a member of the Royal family, I beg to assure you that we are deeply sensible of the kind feeling which is mani fested towards us on all occasions like the present one. As regards the army, let me say that I am convinced that the best and surest mode of securing that peace which is so beneficial to the whole world, and to no portion of it more than this great empire, is to maintain the efficiency of the services over one of which I have the honour to preside ; and I can assure you that nothing more stimulates the exertions of that service than the kind and liberal manner in which the toast is always received in every assembly of Englishmen. (Cheers.) As to the vo lunteers, I am proud to think that I am myself the head of one of the volunteer corps of the City of London. lam happy to say that the most cordial feeling of friendship and fellowship exists between selected although s a id—May a s the army and the volunteers; and I trust that year after year their value and importance will be in creasingly manifested. Let me, in conclusion, congratulate the Merchant Taylors Company on having now added to the list of its members the name of the Prince of Wales—a compliment, the acceptance of which evinces his Royal Highness's wish that the old institutions of the country might continue, including those noble guilds at the hos pitable board of one of which we have this evening the pleasure of meeting. The Duke of SOMERSET briefly returned thanks for the Navy. The MASTER WARDEN then proposed "His Grace the Archibishop of Canterbary," who acknowledged the compliment in a short speech of thanks. The next toast was " St. John's College, Oxford, and the President of the Senior Fellows thereof." The Rev. Dr. College, returned thanks. The Hono- The MASTER WARDEN then proposed " coupled with, the WINTER, President of St. John's rary Members of the Company," ion ed being much cheering ; the other names men . Marquis of being the Duke of Northumberland, the Lord Chelmsford, Lord bury, the Earl of Elgin, and General Sir George it please your name of f s t i h r e xo E h a n r lLoafwDrearabay; and which was receivedt with Pollock. mine s so er h i e se Master Warden, my Lords and Royal Highness, that timid o f t learnt, if I did not know it be fore,Gentlemen, I have been an honorary member of this since have htE,ouiamrldlmediete, and unquestioning obedience to llustrious company, that the first and principal duty the heper illus trious names which have been read I know not why son who was to return thanks, I do not hestitote for a single moment to obey the order which I have received. None can feorders, and consequently , have f a v p e E e E el more warmly the compliment which you have been pleased to pay to me amongst the rest ; but I have considerable d!ffieulty in returning thanks on the present oc casion, because I have so frequently expressed my gratitude in this room for similar kindness which I have received. Indeed the task is more difficult on this occasion than on any other, because I am for cibly reminded of memorable occasions on which I have received marks of kindness and consideration, and on which I was not merely permitted, but re quired to touch and to enlarge on topics from which I am wholly debarred from alluding this evening. (Hear, hear.) It is obvious that on this occasion it would be wrong to touch in the slightest degree on / 3 any political question. This is forbi dden by tne .NEII-sp,,r- r ., z „ 1 R ~...,,.. r Vf f,t. r . , _.• t 7, • r k" i.: -- ' ii • .i ii 44•1 4 `a . -.;,.4 - - - .4.4 . ••• /J -44 ; hi V 4 S mixed character of the anerably which by the presence of many from whom I di political opinions, but for whom I entert.... regard and friendship; and above all by tbeßfre sence of the illustrious Prince who has this day honoured us by his company and membership ; for although no man can take a greater interest than his royal highness in the affairs of this country, yet from his high position he stands above, and must at all times be kept separate from, all political con nections and all party considerations. Yet so much I think I may say on the present occasion without hurting the feelings of anyone, that there are topics on which in the present day there are no differ ences of opinion. Indeed, upon most of the political topics the differences whi3h separate us are differ enc.:Gs rather of degree than of principie ; and while we are all—some faster and some slower. some more cautiously and some more eagerly—anxious to im prove and amend the intitu:orts of our country, we are all, with the exception indeed of a en:apara lively insignificant fraction, disposed to rest every improvement sir! every adaptation to the spirit of the age upon our cid, honoured, ri . ne, valued institu tions. (Clicen:.) It may be that sutnv o f th cso valued -institutions are at present unavailable for the purpose for which they :Otte origina. ly in tended. God be poised that these companies ate no longer called upon to perform those valuable ser vices, and to discharge those important functions by which in earlier and less