The Sun. — London, England, 1854-01-16 00:00:00

CITY OF LONDON COMMISSION. The royal commissioners met again on Friday at the Privy Council Chamber, Downing-street, and continued their inquiry. Commissioners present :—The Right Hon. H. Labouchere (the chairman), Sir John Pat teson, and Mr. Cornewall Lewis. The sitting was com menced by the further examination of Mr. Sergeant Merewether, the town clerk, who stated —Forty members constitute a quorum of the Common Council, and seven members constitute a quorum of com mittee. I have never known a failure to occur in making up a quorum at a committee meeting during the whole twelve years of my connection with the corporation. [Witness here put in copies of the notice-papers summon ing Courts of Common Council and Courts of Aldermen, and setting forth the business to be transacted.] I stated yesterday that there was a charter enabling the corpo ration to modify the customs of the city of London. I have brought with me an extract from the charter which enables them to do so. It is dated May 26, 1341, and is the 15th of Edward 111. This charter has often been acted upon. I think it would be im possible under that charter to deal with the number of the aldermen, or with the wards, and matters of that kind, as they are affected by acts of the Legislature, and they could only be interfered. with by further legislation of Parliament. The experiment of setting up a ward in Southwark has been tried, but it failed. The corpo ration has endeavoured to do all that it could in behalf of Southwark, but it was prevented by circumstances. It has been said that Southwark once formed the ward of Bridge Without, but that I believe is a misconcep tion. An alderman (Sir J. Ayliffe) was once elected for a ward to which that name was given, and I believe the inhabitants tried to elect a common councilman also. This was shortly after the charter of Edward VI. was granted, but these proceedings proved abortive. I be lieve the reason why the name of Bridge Ward Without was given was because there was a tete du pont in South wark ; but it was clearly without the walls and boundaries of the City. Southwark never could and never did ap point a war draote, and it was never a war d a t a ll . T he charters of the City were seized under the celebrated quo warranto in the reign of Charles II.; but they were all restored in the strongest words by William 111. Some of the charters might have been given for a tem porary purpose, but I have no doubt that the whole of the 120 charters of the City are still in force for one purpose or another. The City possesses considerable property in Southwark. It appears to have been a beneficial grant to the corporation for a money consid eration. There is a grant of Edward VI., giving the City jurisdiction over Southwark, and assigning certain messuages and tenements and certain fee farm rents to the city of London, for the sum of 6471. 2s. 2d., paid to the Crown. Should Southwark be constituted here after into a distinct corporation, the inhabitants of that borough would have no claim upon the City pro perty situated here. There was a charter of William the Conqueror recognising the privileges of the citizens of London. It is written in the ancient Saxon language, and declares that the citizens are " lawworthy," the meaning of which term is that every citizen is recognised to be legatis ham, having the status of a freeman, and that his children are capable of inheriting his property." The translation of that charter is as follows :—" William the King greets William the Bishop and Godfrey the Portreeve, and all the burgesses within London, French and English, friendly; and I make known to you that I will that ye be lawworthy as ye were in the days of King Edward. And I will that each child be his father's heir after his father dye. And I will not suffer that any man command you wrong. God keep you." All the subsequent charters confirmed the City's privi leges, and recognised its customs. A charter of Richard I. gave the City power to remove all weirs in the river Thames. The conservancy of the river had previously been entrusted to the City. The voters who elect in the common hall are a special class of the freemen, viz., the livery of the companies. In the ward elections, as far as the franchise is concerned, the freedom of the City is sufficient to entitle a person to vote. The Chairman—What evil would arise if there was one single municipal franchise in the City ? Mr. Merewether—l see no difficulty in that, and in fact that is what the corporation have been endeavour ing to effect by all the means in their power. The act of 1850 was brought into Parliament by the corporation to constitute one uniform franchise, and the act was passed ; but in the House of Lords such alterations were made in the bill as totally defeated its object, and in some instances reduced the number of voters instead of increasing it, according to the wish of the corporation. The poll for the election of Chamberlain is kept open for 7 days, by what I consider a strange construction of the statute, which, in my opinion, merely declares that it may be kept open for seven days. My opinion is that the sheriffs and secondaries could lawfully close the poll at any time before the expiration of the seven days if they have reason to believe that no further voters will come up to the poll, and if they give due notice of their intention so to close it. Nearly the whole of the votes are taken on the first days of the polling. The Chairman—lt has been said that corruption is practised to a considerable extent at the City municipal elections, and that it is owing in a great extent to the fact that the acts of Parliament for the prevention of bribery apply only to the parliamentary elections, and not to the municipal elections. Mr. Mereweather—l believe it is quite true that the acts of Parliament levelled against bribery and corrup tion are confined to the parliamentary elections ; yet I apprehend that under the common law the receiving of a bribe at an election of a public nature-is a punishable offence. No doubt the keeping open of the poll so long increases the expense to the candidate. Persons are induced to hold back in order to obtain a higher price for their votes, and the protracted poll affords them faci lities for pursuing that course ; but on the whole my opinion is that the keeping open of the poll for seven days rather tends to check corruption than to increase it. Bribery, I believe, has prevailed to a considerable extent et the City elections ; but I consider that it can be reached by the common law, without any very expensive process. The Courts of Common Council and of Alder men have endeavoured to check bribery and persecution by all the means in their power, but the difficulty of obtain ing proof against the guilty parties is very great. A great many persons hold up their hands at the common-hall elections who have no legal right to vote. There was a bill brought into Parliament by the corporation in 1852, which was framed expressly for the purpose of establish ing one uniform constituent body in the City for all civic purposes, and it extended the franchise to every occu pier or joint occupier for a year and a day of a house, counting-house, warehouse, office, chamber, or shop, who was rated at 101. per annum. The provisions of this bill were framed by a committee of the Court of Common Council, assisted, I believe, by a committee of the Court of Aldermen, and after full deliberation. The franchise under that bill would have created a larger constituency than exists in other boroughs under the Municipal Reform Act. This bill was, however, unsuc cessful ; it was opposed strenuously by the livery ; and, to my astonishment, the select committee to whom the bill was referred, came to the unexpected conclusion that the preamble was not proved. The bill would have destroyed the monopoly of the livery to elect at the common•hall ; it would not have taken away any exist ing right of the livery, but would simply have allowed the votes of a larger body to mingle with the livery's votes. The select committee of the House of Com mons which threw out the bill had Mr. Bramston for its chairman, and Mr. Con olly (an Irish member), and M r . Smollett (a Scotch member) also acted upon it. After the loss of this bill the constituency had dwindled away very much, and the corporation thought fit to proceed against a number of parties residing in the City to re quire them to take up their freedom. This step was not taken in order to obtain money, but in order to increase the constituency. It could not have been to obtain money, because all the fines and fees had been greatly reduced,- and what they realised was devoted to the pur poses of charity. The Chairman—When these threats were made with regard to compulsion to take up the freedom of the City, was any distinction made as to persons ? Mr. Merewether—They were not threats, they were rather hints ; and they were made to a class of persons who were considered to be in a position to pay for the taking up of their freedom. The corporation merely wished to assert its undoubted right to compel parties to take up their freedom, and it therefore proceeded against a few. The Chairman —Would it not seem to be an arbitrary mode of proceeding for the corporation to assume to itself the power of judging who were and who were not able to take up their freedom ? Mr. Merewether—Poor persons were excased, and there was only one