happy days they ren dered great benefit to the country. (Hear, hear.) There is no need now for the guilds of London to stand up to defend the privileges of the people against the encroachments of the Crown. There is no need now for the interference of the guilds of London as the guardians of our infant commerce, no need for the nursing, if I may venture to whisper the word, the protecting—(laughter;—and if I may also add, the monopolising, of the trade and com merce of the country. (Cheers and laughter.) That infant commerce has now outgrown the necessity of being sustained by means of nursing —(hear, hear) —and whether to assist the commerce of the coun try or to resist the encroachments of the Crown, guilds are no longer required, or indeed able, to perform the ancient functions by which they for merly rendered such great service to the country. (Cheers.) indeed, I may say that unless it be the Goldsmiths' Company, there is now no one company in London which has any real practical connection with the duties of the trade which they originally represented. Yet I do not believe the most ram pant utilitarian would propose or suggest to any one the idea of dispensing with the great and valuable guilds, although their original functions may not now be performed by them; feeling, as all must do, that if they do not now discharge those func tions, they perform others hardly less valuable, and, moreover, that they remain as a standing monu ment of the honour which this country has always paid to its commercial interests—a proof of the vast extent of prosperity which those interests have at tained, and a proof also that those who are connected with those interests have not merely known how to make their own fortunes by successful industry, but have nobly and generously expended the riches which they have acquired. (Cheers.) Amid the alterations made in the superstructure the buttress may no longer be required, yet the buttress remains not less an ornament to the building—an ornament which antiquity has reflected upon modern times. ,`Cheers). There is no man, however high his sta tion may be, however distinguished may be his position—l will not except even the illustrious Prince who has this day done us the honour of be coming a member of this company—who may not well be proud of being associated with a company so distinguished as the present ; a company which is distinguished, not only by its splendid hospitality —a hospitality which is not merely a vain show, or an empty profession, but which serves the practical purpose of bringing together in social intercourse classes of the community which might otherwise see little of each other—but, far more than that, a com pany which knows how to make such a noble and generous use of its wealth, which subscribes so liberally to the charities of this country, and which has done so much by its example and its means to maintain and uphold in this land the great funda mental cause of moral and religious education. (Cheers.) In the name of the honorary members of this company, including, I am perfectly confident, the illustrious Prince himself, who has this day been enrolled, I may say that we feel it the highest honour to be associated with a body so distinguished as that which I hare the honour to address; and that we are deeply grateful for the invitation to be present this day, and for the kind manner in which the toast has been proposed and received. (Cheers.) The next toast was the" House of Lords." The Duke of RICHMOND returned thanks. The Prince of WALES said—l have now the pleasure to propose a toast, which I am sure re quires no remark, it is "Prosperity to the Merchant Taylors' Company," coupled with the name of the Master. The MASTER-WARDEN returned thanks. The next toast was " The Colonies of Great Britain," coupled with the name of the Duke of Newcastle. The Duke of NEWCASTLE, in responding, said he was glad that the colonies had not been overlooked on that occasion. They were, he believed, actuated by a feeling of thorough loyalty towards the throne, and he declared there was not one of them that did not desire to remain attached to this coun try as long as possible and to adopt its institutions. It was remarkable that events had recently occurred in two of those colonies which those who had de voted attention to them would a short time ago have believed to be impossible. One of them had by its voice of the legislature already adopted universal suffrage; and the other, one of the Aus tralian group, had already taken steps for the same purpose. These appeared to him sure indications that the loyalty of the colonies to the Crown of England was based on a thorough conviction that by adopting the institutions of this country they would best promote their own happiness. The next toast was" The Judges of England,"for which Lord Chief Justice ERLE returned t h a nks o . B, This was succeeded by " The Merc hant Tay l r . School," for which the head master , the Rev. HESSEY, responded. The next toast was t ki n s s ) o fofth respect s pe kindet andotl coupled with the name"oTfhMe Souse e a o d f C h o e m e m o o u n ld s mereoter ohxappti responding,ri m e t s hen s e i omatters of routine, but accepted them as Mr. DISRAELI,House n ou is s r e ae o l f i. in Commons," assure the assemblye s d u id ch no o t ec l a o s o i k on u s po as n sympathy consec rated by generations which had preceded them, and hallowed by the history o f an ancient nation. Corporations were not the least inconsiderable securities they possessed for that public liberty which was perhaps the peculiar privilege of this country. They per mitted the aggregate of individual sentimenttoas sume, when it was necessary, the massive and ma jestic form of public opinion, which controlled and regulated the course of public affairs. They were indeed in times of trouble and perplexity something around which men might rally. But it must be more gratifying than usual to the House of Commons to have had its health pledged in the presence of such illustrious guests. The Prince of Wales, however exalted his position, was, it should be recollected, a Member of Parliament. (Hear, hear.) He had taken his hereditary seat in the senate of this country: there he had learnt the course and conduct of legis lation, and there, if imperious duty prompted him, he might legitimately express his opinion by his voice. His Royal Highness had that day taken up the freedom of the company, but the country recol lected that he had before, in the House of Lor ds, taken up the freedom of his country. These public circumstances were to the people of England a source of proud satisfaction. The people looked upon them as a guarantee for the future welfare of Eng land, they looked upon them as a source of proud satisfaction t o the illustrious Prince himself, and as the beet security for the happiness of the country. (Cheers.) The last toast ws.s " The Visitors," for which Lord STANLEY returned thanks. The band of the Coldstreams, under their leader Mr. Godfrey, played an excellent selection during the dinner ; and a selection of vocal music was after- K iva in rd g s , p w er h f o or w m a e s d u a n h d i y e r a the s tdirectionn Mr. o : iiMarr.kto nal offi ciated as toastmaster. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 12, 1863 SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—The proposed purchase of the site and buildings of last year's Exhibition on behalf of the Government has already created. so much attention, and been made the subject of such violent and per verse misrepresentation, that we think a consider able service may be rendered to the cause of truth and justice by a fair and dispassionate statement of the numerous transactions and the discordant views and motives which have brought t hinge to the pecu liar position in which therbow stand. The surpius attained by the Exhibition of 1851, amounting to sbout £150,000, was invested by that Commission in the purchase of the Kensiugton Gore estate, to be held and disposed of by them for the purposes of art and science. Upon a portion of that estiste was placed the iron shed which was originally built as a receptacle for the undisposed of objects of the first Exhibition. On one side of this unsightly, but cheap and convenient structure, have risen, on the same estate, the buildings in which are contained the Pictures, Museum, and Schools of the Depart ment of Science and Art. To the north- west of these have been erected, on the same estate, the ar cades and conservatory of the Horticultural Gar dens; and south of those gardens lies the land on which was erected the Exhibition Building of last year, with the exception of the two annexes. In the spring of last year it was thought proper that a building should be provided for the reception of the Natural History collections of the British Mu seum. We have often explained in these columns the necessity of such a step, and shown how grie vously the main objects of the Museum are defeated by the manner in which its specimens are crowded together or piled up in vaults, unseen, unknown, and unregarded. Whatever may be the result of the discussion of next Monday, we are convinced that nothing could give so great an impulse to the study if natural history as the exhibition in a suit able building, with proper amplitude, of the animal and mineral kingdoms. The first struggle was to retaia these collections at Bloomsbury, but that appears now to he given up, and the question has narrowed itself to a choice of the place to which these collections are to be removed. Not only had the Commissioners of 1851 lent 16,-; acres of their land for the purposes of the Exhibition of 1852 ; they were also bound to the pro moters of that Exhibition to leave the land free for the purpose of all future Exhibitions. It was therefore not competent for them last year to offer any portion of the 161- acres to the Govern ment for the reception of the Natural History col lections of the British Museum. Last year's pro posal was that Government should buy the five acres comprised in the western annexe. and upon them should erect a building for the reception 