case in which a man's furniture was sold, and he was a person who could afford to pay, but he wished to be a martyr. With regard to i.he prohibi tion to employ non-freemen in the City, a vexatious pro ceeding having been instituted against a tradesman who had infringed this custom, the Court of Common Coun cil took up the matter, and a bye-law was introduced, which now only remains to be read a third time, and which will have the effect of preventing butchers and other traders from being harassed by such vexatious proceedings hereafter, and to shelter him from the pen alties to which he is now subject. The Chairman—After that - bye-law is passed, will any tradesman have the power of employing anybody whom he thinks fit, whether free of the City or free of the com panies or not ? Mr. Merewether—That is the object of it ; but it will depend to some extent upon the charters of the com panies. These charters are, however, not often put in force in this respect. With regard to the tax on coals, the tax of ld. per ton levied by the City was imposed by the Ist and 2d Will. IV. for the purpose of building the New Coal Exchange ; but the corporation abandoned the tax before the expenses of the Coal Exchange were paid, and the Government of the day resolved to con tinue the impost for public improvements. The Chairman—What is the origin of the metage and porterage dues ? Mr. Merewether—The metage dues are levied by virtue of an act of James 1., which confirmed the pre scriptive rights of the corporation to measure all coals, corn, fruit, and all measureable merchandise coming into the port of London. The question of the metage is at present under the consideration. of the corn trade on the one hand, and of the corporation on the other, with the view of ascertaining whether some arrangement may not be devised for collecting the metage dues more conveni ently and more simply than they are collected at pre sent. Of course, the metage being a prescriptive right of the corporation, it is exercised in a peculiar manner by the corporation ; the corporation being advised that it cannot make an alteration in that prescriptive right, and be at the same time secure of that which is due to it Without the aid of an act of Parliament. The corpora tion is desirous of relieving the trade of any unnecessary embalrassment, and of reducing the fifteen different modes of levying the duties to one simple charge. The metage is not regarded by the corporation as a Mans of 1 obtaining revenue, but as being for the convenience of trade. Mr. C. Lewis —How do you reconcile that assertion with the fact that parties importing their own corn are com pelled to pay for metage whether they wish to have it measured or not ? Mr. Merewether—The general rule is that the duty attaches to the execution of an office whenever the officer attends to perform the metage, and has with him the proper instruments, viz., his bushel measure and his shovel, and tenders his services. That is the general rule, which is not tied down to particular cases. Mr. C. Lewis—ln certain cases the importer wishes his goods to be measured, and they have to be measured for the purpose of levying the duties imposed on imports by the Crown ; but where the goods are not subject to import duties, and the owner is aware of the quantity of his own goods from his own measurement, and does not wish them to be remeasured, is that a case in which the general rule you speak of ought to apply ? Mr. Merewether—l would observe, first, that that question is now pending in a court of law, and it would not become me to express an opinion upon a question•so raised and still undecided. Mr. C. Lewis—But the question is raised by the City. Mr. Merewether—The City has demanded what it has been accustomed to receive, and the question has been thus raised. I believe that the mode of carrying on trade in this case is one of, comparatively speaking, modern date. Almost all goods which come into the port are goods on which the Crown levies a duty, or goods which the interest of the buyer and seller requires to be measured ; but of late years persons have acquired facilities for carrying on their own trade in a diffe rent mode, and the manner in which this altered state of circumstances shall be met is one of the subjects which the corporation has now under its consideration ; and if a new trade springs up, and the old law seems in applicable to it, the corporation, I am sure, are quite ready to consider the question, and I believe they will make such arrangements as will be altogether satisfac tory. The Chairman—But, in the meantime; this case against the Messrs. Combo and Delafield has led to a long and expensive litigation. Mr. Merewether—lt has ; and almost all questions do lead to a long and expensive consideration. The Chairman—Do you think that the special privi leges of the City in this matter can be maintained upon any other ground than that of the convenience of trade ? Mr. Merewether—l have no doubt that, if you consi der them only on the principle of expediency, a vast amount of particular rights would be imperilled. But I am sure the corporation are perfectly ready to consider such a matter, and that they have no disposition to in sist on anything that is injurious to trade, or to any general public interest. The Chairman—But do you not think that these pri vileges ought not to be consiiered as being the private property of the corporation, but rather as existing simply for the convenience of trade, and to be exercised or nul lified as the interests of trade demand ? Mr. Merewether—l feel that that question opens a very wide field of inquiry, and introduces many conside rations, and would lead to practical injustice towards those who have titles to things. The first step is for a person who bas a right to be appealed to, to ascertain whe ther he will consent to abandon what is said to be inapplic able to the present state of things. On no other terms would corporation be justified in abandoning, nor ought it to be expected to abandon, rights which it has exercised. And I am sure th a t i n this case the corporation will be willing to do that which equity and justice, and I may also add reason, require of them. The Chairman—But you do not mean to maintain that the right of the corporation to this privilege re mains the same whether it operates injuriously or bene ficially on the trade of the port ? Mr. Mereweather—l am not justified, as an officer of the corporation, in admitting that the right of the cor poration can be taken away from it without compensa tion being made to it. If the Sovereign at any time has granted an office to individuals, and the execution of that office is found to be practically injurious to the public, and Parliament in its wisdom thinks fit to interfere, it is the invariable practice to grant compensation for the loss of vested rights. At the same time lam so far aware of the feeling of the corporation to know that compensation would not be insisted upon by it as a matter of right, but that it would be disposed to yield to the public convenience. The Chairman—Are you disposed to put the privilege of the corporation to exercise a function of this kind, given for the benefit of trade, upon the same footing as you would put its right to any estate which it might possess?_ _ _ Mr. Mereweather—l confess that I can see no pos sible distinction between the two. A right is as much a right in the hands of the corporation as in the hands of anybody else. There are certain functions (among others, those connected with the weighing and measur ing) belonging to the Crown, and the Crown sometimes entrusts the exercise of them to individuals, who per form the services required of them, and charge dues from the public to defray the necessary expenses attend ant upon the performance of those services. There are many other privileges besides this one. The Chairman—Are not such privileges in the nature of public trusts ? kr. Merewether—l confess, that I have never so re garded them, The Chairman—Proceed with your evidence. Mr. Merewether—l believe that the sound judgment of the corn trade, if it were put to them, would be that the sworn meters should be continued ; and the sworn porters, I believe, are also considered by the public to be useful. I think the corn trade generally consider that the metage should be obligatory on all foreign corn imported ; but that in cases like that of Messrs. Combe and Delafield, where the party imports corn for his own granary, the metage should be made optional with the importer to accept or to refuse it. A committee of the Common Council has sat and taken a vast body of evi dence on the subject, and the resolutions they have come to are to the effect that the various metage charges should be made one and simple, and be levied from the seller, and not from the buyer ; that the metage should be compulsory on foreign corn imported, but that in other cases it should be optional ; and I have no doubt that the result will be that an act of Parliament will be that an act of Parliament will be intro duced by the corporation to carry out this altera tion, which act will be satisfactory to all parties concerned. The labour of the meters is of a kind very trying to their health. Their remuneration ought, if anything, to be increased rather than reduced, and it would be necessary to establish a superannuation fund for their benefit. The right of porterage claimed by the fellowship porters is held to be, and I think is, co-extensive with the rights of metage, and ranges be tween Yarmouth and Staines. It is true it is not speci fied in the charter of James, conferring the metage rights, but it is a prescriptive right depending on usage, and can be traced as far back as the documents of the corporation extend. The trade of the port of London is peculiar; and it is the invariable practice of shipowners and the masters of vessels to discharge the crews on the arrival of their vessels in the river, and to employ the City porters to unload the cargo. It would be con sidered a very great expense to retain the services of the crew in order to discharge the cargo without the assist ance of the privileged porters. The Chairman—Don't you think that the masters of vessels ought to be able to employ their own crews, or to employ the City porters for the discharge of their car goes, as they may think fit. Mr. Merewether— If that were the case I do not think you could have a body of regular sworn porters continu ing in existence, and ready to do the necessary work, and not likely to desert their duty by strikes or combination. There is no close analogy between the port of London and that of the other ports of the kingdom. There are classes of porters in the City, viz., the fellowship porters,. the tackle porters, and the ticket porters. In ordinary cases, one meter and four porters are employed to discharge a ship ; but in the case of large ships, a meter and six or seven porters are sometimes necessary. The arrival of a ship to be discharged is communicated to the meters' office. The porters and meters are neces sarily connected together by the nature of their duties. Mr. C. Lewis—The two may have to act in concert, but it does not follow that the City is to have a mono poly of the porterage. Mr. Merewether—The fellowship porters are a dis tinct body, which is separately incorporated, and forms no part of the corporations of London. They have their own rulers and •other'officers, although the Lord Mayor is ex officio the governor of the-body. The suit instituted against Messrs. Combo and Delafield was commenced by the fellowship of porters acting independently of the corporation, but other witnesses are better able to speck as to that. The corporation commenced the suit for the recovery of its metage dues. If the privileges of the fellowship porters were abolished, I believe the effect would be to render the supply of labour in the port of London very precarious and insufficient. I believe that the feeling of the trade of London is, that there should be a sworn body like the fellowship porters acting under proper regulations. The porters raise a fund among themselves, which is in the nature of a benefit fund, and it is considerable in amount. Reverting to the mode of enforcing the taking up of the f r eedom of the City, I believe the great merchants and ban kers of the City often object to devote what they consider their valuable time to th e p er f o rmance of corporate duties, but this I regard as a great dereliction of public duty on the part of that class. Mr. C. Lewis—But the taking up of their freedom would not engross much of their time / Mr. Merewether—No but they are afraid that if they w ere f reemen they would be required to fill corpo rate offices, such as that of sheriff, and others. The corporation h as not obstained from prosecuting the large merchants because they are more powerful than the retail traders. The privileges of the City, with regard to the broke r s, h ave been handed down 'from timeimmemorial. The City admits the brokers to carry n and sup er i n t en d s t h em as a b o dy. o their business, . On their admission they are required to enter into a bond, and find sureties for their good behaviour. The Court of Aldermen have jurisdiction over the b rokers—t h ey hear complaints against particula r b ro k ers who are charged with misconduct, summon the party complained of to make his answer to the charge made against him, and require him to produce a book, in which he is re quired to enter the nature of the transaction between him and the complainant. The matter is then discussed, and if it is thought necessary, the Court orders the bond to be enforced against the broker himself and agai ns t h is sureties, or they even strike the party off the ro ll of sworn brokers altogether, if the gravity of the case de mand such a step. Complaints against the brokers are not of a very frequent occurrenef! ; but they sometimes . arise, a n d t h e contro l o f t h e City is beneficial prevent. ing misconduct on the part of the brokers in time of great speculation. The jurisdiction of the Court of Al dermen over the brokers is an effectual security to the public, but I do not say that it mightnot be made more effectual than it is if parties were oftener to prefer corn- THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANITTARY 16, 1854, plaints. I have seen great advantage accrue from some members of the Court of Aldermen being brokers by profession. It is a mistake to suppose that no advan tage is gained to the public by the control of the Court of Aldermen over the brokers. The cost of admission to the brokers is 181., including the expense of taking up the freedom ; and they also pay a yearly rent of 51. to the corporation for the right to carry on their business. 'With respect to the cart-tax levied in the City, it pro duces about 5,0001. a year. It has existed from time immemorial, and its produce has been mortgaged for public improvements, an important instance of which is the new Victoria-street. These mortgages are now nearly all paid off, and the corporation have declared themselves perfectly willing to relinquish these tolls. At this stage of the inquiry, the commissioners ad journed till Tuesday. THE EXTRAORDINARY ATTEMPT TO TRANS FER THE EXPENSE OF TER RECEIPT AND DELIVERY OF LETTERS AT THE QUEEN'S PRISON. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,— I consider the public greatly indebted for your exertions to obtain redress for one of the most atrocious acts ever committed by persons having the control of a public department of tae State. The wilful detention, for the space of seven days, of all the letters addressed to persons whose correspondence is generally of a con fidential character, and demanding the best possible ar rangements, is unprecedented, and I trust the Post Master General will promptly correct the error and in justice which has been committed, in attempting t 3 transfer so trifling a charge in the post-office expenses, to create a greater amount of charge in another depart ment, at the same time transferring duties to turnkeys whose occupation is of such opposite character—the post-office duties being of a confidential nature with the prisoners, their solicitors and friends, the duties of turn keys being confidential only with the Governor and his officers. At the same time it is due to the Governor to state, he has proved that be has a better sense of honour than to willingly permit his turnkeys to em bark in such duties. As a question of revenue it must be manifest that treble the number of letters will be posted in the office within the walls, and a proportionate number received ; for it must not be forgotten that every letter sent by special messengers to post outside, and also to purchase stamps, must be attended with inconvenience and extra cost ; but if this were not the common-sense view of the case, the wants of the prisoners demand the service as one of the most essential for the benefit of creditors as well as debtors.—l am, Sir, your obedient servant, OBSERVER. A VOICE FROM THE QUEEN'S BENCH. TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. Sir,—Since your insertion of my letter of the 29th of December, for which accept our warmest thanks, the authorities of the General Post-office have carried out their ruthless order, and we have been shut out, by the consequent abolition of our Post-office, established for about 50 years, ever since the sth of January, from all communication with our friends, relatives, and legal ad visers. The confusion, perplexity, and distress it has occa sioned, " quceque ipsa misserrima vidi, et quorum, pcvs magna fui," beyond all description or belief. Had a similar interdict cut off the denizens of the Temple Or Lincoln's-inn from postal communication with the ex ternal world what indignation, remonstrances, and de putations would have besieged and overwhelmed the General Post-office ? But we are prisoners, and, con sequently, fair game. The General Post-office know well that they have to deal only with defenceless pri soners, and, beyond a formal acknowledgment, no further attention has been paid by them either to our respectful memorial or to individual remonstrance. Their attitude puts one in mind of Russian aggression and of Roman menace to a conquered country, Vat victis In pursuance of the order of the 21st of December, the postmen presented, as they have since continued to do, theletters of each delivery at the gate of the Queen's Bench, and were met by the courteous offer of the Go vernor to furnish them with lists of the staircases, num bers, and their inhabitants—with greater facilities, in fact, than they met with at the city chambers and Inns of Court, to which this place bears a resemblance so close as to render the distribution of letters a matter of no difficulty when the details have been once mastered. But the postmen, apprehensive of the consequences of exceeding their instructions, and aware