31 the Natural History collections, the whole estimated to cost about £700,000. The House of Commons rejected this proposal, partly on the ground of the uncertainty of expense, and partly, it may be presumed, because even the large sum so demanded would not supply the wants of the Government. Since then those wants have been more carefully examined. We require at once a large acreage for the Natural History collections and for many other purposes. The Patent Museum, which has a fund of £13`),0 1 10 for the purposes of building, is incon veniently crowded into a portion of the iron shed irreverently styled the " Brompton Boilers." The most interesting relics, which future generations will make pilgrimages to see, are huddled together in a most discreditable manner. The first steam engine and the first locomotive are treated with as little respect as if they really were what they appear--nothing but ricketty frames of rusty iron. The Geological Museum has outgrown its elegant residence in Jermyn-street, and must Dither be ex tended by buying or leasing, at the public expense, some of the most valuable houses in London, with one front in Jermyn-street and the other in Picca dilly, or find a resting place elsewhere. The National Portrait Gallery, the Vernon pictures in the South Kensington Museum, and the magnifi cent collection of prints hid away in the British Museum, all need exhibition, These, omitting many minor particulars, are our immediate and pressing wants. The question is, bow shall we supply them ? The Commissioners of 1851 have undertaken to answer this question. As last year's Exhibition left no surplus, the Commissioners of 1851 re ceived back the land which they had lent dis charged of the covenant to preserve it for the purposes of future Exhibitions, and covered with the building, which the contractors who had erected it were bound, upon receiving notice, to take away. The land of the Commis sioners on which the Exhibition building stands is estimated to be worth at least £15,000 per acre. This land they offer to the Government for 16,000 per acre. That is, they offer for £lOO,OOO that which is now worth £250,000, annexing to their offer only the condition that the land should be applied for purposescontemplated in their charter —that is, for purpose of science and art. The 162 acres may be obtained by the public for the same sum as two acres contiguous to the British Museum. The motives by which the Commissioners are actu ated are plain enough. They have the alternative of disposing of their estate to the Government ,for the purposes of science or art or of realising the property, and thus possessing themselves of half a million of money, in the disposal of which they would doubtless find more difficulty than a Chan cellor of the Exchequer does in the disposal of his surplus. On the other hand, the object of their charter is accomplished if they can dispose of their land so as to promote the interest of art and science, however much below its value that land may be sold. They naturally think that nothing can be done more suitable to the purpose of their incorpora tion then to gather in one spot as many collections as possible illustrating the works of nature and of man, to rescue from oblivion and decay so many valuable and beautiful objects, and to meet for a time at least the perpetual demand for further space. The Exhibition Building is the property of the con tractors who built it, but for the purposes of valua ble ownership it can only be considered as a mass of brick, wood, iron, and glass. They must remove it if required, and, as it must be taken to pieces in order to be removed, the workmanship goes for nothing as an element of value. The contractors are to receive £BO,OOO, and this sum represents, we believe, very accurately the value of the materials over and above the expense of pulling them down and taking them away. The cause of the cheapness of this offer is not, as has been said, the worthless ness of the buildings, but the fact that they exist only on sufferanc e . There are, besides, refresh ment-rooms, erected by the Commissioners on the north side of the Exaibition, which are to be sold for £20,000. Thus, by a curious conjuncture of circumstances,•the public are offered for £200,000 land which could be sold immediately for £250,000, and buildings the actual cost of the erection of which only lasit year was £250,000 more. But it would be ridiculous to assert that the Exhibition Buildings would in their present condition be fit for the purposes which we have mentioned. The flooring, as everybody knows, is temporary, and the glass roof roust be replaced by something more sub stantial. The glass domes also, generally and justly condemned by public taste, can hardly be allowed to remain as they are at present. The brickwork is, we believe, thoroughly solid and substantial. After she flooring and roof have been renewed it will be necessary to divide the building by interior walls, so as to separate one department from another. When this has bean done something will be de manded to relieve the extreme plainness of a build ing neither ill-planned nor ill-proportioned within, but totally void of the least semblance of ornament. For these purposes £284,000 will be required. So that we have the offer, if we please, of entering into possession —and that in a very short time—of 16i acres, covered with buildings adapted to our wants, for a sum under half a million, or £200,000 less than we were asked to pay last year for five conti guous acres and the buildings upon them. This is the question which the House of Commons will have to decide on Monday. We have taken some trouble to ascertain the facts of this rather complicated case, and we believe they may be thoroughly relied on. We cannot doubt that the proposal is eminently economical. If it is rejected, it must be on the ground of taste—a subject to which argument is prover bially inapplicable. We only hope that it will not be rejected under the idea that the expenditure can be saved, and that no alternative proposition need (w he eip be cont em pl a t e d. If w e do not provide for our col lections thu s , we mus t see k out some other scheme, unless ej e t a ae n acct t e o i to s sf a h c to r hu i sacrifice d c p e bue t b h leie ; jewel to the casket. We do not p ress t h e propos i t i on o f t h e G overnmen t prepared,we only sayagno offer thatother ee r reasons for its r e j ect i on, to prove that those 3 the w a e co m US something b e tt er . th am ey on c DAILY NEWS.—The wretched faction which usurps the place of statesmen at Berlin may learn, from what took place last night en the House of Lords, that their conduct is as much despised and deprecated by the great Conservative party in this c ountry as it is by the advocates of those liberal and progressive principles of which they in Prussia can not bear the mention. The Prussian people also will observe that the men they permit to govern them are degrading their country abroad as thoroughly as they are enslaving it at home. The observations which the Earl of Carnarvon made on the behaviour of M. de Bisruark and his colleagues with respect to their Convention with Russia, express with accuracy what English men of all classes and all parties say and feel. It plainly appears trom the explanations given to our Minister at St. Petersburg., and from all we know of the state of things in Prussian-Poland, that the Convention with Russia was neither an act of good neighbourship required by a powerful ally, nor a necessary measure of self-defence, but simply the expression in its foreign policy of that blind and fanatical fear and hatred of free institu tions which constitutes the whole statesmanship of the Prussian Government, and which at home is seen in the suppression of the Parliament and the press, and even of the right of petition. Lord Car narvon observed that the only explanation of the origin of this Convention was a jealousy or fear of the establishment in Poland of some Government constructed on free principles with a liberal consti tution ; and he most truly remarked that " this con duct is alienating from Prussia the sympathy of those nations which acted with her in former times , and carries her back in her policy not by years , but by generations." But if the policy of the Conven tion was despotic, the low cunning, the conceal ment, and prevarication with which its execution has been attended is still more despicable. Truth and frankness constitute the one virtue of which absolute governments are capable, but to neither of these has M. de Bismark the prudence, much less the grace, to aspire. The Prussian Minister being asked, on behalf of the Queen's Government, for information on the subject, pretended to excuse himself by the unwillingness of Russia ; but the Russian Government has assured us that it had no objection to show the document apart from the strong wish of Prussia. Next, M. de Bismark pre tended, and for a moment induced our Government to believe, that the Convention had become a dead letter; but after this it was treated as a living reality in the Prussian Chamber; and the Queen's representative sent word home that it was still sub sisting. In February M. de Bismark produced and read to our Minister at Berlin a paper purporting to be the Cony( ntion, which subsequently turned out to be nothing but a draft. At a subsequent in terview the Convention itself was read, as was again believed. But here again equivocation and conceal ment were resorted to, for, as was discovered at St. Petersburg, there existed a " secret article," of which no hint had been given by the Prussian Minister. As Earl Russell was compelled to ob serve, " there has been every kind of contradiction and concealment with regard to this Convention." A Government capable of such conduct destroys that confidence which is of the essence of friend ship, and Prussia is at this moment at once the most exposed and the most isolated State in Europe. HERALD. —According to the latest accounts Vicksburg had not fallen. The attempt to storm had signally failed, and the coup de main was to be converted into a regular