that the General Post-office did not consider us entitled to the privilege enjoyed by the most insignificant alley in the dirtiest court of the metropolis, declined to avail themselves of the Governor's assistance, and returned our letters to St. Martin's-le-Grand. As I have already explained in my letter of the 29th of December, the present officers of the prison (even supposing there to be no insuperable objection to the delivery of letters by irresponsible par ties) are utterly inadequate to the performance of a duty requiring one man's incessant and undivided attention for 12 hours daily. They are divided into a day and right watch ; the first experience difficulty in snatching an hour's relaxation, aad the latter have not more than four hours' sleep out of the 24. The distribution of letters, therefore, by them, without an addition to their number,—which would entail an expense of nearly double that of the late postmaster,—is an absolute impossibility, of which an hour's investigation would have convinced the Postmas ter-General. The insinuation, therefore, of "obstinacy" against the Governor,—than whom no one more sincerely deplores, or is more anxious to remedy the present state of things, by anything short of a concession that would indisputably demoralize his officers and throw all the arrangements of a hitherto well conducted prison into confusion,—is an inconceivable absurdity. With regard to ourselves, indeed, it is an exquisite re finement of cruelty in the General Post-office to visit men already bowed down by misfortune, in addition to the penalty already imposed by very stringent statutes upon every bankrupt and insolvent debtor who fails to give satisfaction to his creditors, with so tremendous an ag gravation of their difficulties, and an obstacle to every arrangement to procure their liberty. The law says, "You shall exert summary diligence in satisfying, or arranging with, your creditors, and a post-office has been established within your walls to afford you every means of communicating with them and you r legal ad visers for that purpose." But the General Post-office, ignoring all this, says, "We have nothing to do with acts of Parliament for your relief, or their general policy, but only to carry out our plans of economy, which require the abolition of your post-office." But what justice or economy can there be in a regulation so contrary in every respect to the letter and intention of statutes for our relief, which injures the creditor by cutting him off from all but personal intercourse with his debtor ; for which he may have neither time nor in clination, and brings ruin and starvation upon the debtor by the stoppage of his communications and sup plies ? The period, too, at which this cruel regulation has been enforced is singularly unfortunate and inap portune. The necessaries of life, in consequence of the absence of shops within the walls, and of a peculiarity in our internal arrangements invidious to allude to, fur ther than that it is severely f e lt by the inmates, have risen to more than double the price of last year, while the means of procuring them have in many instances diminished. The Post -office has chosen this very mo ment to add to our distress by damming up their source, and consigning some dependent upon the occasional bounty of friends, and others long struggling to protract existence, embittered by misfortune and want, to star vation and despair. Surely, the Postmaster-General cannot be aware of the confusion, perplexity, and distress caused by this hasty and inconsiderate regulation, more merciless even than that of the Winchester gaoler ; he only starved them by inches, but the Postmaster-General would fain finish out right. Should he, however, persist in endeavouring to add another Jones to the list of inquests —and there-is already a painful rumour of some in great distress —he may perhaps be branded by a verdict of a more stringent character than the last, the shame and remorse of which will attach to him to his dying day. .:. There are some here who have served her Majesty and the country in various capacities, with more or less dis tinction ; others, members of the learned professions ; and some who have been, or still are, extensive land holders, proprietors, and merchants, and who have hitherto dischareed the functions of grand jurors, deputy lieutenants, rnagistrates &c., and continue to pay rates and taxes to a large amount, until misfortunes, more or less temporary, brought them here to effect an arrange ment of their affairs. Are these, sir, to be suddenly de prived of a privilege not withdrawn from felons —of hear ing of the birth of a child, or the decease of a parent— of receiving the consolations of friendship or the allevia tions of charity, The Postmaster may not, perhaps, be aware that this is not a common prison, like Whitecross-street or Horse monger-lane Gaol, to which every one is of necessity brought after capture. This is filled by migration from even the most distant parts of the country. Its superiority over others consists in strict but more liberal regulation —a private apartment, with sashed instead of grated windows, unadulterated beer, and a little more leg room. To obtain these mighty privileges, 3t., or, according to the conscience of the attorney procuring it, as much as 51., is paid for a habeas to remove from another prison at an additional expense, according to the distance, amount ing sometimes to 251. or 301. It is said that a portion of this is paid into the Consolidated Fund, and which, added to the revenue derived from the late post-office, has amounted to several hundred pounds per annum. Is it not then, sir, a hard case that, after being mercilessly plundered by the bailiffs and sponging-house people to our last shilling, and then turned out into Whitecross-street Prison, where it is impossible to obtain the smallest privacy for the arrangement of our affairs, we should now be treated worse than felons by the Post-office, after having paid so dearly for a privilege in which we have acquired, es it were, a vested interest, and the public also with us as creditors ? But the Post-office turn a deaf ear to every remonstrance, to every argument ; and it is therefore, only through the medium of your journal, which exercises an influence to which the peer and the peasant, the monarch and the slave alike defer, that I in common with my fellow-prisoners ap peal to her Majesty's Secretary of State for the Home Department—whose office it is to superintend this place —to redress this monstrous wrong ; and we do so to one no less distinguished for his urbanity and justice than for his readiness to listen to the complaints of the hum blest, in the fullest confidence of his redeeming the promise he made to that effect last year in Scotland, on the broad ground that the abolition of our post-office is contrary to the letter and spirit of enactments for the relief of bankrupts and insolvent debtors, to public prin ciple and common humanity. For there can be no doubt, sir, that, deprived of postal communication, this place would cease to be what it was intended by the Legisla ture, and become an abyss of misery, despair, and death frightful to contemplate—Pandora's box of evil, without hope, with Dante's sentence inscribed upon its portals, " Lasciate ogni speranza voi ch:entrate." I remain, sir, your obedient servant, A THREE YEAR'S CAPTIVE. Queen's Prison, Jan. 11. THE ACTON MURDER. On Saturday Mr. Wildbore, who bad been charged with being concerned in the abduction of the boy sup posed to have been murdered, was again placed at :he bar of Clerkenwell Police-court. The lad, Jackson, was recalled ; and, in answer to Mr. Hawkins, the barrister, said he would not smar that he had or had not pointed out another man as :he person who had taken the murdered boy away in a gig or chaise. Sergeant Earthy, 19 T, stated that he was with another officer investigating the circumstances of the horrid murder. The latter was in uniform, and witness was in private clothes. On Jackson seeing him (witness) he accused him of being the individual that decoyed the deceased from Old-street. Wm. Patten, a lad residing with his father, at 4, Riding House-lane, Portland-place, was now sworn, and said, that on the Monday or Tuesday at the end of October last, he ran away from his father's honse, and when going to his uncle's in Golden-lane, the prisoner, whom he recognised in the House of Detention, asked him to take charge of his horse and cart in Old-street. It was at seven o'clock in the evening. The prisoner came back in ten minutes with two boys, one of whom got into the cart, and was driven away by the prisoner, and the other went away. The witness here gave his description of the prisoner at the time, and likewise of the horse, cart, and harness. Mr. Hawkins severely cross-examined the witness, who contradicted himself and the other lad over and over again. Sergeant Gunn, G-, stated that the last witness picked out one set -of harness from several on the prisoner's premises on Friday. Mr. Daniel Griffin, of Golden-lane, harness maker, uncle of the witness Patten, said that his nephew had run away ten times, at the least, in the last twelve months, and come to him. He could not say when was the last time. Mr. Peter Patten, father of the witness, stated that he was positive his son, who is very unsteady, ran away from him on a Saturday in October last. He was quite certain he was away on Sunday. He came back insix days. Sergeant