siege. It' the town is as well fortified and provisioned as it is said to be, the Confederates ought to have am p le time to relieve it and drive Grant's army once more to its gun boats. The Federal army is said to number 60,000 men, and reinforcements are reported to be con stantly arriving. The Confederate garrison is at the outside 15,000 strong. There are long lines to defend, and many batteries to man ; there is an active and enterprising enemy to watch. Still Vicksburg was not invested on the Warrenton side. The assailants were evidently not inclined to throw out their left at too great a distance from the friendly stream of the YbZOO. And if it be true that Johnstone had already collected 15,000 men near Jackson, and that Confederate forces were marching from all quarters to his aid, we are likely very soon to hear that the siege has been raised. What is to be feared is that reinforcements will not be forth coming. Nothing bat the absolute want of men can justify the smallness of the force with which the defence of the state of Mississippi has been con ducted. General Grant's army was, no doubt, overwhelming in point of numbers. But this must have been perfectly well known to the Confede rate Government ; and we are rather inclined to attribute the numerical inferiority of the Confede rates at Vicksburg to the urgent needs of their position in Tennessee, South Carolina, and Virginia than to want of foresight. General Johnstone is stated to have promised 100,000 men within a certain interval. Half that number will drive every Federal soldier out of Mississippi ; and we know no quarter in which a decisive success would be of more vital importance to the South than at Vicks burg. Another fortress might rise up in the course of a few months, rivalling Vicksburg in its natural strength. But it is not to be doubted that the capture of this town, which President Davis has distinctly pointed to as the key to the defence of the South-West, would be a tremendous triumph to the eoz p si e a n r p s at a e r t p y r i e n s i t d h e e n N t r i t n h c , o l a n n f d or wo h u is ld or ill m suc e ces t s ha o n n the Rappahannock. We await the result with some confidence. Things look well for the South. The great hope of the Federals evidently lay in the suddenness and rapidity of their blows, and this hope has failed them. General Johnstone is not the man to give them another chance. POST.—As the debate shortly upoa fortifications is very to be resumed, any fresh matter that would tend towards the more complete elucidation of the problem of " Ships v. Forts" would be acceptable. With this object in view we have examined the accounts received on the arrival of each fresh mail from America, but have been unable to discover any indications of a renewal of the threatened attack upon Charleston being likely to take place. And from the length of time that has now elapsed since the first announcement by the New York journals of the intended repetition of Admiral Dupont's ex periments, we may consider this prospect at an end, or only to be placed on the same list as the other aggressive movements announced for the purpose of concealing Federal disasters. The minds of the most experienced tacticians have long ago been satisfied that it is impossible for any fleet of ships, without the co operation of an army, to effect the reduction of a properly defended seaport ; and as the only ground upon which it was attempted to reopen an argument upon this w ell-established point was based upon the alleged superiority of attack afforded by Captain Ericsson's turret ships, we are compelled, under these circumstances, to fall back upon our 'past experiences of the performances of these vessels in order to show how little reason there is for assuming that any a lteration or dela y ought to take place in carrying out the system of defence laid down for the protection of our dockyards. In the first place it will be necessary to separate two points which many persons are apt to confuse. First, the application of steam power to ships has enabled vessels to run the gauntlet of the guns of a fort with more or less impunity. But the ex pectations that had been formed, in the second place, upon iron plating have not been altogether attended with the results which were anticipated. Vessels are not enabled to batter down the fortifi cations which they can so easily run past in conse quence of being armour-Plated. Captain Ericsson has clearly failed to establish the claim of invul nerability for his iron-clad vessels, and the asser tion that no lives were lost on board of them during the period of their recent engagements was a state ment furnished from a Federal source of which we have no positive means of ascertaining the truth, and can only put down the alleged immunity of life upon that occasion as something marvellous considering the damage which was in flicted upon these vessels, the sides of which, it was admitted in many instances, were pierced through and through by the steel-headed boas and other projectiles launched at them. The loss