Earthy was again called into the witness box, and in answer to questions, said he saw the body of the deceased an hour after ,it had been discovered, and he judged that death had taken place within 24 hours previously. It presented a fearful spectacle—the right eye was black partially down the cheek, and the bones were almost protruding through the skin. Mr. Hawkins called several witnesses, who clearly showed that Mr. Wildbore was not in town on the 31st of October with his horse and chaise ; that he came to London on that day by rail, and returned by the same conveyance at 20 minutes to 6, after dining with Mr. Frederick Sewell, veterinary surgeon, at Waltham-cross, and that he then took tea with two nieces and a nephew, and did not leave home afterwards on that night. At the conclusion of this evidence he (Mr. Hawkins) sin cerely trusted that the prejudice against his client would be dispelled, and that his friends would feel satisfied that he had been more sinned against than sinning, at the same time he must say that Superin tendent Martin and the other excellent officers had done no more than the circumstances of so horrible a case fully warranted. Mr. Corrie fully concurred with the learned counsel, for he had not the slightest hesitation in declaring there was no evidence whatever against Mr. Wildbore, and further, that he disbelieved altogether the testimony of Patten. Even if the evidence for the defence had not been given to-day, he should have discharged the pri soner, believing him to be an innocent man. When the prisoner was set at liberty, he was warmly and heartily cheered by his friends. SEAMEN'S HOSPITAL SOCIETY.-THE DREADNOUGHT. On Friday the quarterly general court of the gover nors of this society was held at the offices, King William-street, London-bridge--Mr. John Labouchere in the chair. The secretary read the report, from which it appeared that the society took all possible precautions to guard against the spread of cholera among the shipping of the Thames, and opened a dis tinct vessel for the reception of patients suffering under that epidemic—a circumstance which they took care to have notified to every ship entering the river. They received from her Majesty's Government the sum of 2,351/. 55., in commutation of their interest in certain fines levied upon merchant vessels by the provisions of the Merchant Seamen's Act ; and a further sum of 55/, from the executors of the late Miss Hardwicke, making in all 6051. from that lady's bequest. They also received, in a letter from his Excellency the French Ambassador, Count Walewski to Admiral Bowles, a donation of 700 f., in the name of his Im perial Majesty Napoleon 111. , to mark his appreciation of the service which the society renders to French seamen frequenting the port of London—an act of patronage which he proposes to repeat annually. The Secretary invested a sum of 2,5001. in the Three-and-a Quarter per Cents. Upon Christmas-day a dinner, suited to the festival was, under the direction of the medical officers, supplied to the patients. Since the lst of Octo ber to the 31st of DeCember last, 12 seamen from her Majesty's ships were admitted as patients, and 1736 from British and foreign merchant vessels, which, with 101 on board at the first-mentioned date, made the total number of in-patients 849 ; of these, 159 are at pre sent on board, sick ; 1 is convalescent, 4 fit for duty, and 685 have been discharged. The total number of patients admitted since the establishment of the hospi talship has been 70,228 ; the out-patients for the last quarter numbered 379. The society commenced the labours of the quarter with a balance of 211. 19s. 9d. against them, and since expended 4,2401. 12s. lid.—in all, 4,262/. 12s. Bd. • but as the receipt s f or t h a t per i o d amounted to 3,7761. 3s. 11d., they have to commence the year with a balance of 4861. Bs. 9d. against them. The report was unanimously adopted. The Secretary pen read a letter from Sir Jame Gra ham, with reference to the withrawal of the sums paid from the Merchant Seamen's Fund, stating that it rested with Parliament to determine if an equivalent assistance should be directly afforded froni the public purse. He would not encourage any such expectation, as no vote of the kind could be proposed without the consent of the Treasury; but that the Board of Trade was the department to moot the question. A vote of thanks was passed to the Emperor of the French for his generosity, a bye-law was altered, and the meeting terminated in the usual manner. [ADVERT'ISEMENT. i—DA RIC DAYS AND LONG NIGHTS.—The necessity of having the most perfect eye sight and hearing.—Messrs. S. and B. Solomon, opticians and ocklists, 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Observe — opposite the York Hotel. Newly-invented preserving Spectacle Lenses. Immediately they are placed before extremely imperfect vision, every object appears clear and distinct • the most a ge d, d e f ec ti ve s i g ht b ecames b r i g ht and brilliant, is brought to its youthful, natural, and ori ginal state. — RoyalExhibitions, 1851.- —A valuable, newly invented, very small powerful waistcoat-pocket glass, the size of a walnut, by which a person can be seen and known one mile and a half distant ; they answer every purpose on the race-course, at the opera houses, country scenery, and ships are clearly seen at 12 to 14 miles. They are invaluable for shooting, deer stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, and tourists. Telescopes --A new and most important invention in telescopes, possessing such extraordinary powers that some, 3A inches, w ith an ex t ra eye-piece, w ill show distinctly Jupiter's moons, Saturn's ring, and the double stars ; with the same telescope, weighing only 3 ounces, can be seen a person ' s countenance three miles and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles. They supersede every other kind for the waistcoat-pocket. and are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers accordingly. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonderful power; an object can be clearly seen, from 14 to 16 miles distant: Deafness—New Discovery—The Organic Vi brator, an extraordinary powerful and newly-invented instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all others, to surpass anything of the kind that has been, or probably ever can be, produced. Being of the game colour as the skin, it is not perceptible ; it enables deaf persons to hear distinctly at church and at public as semblies ; the unpleasant sensa ti on o f s i ng i ng no i ses i n i the ears s entirely removed ; and it affords all the assist. ance that possibly could be desired.-39, Albemarle-qtreet, Piccadilly- Observe, opposite the York Hotel. - - [ADVERTISEMENT.] --The Earl of Aldborough and Hol loway's Pills.—An astounding cure by this miraculous medicine after every other means had failed. See ex tract from his lordship's letter, dated " Villa Messina Leghorn, Feb. 21, 1845. To Professor Holloway. Sir,—l beg to acquaint you . that yo ur pill s h ave effected a cure of a disorder in my liver and stomach, which all the most eminent of the faculty at home and all over the Continent had not been able to effect —nay, not even the waters of Carlsbad or Marienbad. (Si gne d) LDBO- RouGN." These wonderful pills will cure any disorders of the liver or stomach. —Sold also Holloway's ointment, at Professor Holloway's Establishment, 244, Strand, London, and by all medicine venders throughout the kingdom, SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. ACCEPTANCES FOR D MIDLAND ST] ERBY SPRING RACES. EEPLECHASE. st lb Needwood lO 13 Carrig lO 12 Star of England lO 6 Daphne Spring lO 1 Victress Diana 9 13 st lb Sir Philip 9 12 Cervus Little Charley 9 9 Master Croft Trout br gby Algar Burnt Sienna 9 0 'EEPLECHASE. SELLING ST: st lb Victress Chatham Slashing Painter Cigar Cervus Hurdle Rao st lb Melon ll 5 Newport lO 10 st lb Jesuit Tom Bowling lO 12 Blue Stockings lO 10 Lord Byron ,brg by Algar lO 7 !e Handicap. st lb Galileo 9 10 Luck's-all 9 6 Teddesley 9 5 Wee Mickey 9 4 John Bright 9 2 br gby Algar 9 2 Maria Monk 9 0 Alp lO 8 Bullfinclier lO 6 Drayton c lO 6 Star of England lO 3 Victress lO 0 Beresford 0 12 SELLING HURDLE RACE. Alp l2 10 Sars Roselly lO 12 Victress Chatham ll 12 John Bright lO 7 Cervus Barmaid RACING FIXTURES FOR 1854. The Jockey Club having determined to commence their season on Easter Monday (April 17), the princi pal meetings—supposing the usual arrangements are ob served—will stand as under. Should the stewards, in any instance, determine to vary the fixture, it will be advisable, as a guide to others, to give us immediate notice : FEBRUARY. Newton Spring 2 Derby Spring 8 MA Lincoln Spring 14 Nottingham Spring 21 ,CH. Liverpool Spring 1 Doncaster Spring 7 Salisbury Coventry Spring l4 AP: Warwick Spring 2l Catterick 27 Northampton 29 Abergavenny 30 ,IL. Croxton Park 4 Epsom Spring 6 Cheltenham Spring 12 Newmarket Craven 17 Catterick Bridge 19 Abergavenny 2O York Spring 25 Malton 27 :AY. Newmarket F S Chester Spring 9 Lothians & Edinburgh 11 Newmarket S S l6 Shrewsbury IS YU: 1 Lothians and EdinburghlB 1 Lewes l9 Bath 23 Liverpool Hunt Spring 24 Epsom 30 -NE. Manchester Ascot Heath 13 Newcastle-on-Tyne 20 Hampton 2l Carlisle 26 Bibury og Stockbridge 29 Ludlow 30 Winchester 3O JU: Newmarket s 4 Worcester 4 Lancaster 6 Mansfield ll Liverpool l2 Ipswich 13 Stourbridge l7 Stamford 18 Nottingham ..20 Goodwood 25 Ripon 31 AUC Brighton Brighton Club.. 4 Wolverhampton Yarmouth 8 Reading Odiham 9 North Staffordshire 9 Wolverhampton l4 SEPT] Warwick Lichfield Western Meeting 7 Rochesterand Chatham 7 Doncaster 12 Pontefract 18 OCTC Chester Autumn 3 Yorkshire Union Hunt.