of life which may or may not have taken place on board these vessels does not, however, affect the main point at issue, which rests upon the acknowledged fact of these vessels having been withdrawn from the attack in a sorely discomfited state after an engage. ment which lasted only 30 minutes. Let us com pare for a moment this account with what we know of the performances of wooden ships. The Aga memnon at Sebastopol remained at anchor exposed to the fire of Fort Constantine for four hours, and the damage to the fortifications of Sebastopol by the combined fleets was far greater than the damage inflicted by the American iron-clads on the defences of Charleston. It must not be supposed that, in citing this particular case, it is our intention to assert that wood is a substance better able to withstand the effect of shot than iron. The failure of Capt. Ericsson's vessels, when brought to the test at the the i before theefwo r o n r t theh defencesy ocommis sionersf notice.of the United late principle was beingehi€y owing to the mis taken armed with few guns for the business they had in hand, and not to the ma terial of which they were composed The evi denuicteed Appointed given Kingdom by on nt Capt.o consider Hewlett subject li e was asked if he would prefer to man 20 guns with fully trained crews, or 40 gllll3 with half the number of willing but untried men. His reply was in favour of having the greater number of guns. Tre fault of overcrowding 6mall v ess els with nine and twelve pounder popguns was found in t he last American war to have been a great blunder, but to ggurenaste will , run into th e o pp os it e extreme of reducing the arma ment of larg e vesse l s to only two or three monster mistake .f e e p. sti v re in g d , b t e u e r n n p o r o u v t e t d o t b b e a a t s a t n y vessel prop e ll e d by s t eam , and more especially ifi I plated with iron, can with impunity run past a battery, the system of defence which, under these circumstances, appears the most natural and ad visable to adopt is that of making the channel through which the vess• 1 has to run the gauntlet as long as possible, with the °Wet of keeping the vessel exposed eo much longer to a destructive fire. To accomplish this it is necess9ry to have an ex tended system of advanced works covc-rintz the ap- Proache of an exposed harbour like Portsmouth. If with what we now know of (11 capabilities of attack poseesed by armour-plated steam-vessels, we were going to construct an entirely new dockyard, it is only reasonable to conc!ude that we should select a site as much inland as possible. Ports mouth, however, is our chief arsenal. Immense sums of money have been expended upon the place, dad it is our duty, therefore, to do the best we can to make it secure. The advantages of increasing the capabilities of Chatham with a view towards lessening the importance of Portsmouth is a matter also worthy of the highest consideration. Wh en the works are completed at Portland we shall be in the possession of a far more commanding position in the Channel for the location of a fleet than any point which we possess at the present, and with the increased advantage of having no building yards and other establishments that require protection. Portland is essentially fitted to become a war port. Naval stores of every description can be accumu lated in an impregnable fortress, and supplied to ships with the greatest facility by means of a rail way communication from the crest of the hill to a fort at the extremity of the breakwater. If the advice of an old and experienced officer of engineers had been followed in the Crimea, we might at once have occupied ground which it required afterwards much blood and treasure to secure. Let us profit by past experience, and not neglect to take advan tage of a point situated in the centre of the only line of attack upon which an enemy could have any reasonable hope of obtaining success. We can imagine the President of the Southern Confederacy, or the National Government of Warsaw, feeling relieved when their generals succeed in placing their foes upon the edge of a shallow river, and can understand how they must envy the natural posi tion of defence of which we, in our insular position, are in possession • but that is no reason for our neglecting to take such measures as will prevent the lessons of our past history being repeated in the present c: ay. The Prince of Wales at Merchant Taylors' The grand banquet of the 11th June, on the ex amination of the school by the President and Fel lows of St. John's College, Oxford, is regarded as the chief annual event in the register of the Mer- chant Taylors' Company ; and it is, besides, an occasion of marked interest in civic' annals. This year the great festival of the livery of Merchant Taylors has derived additional public interest from the fact of his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales being present as the chief guest. It is generally known that, as the great Whig company is that of the Fishmongers, so the Merchant Taylors' enjoys a reputation for of a fashioned Toryism ; but a more valid appeal to the Royal sympathy and regard would be, that the excellent school maintained by the company sends many scholars to Oxford. The occasion of the Prince's visit was the presentation to his Royal Highness of the freedom of the guild ; and this ceremony took place in the Picture Gal lery overlooking the ancient hall in Threadneedle street. The Prince of Wales arrived at half-past six, and was received at the entrance by Mr. T. B. Spence (the master), Messrs. Alfred S. Pigeon, Thomas B. Pugh, Chas. Rickards, and Richard B. Boyman (the wardens), and Mr. Samuel Fisher (the clerk to the company), and conducted along the corridor and up the staircase to the Picture Gallery, which over looks the ancient hall, where he was received by a distinguished body of honorary members of the company, by the Court of Assistants, &c. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge was present at the ceremony of presenting the freedom. The Prince of Wales was accompanied by the Earl of Mount Edgecumbe, Major-General Knollys, and Col. Keppel ; the Duke of Cambridge was accom panied by Col. Tyrwhitt. Mr. FISHER the clerk, proceeded to read the re solution of the Court of the 22d December last, con ferring the honorary freedom of the company upon his Royal Highness ; after which the clerk admi nistered the oath in the customary form, much of whose meaning is obsolete ; calling on the Prince to swear fealty to our S overei g n Lad y Queen Vic toria, and further adjuring him to be good and true unto the Merchant Taylors of the fraternity of St. John the Baptist, in the City of London, to be obei till withdraw reasonable man's appreo.ble departing na obei sant to the wardens , and n ot to conceal an y forei g ner using the handicraft of tailor y or merchandise, t neither jce norn toco covenant en entice a nor t servant may be made. Thes e q uaint obli g ations having been duly subscribed by the Prince of Wales, whose signature was added to an illustrious list of royal names, including that of his revered father, his Royal Highness was presented by the Master with a magnificent casket in ebony and gold, with the arms of the company on the top and the Prince's on each side, containing a copy of the resolutions beautifully illuminated upon vellum, and was ad dressed as follows : " May it please your Royal Highness—As Mas ter of the Merchant Taylors' Company, it is my pleasing duty and high privilege to present to your Royal Highness the honorary freedom of the ancient corporation, and to express our dutiful acknowledg ments for the distinguished honour which your Royal Highness has conferred upon the company by becoming one of its members. Your Royal High ness will pardon me for reminding you that from a very early period this company has been honoured with royal patronages. King Edward I. granted a license which recognised its existence as a guild. King Edward 111. granted its first charter, and tes tified his regard for the company by becoming the first of its royal members. His grandson, and successor, King Richard 11., and all the Sove reigns of the houses of Lancaster and York (excepting Edward V.) became honorary free men of the company. They also firmed its charter and extended its privileges, King Henry VII. reincorporated the company under its present title, and presented the new char ter to the master and wardens from the throne. He after wards conterred upon them the great honour of presiding as master at a festival held in their hall, At a subsequent date King James I. was entertained by this company on his accession to the English throne, and his Majesty's two sons, Henry Prince of Wales, and Charles Duke of York, afterwards King Charles 1., were enrolled as honorary members ; and it may be interesting to your Royal High ness to be informed that the National Anthem was composed expressly for the occasion, and performed for the first time in Merchant Taylors' Hall. King James 11. and Prince George of Denmark were also honorary members of this ancient fraternity. At a much more recent date the company had the privi lege of admitting to its honorary freedom their Royal Highnesses the late Dukes of York and Cambridge, and the great captain the illustr.ions Duke of Wellington ; and the entertainment give ofn on that occasion was honour ed with the presence your Royal Highnes s ' s grandfather, his Royal Highness the late Du ke of Kent. At a still later period the compa n y had t h e distingn_shed honour of being permitted to confer its hono rar y freedom on R o yal Highness' s beloved and lamented father, your his Royal Highness the late Prince Consort, whos e untiring exertions to promote in every way the wel fare of his adopted country call forth the wannest gratitude —Whose thoughtful and earnest words, s poken here and elsewhere, have left a deep and tot i ng impression, and whose memory will ever live enshrined in the hearts of a grateful nation. With these precedents on record, and influ enced by the feelings expressed in the resolution which hAs just been read, the Master, con