— 5 Wrexham 5 Newmarket S 0 9 NOVE Epsom Autumn 2 Closing prices : Egham York 23 Hereford Eccles 2B Chelmsford 29 Derby 29 Plymouth 30 Lincoln 3l TIBER. Bedford 19 Leicester 2O Manchester Autumn 2l Lanark 25 Newmarket F 0 20 Northallerton 2B BER. Warwick Autumn 17 Caledonian Hunt 17 Newmarket H 23 Worcester Autumn 31 IMBER. Co wbridge Hunt 8 STEEPLECHASES TO COME. JANUARY. Oundle (5) 17 Oswestry (2) ...... —.......26 Westbury and Wilt shire (3) 25 IJST. FEBRUARY. Newton (1) Derby (2) 8 Carmarthenshire 2l _l6 MARCH. Liverpool (1) 1 Birmingham Beverley (1) lO APRIL. Liverpool Hunt Club I Cheltenham lB (Hoylake) (2) 8 I Rothbury NOVE Cowbridge Hunt MBER. 9 THE LATE ROBBERY OF JEWELLERY IN THE STRAND. At Bow-street, on Saturday, James Boyd, a groom, Joseph Floyd, cab-master, and Edward Symes, a cab man, were brought up for re-examination, before Mr. Henry, charged with the robbery of nearly 2000/. worth of jewellery, the property of Messrs. Alexander and Co., of Hatton-garden. The woman Pullen, who was originally charged, in conjunction with Boyd, as an accomplice, was admitted as a witness for the Crown, by permission of his worship, it having transpired that she had sent for Serjeant Poc ock, one of the officers entrusted with the case, and volunteered a statement of all the cir cumstances attending the robbery. Mr. Wontner, the solicitor, of Skinner-street, con ducted the prosecution ; and Mr. Parry, the barrister, was retained for the defendant Floyd. Charles Boyd, brother of the first prisoner, repeated the evidence given at the last examination, relative to the disclosures made to him by the latter while in the House of Detention, and to his subsequent interview with Floyd and Symes, who admitted their share in the robbery, and accused each other of having appropriated the money. The prisoner Boyd—My brother's statement is all false ; he has invented every word of it. Symes—lt's well known that he is a bad character, and has been heard to swear that he would do anything to raise some money. Witness —Then how could I know all the facts; of the case if I had'nt been told ? Cross-examined by Mr. Parry—l have been i n. prison twice for felony, and I was committed each time for three months. It was for being concerned wit b. others in two robberies. They both occurred 12 or 1 3 years ago, and I have never been committed, except once for being drunk, since that time. I have been a pot man at the Talbot public-house, Gray's-inn-lane, but have had no employment latterly. I have lived partly on my pension as a seaman, which is 12/. a-year, and pa rtly on the earnings of my wife, who goes out ironing. Elizabeth Pullen deposed that she was an unfortunate girl, living in Holborn-buildings. She had kn own the prisoner, Symes, for 12 months, and was introduced by him, about six weeks ago, to James Boyd (Mr. Alexan der's coachman). On 10th December, Boyd gave her a ring, which she pawned, and after this Symes gave her two other rings, at a public-house in Crow n -court, Fleet-street, telling her to take care of them until next day. At the same time Symes gave her the d a plicate relating to a gold pin, stating that he feared so m ething had been found out, and he must go away. She showed the rings to a companion, named Susan Kelly, i:h.e same night. A day or two afterwards Symes came to her in a great passion, and said, " You have shown than rings to somebody, and you want to put me away. If you do I'll put your light out." He also said (in reference to the stolen property), " I can defy you, for it; is all melted." On the following Saturday she saw Syn tes and Boyd in conversation together in the Strand, a; id joined them in something to drink at the George Hotel. Symes asked her if she had the rings and duplicate w rit h her, and she said she had not. They all went off in a cab to Gray's-inn-lane, when Symes went to his lod gi ngs in Liquorpond-street, and Boyd went home with h He gave her ss. on that occasion, and 10s. on C hr istmas night, when she spent the evening at Susan Kelly 's, and heard for the first time who Boyd's master ways, The next week Boyd gave her several half-soverei“n s, and asked her what she wanted to buy. On the S at urday she received 3/. from him to buy a cloak, and, to get some articles out of pledge. The following w e ek she went with him to Woburn-mews to see Floyd', about some money. Boyd had told her that Symes h. ad re fused to give him any more, and he meant to see t . Floyd about it, as he had something to do with it. Wh ett they got to the mews, Floyd and Boyd had some cony( ration together privately, after which Boyd called to her a ndlsaid, " Didn't Simes give you two rings to take care of ? " Wit ness replied, " Yes." Floyd then said that Syme c was a rascal, and might have got them all locked up. Boy. i ..asked him what cab he took the things away in ? Floyd IN ;plied cc I t w as my own cab, and Symes must have pic ke d up the rings in the cab." Boyd asked him if he hut nif, -what had been done with the property ? Floyd said, that he and Symes took it over the water, and it was all melted. He also promised Boyd that if he (Boyd) should get into touble, he would take care to get a solicitor for him. Floyd added, that the money he had got out of the job had done him no good. Boyd asked him bow much the things fetched, and he replied 951. After this they all went to Liquorpond-street, and the two prisoners left her to go to Symes. She waited at the corner of the street, and saw them altogether, with Mrs. Symes, who was cry ing. Witness did not hear their conversation. Boyd came back to witness afterwards, and went home to her lodgings, where he told her that he had been robbed of his share of the money, and swore that he would either shoot Symes or himself, or " split" about it. Witness first heard the particulars of the robbery from the printed handbills in the windows, and it was after this that Boyd told her that he, and Symes, and Joe (meaning Floyd), had done it. Witness was taken into custody on Friday week, since which time she had sent for the police to make a statement. The prisoner Symes, with unblushing effrontery, said that he knew nothing of the woman (Pullen), nor she of him, although he might have seen her in the course of his life. Mr. Henry—She says she has known you for twelve months. Symes—That may be. Pullen was cross-examined by Mr. Parry without any damaging results. She said her brother and landlady had advised her to tell the truth. Mr. Henry remanded the prisoners for another week. PRICES OF SHARES. IN BANKS, ASSURANCE, AND OTHER COM PANIES' STOCK. From the Official List. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY AND FRIDAY EVENING. JOINT-STOCK BANKS. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Pri ce . , Annum. Share. --- - X s. d. £ s. d. Australasia........... 6/. per cent. 40 0 0 all 71% British North American 61. per cent. 50 0 0 . „ 633 Commercial of London. 41. per cent. 100 0 0 20 0 0 - Colonial ............ _ 31. per cent. lOO 0 0 25 0 0 193 lonian .... . - . .... 61. per cent. 25 0 0 25 0 0 - Lona. Char. Bk. of Aus. - 20 0 0 210 0 15% London and County • • 61. per cent. 50 0 0 20 0 0 31 4 Londn and Westminstr 61. per cent. 100 0 0 20 0 0 39 London Joint Stock ... 61. per cent. 50 0 0 10 ‘i 0 - Provincial of Ireland.. , 81. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 - Ditto, N ew... .. •... 8/ . per cent. 10 0 0 all - National of Ireland.... i 41. per cent. 50 0 0 22 10 0 22% Nat. Provncial of Eng. 61. per cent. 100 0 0 35 0 0 - Ditto, New .. ••• . • . 5/ per cent. 20 0 0 10 0 0 - Oriental Bank Corpora. 121. p. ct.&bs. 25 0 0 all 43 South Australia ...... 81 p. ct.& bs. 25 0 0 9 f 42 Union of kustralia •• • • 40i. per cent. 25 0 0 25 0 0 73 Ditto ..... ......... 40/. per cent. - 2 10 0 - Union of L0nd0n...... 8/. per tent. 50 0 0 10 0 0 - Union of Madrid ... • • - 40 0 0 all - INSURANCE COMPANIES. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price. Annum. Share. - - £ a. d. £ s. d. Albion .... • • ........ 3/. 10s. 500 0 0 50 0 0 95 Alliance Brit. and For. 71. 14s. 6d. bs. 100 0 0 11 0 0 26 Ditto Marine....... GI. p.c. & be. 100 0 0 25 0 0 - Anchor .............. 6 per cent. 5 0 0 1 0 0 - Atlas , rgus Life ........... 41. per cent. 100 0 0 25 0 0 23 British Commercial .. 7s. 6d. 50 0 0 5 4 0 7% Clericl.Med.& Gen• Life spr ct. & bs. 100 0 0 10 0 0 .2()3¢ County ...... Crown .............. 16s. Gd 50 0 0 5 0 0 20U Eagle . Equity and Law...... 4% per cent. 100 0 0 5 0 0 6 European Life ...... ... 15s. 20 0 0 all 20 General.... ..... ..... - 5 0 0 Pt 57, Globe •• .. 6/. per cent. Stock. ~ 144 Guardian Imperial Fire......... 12/. per cent, 500 0 0 50 0 0 375 Imperial Life Indemnity Marine.... 11. sh. & bs. 100 0 0 20 0 0 62 Law Fire ............ 2s. & 2s. be. 100 0 0 210 0 0 2 Law Life... .. ... .... _. 100 0 0 10 0 0 - Legal and General Life - 50 0 0 2 0 a 6 1 A London Fire London - hip. • .. 10s & be. 25 0 () 12 10 0 - Marine......... •.• • .. 15e.per share 100 0 0 18 0 0 - Med. Invlid & Gen. Life 4% , per ct. 50 0 0 . 2 0 0 3 % Minerva ....... ..... sp. ct. & bs. 20 0 0 2 0 0 6 Monarch .. .. - ...... - 5 0 0 1 () 0 20s. 6d National Loan Fund.. 51. per cent. 20 0 n 210 0 294 Palladium Lila Pelican - ' - - 45 Phoenix - - - 186 Professional Life...... 5/. per cent. , 6 5 0 010 0 )4 Provident Life Rock Life .. .. .. Royal Exchange ....• • 6/. p.ct. & be. Stock. all 240 Sun Fire ..... 6/. 10s. - f 9 - Ditto Life . . 1/. 10s. - f t 65 United Kingdom .... 41. p. ct & bs. 20 0 0 4 0 0 - Universal Life ... Vic•oria Life - 4 12 6 - BRIDGES. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price. Annum. Share. £ s. d. £ S. d. Hungerford - - - 12 Southwark ... ...... - 100 0 0 - - Ditto New of 734 p.c 703. per cen'._ 50 0 0 - - Waterloo ..... .... • - 100 0 0 - 5 4 Ditto Old Ann. of 81 ll. 12s. GO 0 0 60 0 0 - Ditto Nw ditto of 71. 1/. Bs. Od. 40 0 0 40 0 0 - Vauxhall ...... _ - 22 WATER -WORKS. Dividend Amount Name of Company. I per of Paid: Price. Annum. Share. East London 110 Grand Junction .... • • 4". per cnt. 50 0 0 all 73 Kent ...... .... .. - - Lambeth - 100 0 0 - - New River Company ' 21. 10s. - - - Southwark & Vauxhall 51. per cnt. !100 0 0 West Middlesex ...... 5/.los. pr ct.! 89,,, 110% DOCKS. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price. Annum. Share. - £ s. d. £ s. d. Commercial ••••• • .. • • 4/. pr cent. Stock. Stock. East and West India.. 6/. pr cent. Stock. 128 ' East Country • • London .• • • -••• • • • 51. pr cent. Stock. 111% Ditto Bonds •••• • • —4/. per cent. St. Katharine .... •• .• 4 per cent. Stock. outhampton •• •• •• •• 1/. 12s per c. 50 0 0; 50 0 0 Victoria .. ••..• • -- . 5/. per cent. 20 0 0 I 6 0 0 ' 50 0 0 6 0 0 CANALS. Names of f. 4 Dividend Names of 2,5 Dividend Companies. A per Price. Companies. r Price. co Annum. An pe num. £ £' A slitn &Oldh 98 71. p. ct. 167 Macclesfield. 100 21. 10s. 50 Barnsley •• • 160 Neath .• • • 100 161. 150 Brknk&Abrg 150, 4/. Oxford.... • • 100 13 . 115 Bi rm i n gham 40 41. 9314 Peak Forest. 78 51 Os. 95 Coventry.... 100 251. 205 Regent's •. .• 30 17< 1714 Derby ••• • . 100 61. 63 Rochdale .• • 85 11. 10s. 66 Ellsinre&Chs 69 2 3 4 p. ct Somrset Coal 140 GrandJunctn 100 4c. pr. ct. 65 Do. Lk Fel 12 Do , 6 pr. Ct. 10 61. pr. ct. Sttlrd &Wore 1 401 281. 407 Grand Surrey 100 21. 10s. 50 Shrewsbury.. Grand Union 100 11. Os. 12 1 4 Stoarbridge.. ; 4 5 251 201. 285 Kennt & Avn 39 6s. Od. 7% Severn and } Lancaster . 100 Wye Rail. 2 6 2/ • 24 Leeds &Livrp 100 251. 530 Warwick &*l5 C 31 314 Leicester ...• 100 5/. 68 Birming. 100 • Leicstr &'...7th 83 41. j Warwick & Loughborogh 142 701. Napton.. 3 100 31 . 19 Monmouthsh 100 Worcstr & j 78: 3/. 31 Mntgmerysh 100 Binning. MeltnMwbry 100 Wilts & Brks —10 s. Od. 6% GAS-LIGHT AND COKE COMPANIES. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price. Annum. Share. 1 £ s. d. £ s. d. British • • •• •• .. • • •• .. - - - Ditto Provincial •-• 1/. Bs. 20 0 0 20 0 0 22% Brighton ••••..•• •• .• 5/. 20 0 0 20 0 0 ' 15 City of London .... - 61. 100 0 0 150 0 0 132% Centinental (3d Cap.)... 4/. 75 0 0 43 10 0 67 Equitable-. •• •• .. •• •• 50/. 50 0 0 all 26 Great Central,.... •• • 71 per cent. 110 0 0 10 0 0 12 imperial ............ 3/. & bonus. i5O 0 0 all 85% Inaependent ......... 6/. 40 0 0 •• 46 London.- ............ - 50 0 0 2 9 - Do., Pail. Preference 61. per cent. i 25 0 0 25 Pllce.tix ............, 3i/. per cent. 50 0 0 49 0 0 27% Rsteliff ..... ....... 51. 100 0 0 90 0 0 73 United General .. •• .- 1/. 50 0 0 all I 22 Westminster Chartered Si. Der cent. 50 0 0 fl 40 Ditto, New ........ 51. per cent. 50 0 0 10 is 0 7 3 4 LIST OF SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES. Dividend Amount Name of Company. per of Paid. Price. Annum. Share. £ s. d. £ a. d. Bank of Scotland ...• 71. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 184/15 British Linen Company 81. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 208/ 0 Caledonian Bank ...• . 81. per sent. 10 0 0 210 0 3'. 17s City of , 4158K0w Bank 5./. per cent. 10 0 0 10 a 0 in Os Clydesdale Bank -•• 5%1. p cent. 20 0 0 10 0 0 12 5s ';aartnercial Bank •• 77. per cent. sro 0 0 100 0 0 1 977113 ?astern •BAnkr.:o-..-.. 61. per cent. 25 U 0 10 0 0 10/I4s E linb.Sallasgow: ..... -3%/. p cent. 5 0 0 5 0 0 4/. lOs Exchange Bilk of Scot.. - 100 0 0 31 5 0 6s. Gd National Bank ...... 6% percent. 50 0 0 10 0 0 161 is Norttsof Scotland Bank bLpereent. 20 0 0 210 0 4/. 108 Royal Bank of Scetl. .. 51. per cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 13011.) 7mon Bank of Scot. •. 81. per cent. 100 0 0 50 0 0 927 Os Western Bank •... .. •• 71. per cent.. 50 0 0 50 0 0 721 Os +Mance Fire and Life.. 8%/.pr cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 25! Os British Guarantee .... 41, per cent. 10 0 0 2 0 0 1/. 3s 'aledonian Fire Inuit*. 101. per cent. 100 0 0 10 0 0 261. Os City of Glasgow Lite- 6/. per cent. 25 0 0 2 0 0 41. 58 Colonial Life ......... 5/. p er cen t . 50 0 0 ^ 1 0 0 47.1 5 5 Edinburgh Lre ' iglu'. , 31• percent. 100 0 0 15 0 0 251108 Eng. & scot. Lz zy Life 5/.percent. 50 0 0 212 6 47. Os Life ssac. of Scotland 61. per cent. 10 0 0 110 0 4 , , 1 5 a National Fire and Life 61. por cent. 10 0 0 1 0 0 !IL 1 3 s, North British Incur... 7 /. per cent, 200 0 9 20 o 0 ,3F,,, icottish Union Insrn c . 7%1 . pr cen t , 20 0 0 1 o 0 , I ''J' S tandard Life •••••• • 51 . Per cent. 50 0 0 7 0 ‘, -- 0 United Dep. Assur ance 51 . per cent. 10 0 0 , .1 0 0 MISCELLANEOUS. Dividend Amount raid. Price. of Name of Company. per e. Annum. Shar --- ---- _ £ a , d. £ B. d. , ....., Assam Tea ........ 3'. 5O 00 20 0 0 - Nuctic,n M .. art•• .•• • - 27 - 55 ' 0 0 1 7 10 0 41% tustratian Agriculturl 1/. 113. 6d. 1 00 _ 25 0 0 Australian Trust •• • • 6'. p er cent. 10 0 0 8 0 0 3 5/. Australian Royal Mail 10 0 0 10 0 0 ...... A nglo Mexican Mint.. 1 1 : 5 1 5 0 " - 38 10 0 71 British American Land 1 Canada ... •• .. 6/, per cent. 100 0 0 32 1 0 0 - .. • • • • Do. 5 per cent Bonds 5/. per cent. 6/. per cent. - 112% 1i..t0, fi per cent. -• 3i per cent. - - _ City Navigation Bonds . _ 25 0 0; 20 0 0 - Electric Telegraph (A 25 0 0 15 0 0 - _, Ditto •• •••• • . (B) 51 pr. cent. 100 0 0 400 0 0 - Equitab l e R e versionry - 50 0 0 12 10 0 - Ditto New .• • • - .! & Invest. sp. c.&bs, 21 100 0 0 100 0 0 - Gen, Revers. ti n 10 p.ct. 15 0 0 14 0 0 - at/ c iga o Gen.3teatn _ Stock. • •••••• - - Hudson's BaY • . • 21.101. 100 0 0 100 0 0 - Ilungerford .• • • :• •• •• - - - London trastitutton ... - London Reversionary 5/. per cent. 15 0 0 ; 15 0 0 - n sell I ns titution.... - - 112 10 0 - Russell iflhtlttltlo " 12 10 0 r r icss Patent Cand.Co. 10 /. per cent. 20 0 0,17 10 0 - P rice's Int. Soc. 4%1. pr cent. 100 0 0 100 0 0 - I Royal Mail Steam.... 41. p. share. 100 0 0, 60 0 0 - South Australian..... 5/. per cent. 25 0 0f 25 .. 0 0 37 Trust and Loan Comp. ._ of Upper Canada.... -- ;-- .- - ___ SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE. CUSTOM HOUSE, JAN. 14. ENTERED INWARDS.—The Lillie Edmund, from Aal borg ; Unicorn, Messina ; Eliza, Thornton„Batavia ; Alsa cia, Cronstadt ; Claudia, Demerara ; Maria Catherina, Mariager ; Brooking, Zante ; Ida, Marstran d ; Heber, Messina ; Lancastrian, Shanghai; Circassian, Madras ; Alamode, Leghorn ; Wilsons, Smyrn a ; C onques t, C a di z ; Thomas Snook, Accra ; Eliza, Buenos Ayres ; Pauline, Caen ; Anomia, Havannah • Lark, Seville ; A ce o f T rumps , St. Michael's ; Lammot, A ' arhuus ; Alida, Rouen ; Anne Jane, Colombo ; Centaur, Leghorn ; Arequipa, Bahia ; Sea. Queen, Singapore and Cape Town ; Martha Miles, De merara ; Gratitude, Madras ; Anna Hendrika, Lisbon ; Giffrard, Shanghai ; Norna, do. ; Camerton, Berbice ; Austin, Boston, U.S. ; Waban, New York ; Gederosa, Cadiz. ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The John and Jane, for Brussels ; Premier, Demerara ; Nicotine, Copen hagen ; Claudia, Demerara ; Neruda, Jamaica ; Foxhound, Trieste ; Mary, Geelong ; Jane, Terceira ; Janet Mitchell, Port Philip; Agricola, Sydney; Eliza Thornton, Batavia and Singapore. CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO --The Eter, for Ali cant, Carthagena, and Tarragona ; Maria Anna, Antwerp ; Elizabeth, do. ; Active, Havre ; Ada, Athens and Smyrna ; Julie, Rouen ; Amalie, do. ; Spheroid, St. Vincent's. LIVERPOOL, JAN. 14. The Iron Duke steamer, for Kingston, in getting under weigh last evening, ran into the Albert steamer, from Bangor, and damaged her own stern so much that her pas sengers were transferred to the Windsor steamer ; which left with them at 10 p.m. • The Harold, from Calcutta, arrived at this port, with loss of mizen masts, &c., from a collision off the Skerries with an outward-bound American ship. The Constantine, from New York, put into Belfast Lough, bound to this port, with loss of rudder and head spring. VESSELS SPOKEN WITH. The Monarch, from Hong Kong to London, Nov. 8, lat. 31 S., long. 35 E. The Raleigh (barque), of South Shields, Jan. 3, lit. 45 N., long. 9E. _ _ . The William Cobden, for Liverpool, Dec. 30, off Cape St. Vincent. The William Nicholson, from S wansea t o Santiago de Cuba, 13th, lat. 26 N. long. 37 W. The Ellen, from Colombo to Loudon, Dec. 1, lat. 5 N. COUNTRY MARKETS.. HADDINGTON—JAN. 13. The following are the prices of grain at our market to-day : WHEAT. I BAILEY. First B6s Od 448 Od Second 7Bs 5d 41s 4d Third 6ss Od 130 s Od Total quantity of wheat in market, barley „ oats Of beans OATS. BEANS 35s Od 568 Od 32s 2d 50s 8d 23s Od 44s Od 555 qrs., 506 sold 668 qrs., 627 sold 724 qrs., 632 sold 141 qrs., 141 sold PP PP PP ~ DALKEITH GRAIN MARKET-JAN. 12. Wheat on the top 4s up, current price 2s per qr. up, and lowest 3s up. Oats on the top 2s up, cur" rent price is up, and lowest 2s 4d up. Barley on the top 3s up, current price is up, and lowest is 6d down. Peas and beans is up on the top, current price is down/ and 6d down on the lowest price. Qrs. Best. Current. _ Inferior. 351 Wheat 88s Od 73s Od 1274 Oats 34s 4d 26s Od .... ..... 21s 4_l 1122 Barley 453 Oct 37s Oct 69 Peas & be ans 54s Oct sls Oct Average of wheat, 3/. 12s lid. ABERDEEN -JAN. 13. The prices of grain are—Old oats, 30s Od to OOs Od; 401bs per bushel; now oats, 29s Od. to 30s Od, 401bs per bushel ; here, 395 Oct to 403 Od, 531bs per bushel ; barley: 38s Oct to 39s 6d, 531bs p er b us h e l ; w h eat, red, 70s Od to 75s Od, 621b3 per bushel ; wheat, white, 73s Od to 77s Od , 621bs per oushel ; oatmeal, 21s Od to 22s 6d per boll; flour, 60s Od to Gls Oct per sack. Provisions—Beef, per lb: 5(1. to 8d ; mutton, ditto, 5d to veal, ditto, 5d to 8d; pork, per lb, Os 5d to Os 7d ; sOmon, per lb, Os Od to Os Od, rabbits, each, Od to Od ; tallow, per stone, 5s 9d to Os Od potatoes, per peck, 8d to 9(1; (pater, per ib, 8d to 9a eggs, per doz, is 6d to 21 Od ; hens, per pair, 3s Od to 3s 6d ; ehicke - as, ditto, 23 CI to 2s 6d ; ducks, ditto, 2s 6 0 to 3s 0.1 ; ducklings, ditto, 23 6(1 to Os Od ; turkerlo each, 43 01 to 5s Od ; geese, ditto, 4s Od to 5s Od ; butte! for exportation (present cure), per cwt, 843 to OOs Od ditto (summer cured), Oo s t o Oo s Od ; eggs, wholesale price: per dozen, Od to 9d ; 41b loaf, 8d ; 21b loaf, 4d ; pork: fine small, Os Od to O s Od ; pork, large, Os Od to Os 0( 1, lamb, per lb., 5.3 Oct to Od ; cheese, per imperial stool 5s Od to 75. RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS. MANCHESTER, JAN. 14. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The range of prices is slightly' higher, but the business is very small. The sales were :' Caledonian 26,i ; Lancashire and York s hi re , 64 ; M anc hes' ter, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire 21/ ; Midland Railway Consols, 61i; South-Eastern and Dover, 17i. BIRMINGHAM, JAN. 14. STOOK EXCHANGE.—There has been very little doing in the share market, but prices have slightly recovered fro? previous depression. The chief in demand to-day were 1 0 kcal stocks, but there were no sellers; no business of ail moment was transacted on 'Change. The following wer e among the closing quotations : — Ambergate, Nottingban and Boston sellers, 5; Birmingham, Wolverhampton, ans" Stour Valley, Oi ; London and North-Western, buyers' 1011, sellers, 1024 ; Shrewsbury and Birmingham, buyer* 56i, sellers, 60 ; ditto (London and North-Western gti e '' ranteed), buyers, 56i, sellers, GO; South Staffordshire' buyers, 11, sellers, 1B dis. LEEDS, JAN. 14. STOCK EXCHANGE.—Business in shares on 'Change day has been rather more than yesterday. The follovill" prices have been obtained :—Caledonian, 26/ ; Lanoashirl a nd Yorkshire, 63 ; Midland, 61; North-Western, 81. DUBLIN, JAN. 14. STOCK EXCHANGE.—The market closed dull, althone. there was an anxiety evinced to do business. Amon gto closing prices were : Bristol and Exeter, buyers, 9 4 i' t sellers, 953 ; Caledonian, buyers, 52/, sellers, 52i ; Grea Western, buyers, 81i, sellers, 82; Midland buyers, 61 _1 1 sellers, 61i ; York and North Midland, buyers, 45i lers, 461. SEABORNE MAILS. (N signifies that the malls are sent from the General Post-0 1 by the night—and lid by the morning --dispatch.] Day When made up From what WhelT COUNTRIES. in General Post- Port due 1 ° Office, London.* Dispatched. Eng,—,,n d .., ---- -- ---- America(byßrit.pack)N Every Friday .... Liv er p oo l ... E ac h lict America (by United Sts. 4 , packet) ..........N Jan. 15 .......... Liverpool ... Arrived America (by U. Static , . , packet) ..........N Jan. 17... •. , Southamp to), .. Australia (via South ampton) ..........M Jan. 20, .....• .... Southampton Feb. 4 Ditto (via Marseilles) N Jan. 8.. . Dover ...... Ditto (via Cape of Good., Ng 4 111, Hope) ...... '— 31 ... .Feb. 4.. ...... .. Liverpool ... . I Africa (West Coast) ..N ?3d of the month.. Ply mout h .. A r rived Alexandria........., N 8,9, 24, & 30 of m. Dover ....„ Jan. I° Alexandria.. .... —3l 4th & 20th o f mon. S out h ampton i Jan• 20 Bahamas ....... —.31 17th of the month Southampton Jan. 16 Belgium .. .... ~ __ N Daily_ ...... _ Dover ..„ !Daily Brazil . ...., .. 3T 9th of the month.. Southampton Jan. Ifi Buenos Ayres _ _ _ 1519th of the month.. Southampton Jan• 1, Cape of Good Hop e _ N 14th of th e month Plymouth .. give" Cape of Good Hope ..N 14th of the month. Southampton Cape de Verds ...N 9th of th e mouth.. Pl ymouth .. rian• 1 6 Ceylon (see India) Ceylon ..............N 14th of the month Plymouth .. • .°rn Channel Isles ........N M on ~Wed.,&Frid. Southampton • -- - . 4 *, Chili. ... ........ Jan 31 2d & 17th of mo n th So u th ampton • China (see India) Constantinople ......N, 7,8,17,24,&27 ofm. Dover ..., „4'.7an. 16 Constantinople ........ 4th & 20th of mon. SouthamptonrJan• 20 it Cont. of Europe M & N Twic e daily ...... D over .. _ _ Twice& Egypt (see India) France ........ M & N Twice daily. ... Dover ....... ITwicr -4411 - Gibraltar .... ——3 l 7, 17, 20, 27 of m. SouthamptoneJan• 16 Greece (see India) I , Greytown .... _ _3l 2nd &17t4 a of mon. Southampton:Jan• T - Hamburgh ..........N Tuesday & Friday London ......4 Havannah ........„ 31 2nd of th e month Southampton 4"'ob• 1 Holland ........ 31, Daily Honduras .........3117th of the m on th Southa m pt on 'Jan. , Jan. , India (viaSouthampt.)3l,4th & 20th of mon Southampton' Jatt• .^ India (via Marseilles)3l,Bth&24th of month Dover ...... lonian Isles (see India)l7, 17, & 27 of mon D0ver....... i .411 _ i; Ireland ........M & N Twice daily Lisbon ............ _ld 7,9, 17, & 27 of ni Southampton ,Tan• I Madeira .......... —3l 9th of the month Southampton, Jan. 16 ; Madeira ........ „_ N 23d of month •• • . Plymouth .. 'Dec. 26 Malta (see India) 7,17,19,27, 30 of m. Dover ........ / Jan. 10 r ! D So PiT o u i v n t e h:a u m . t . h i .. )t . Southampton j r a e n b : ; 6 2 Malta .. .... .. ..N Mauritius (see India) h f t2 t hs h et e ho m n n month o n o t n h Mauritius ...... • Mexico ..... . Naples •• ••• • • ' N 2d & 17th of New Granada ... ••• M By private Brnth,Southamton Jan. 1 6 New Zealand.... • • • .. .. . LA IT I 2 1 0 1 4 id th i5 o o t f ~ .,j- sthlsth2sthogo Various ports IIn . ., 2 Papal States —•• • • • 7thl7th2Bth n Dover —_ .. Jan• ', 6 ofmon Southampton Jan• ; a Peninsula .. • . • • • • • • M Id & peril ........ „ _ M . 27th of noon. Southampton Jan. '" ...... N 14th of the month Plymou It ' ~ .. Port Natal .• • • ',„,, 9 Sicily .... ••••" •• • • "111 N, I 125thoirnon, Dover ..... . • '.----. pi .... ....NIS thlsth2s thorium Dover .... • • 'J an ' Tuscany • • •• 16 Venezuela .. •• • • • ... 31 j 2e1 8; 17 th of month Southanpton'Jan. v an Diemen 's Land (see Australia) . ........ . West Indies .... _ _ln 2d& 17th ot month ,Southampton Jan. 16/ Southamptt m~Jan. 16 .!' When any of th ese dates iall on a Sunday, the 'mails W in dispatched on the following d ay. with the exception of ;the India tbe S oy pre ce uthamptdin g. on), .' and the Malt a , b o th of which will ha dispa t c h d BIRTHS. OF A SON. On the 13th inst., at Highgate, the wife of Ri ciiiirj Perrot t. On the 13th inst., at Balham, Mrs. Samuel 'Wiz. OF A DAUGHTER. Vcl. , On the 14th inst., the wife of Alfred Hall Penny, of Bla.tkheath-park. On the 11th inst., at 11, Onslow-crescent, Onalow • alt re ' the wife of Paul John Bishop, Esq. —OO MARRIED. On the 12th inst., at St. Mark's, Kenningtoii, Mr. Ja .4 1 %, Sayer, Oval, Kennington, t o Mi ss F rances S ti rah -uw" Old Kent-road. J , On the 13th inst., at Wheathampstead, Herbs, Shrubb, of St. Alb ans, t o Fanny, youngest. , daugh te i r . ° William Walker, E sq., merc h ant, of Harpen dem gory.' DIED. On the 13th inst., at 10, Kensington- g amens-ter n s Hyde-park, Isabella the wife of Colonel Ca anon, ill 27th year of h er age. On the 14th i nst., at H owland - street, F i trzoy-ocl Mrs. Dick see, sen., age d 66 . 00 6 LONDON : Printed and Published by MITRDO Y - 1 0, of No. 112, Strand Printer, at Tr ,e Suno ffiee, N of Strand, in the Precinct of the Sastoy, i n Ise coon' Middlesex, Monday, January 16, 1854. tbe'g, ar drrh: 4l 7 . 1 / 1 15/ r 1;i; , . ~ ui A T}ll TLLoIi T merit it ai. The .T( this .oilie( mist i Master -GI T ...a 7e A ° i : 7 4 ' l 7 O . I CB "of th b ttrtecit tl aaniiary TIA" nP'R' the hi m . , of our uni mater toe o reco rd wit P rospect Air . Emma] L 4:5 • (i,4 —The " 4 mil CELE P NllC'Fig ti • , ST. • ins,. uncl , .tr the 't LOCkey, Reseriu beford-Stv R.; Evmut Ttipir, whickirca4 284 .gatery ROY mA6l4n-qc p p s:zeu r o e nika s? .trfasn : di -: L ECTVIRW. VIVA% kt ',Uri , cu t. ) 1 3 q 1 1 •Mo: et iildr • S;;)ug' M9ll Cotnaierel this noto.l a, aitmls ever • • . T, R , an 4 ahefUerd, unc COXvy aeltAßM'El .4 13 * rti l an —nd - ire hi n th&-'l,4th ato for the Cony( All- To w l e , Pc's.tit w ithich a at th 6 s n the da3 , agent Rif ,hl4 Every, tend and b el i in and titust * Lettei f a n '. with the per an e! , ! of (the, C ILEDICAI A Medical Tre Clenerattve De tritti g An de , 64 " 4 ims.' Tk 'i rr e scription of b ench, Span Bro thers and I u l ;:ann, 39, Cor Pollt-f or for m en 6;37: fret Olt jIE 13f( uorr - Vairrin Ill tillirated• by 14.e /Y idniOn; THIS] . the eat excessive indu mercury, with lowed by obse] travent it. I] P ERRY and itr ft4.:London Intv, and sold don, 146, L ead OW Churph,3 ?MIT I. area organs, and IS PART lIJ tri diligence and Pent* and b i neaPaetty.: PA3q-ur,t, the primary of their treatmet PaaT I aimpie.a.lr, ix PART V. 15 d The causes of subject critical N A pi lihr t..‘„;