The Sun. — London, England, 1863-06-26 00:00:00

'ERIAL FARMAN:BM HOUSE OF LORDS--Last Evening. The Loiu CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at. aye o'clock. HAMPSTEAD HEATH. Lord EBURY presented a petition from the Metropolitan Board of Works, praying their lordships not to give their assent to the 21st clause of the Leases and Sales of Settled Estates Act Amendment Bill, by which a power would be given to certain persons to enclose and build on Hampstead Heath. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The Elginshire and Nairnshire Roads, and the Water. lord and Passage Ferry Bills were read a second time. THIRD RE ADINGS. The Ashbourne, Sudbury, and Yoxall Bridge--Coiling• wood Road, and the Cork and Youghal Railway Bills were read a third time and passed. THE CASE OF CAPT. WHITE. In reply to the Earl of SHAFTESBURY, Earl RUSSELL stated that the papers in reference to Vas case were not yet ready. MILFORD DOCK BILL. This bill was placed on the paper for a third reading, but in consequence of some objections having been made it was not proceeded with. The Earl of CARNARVON wished to know the reason for not proceeding with the measure, and also why the Ad miralty had withdrawn their opposition to the bill which they had opposed some years ago. The Duke of SOMERSET said the measure was opposed n the first instance because it would interfere very largely with the tidal water, and also because ships proceeding to the dock would anchor in a channel which would prove a great obstruction to Pembroke Dockyard. It had been ascer tained that the bill now before Parliament would not affect the tidal water to the same extent as the former one, and as a clause had been inserted which would limit the anchorage of ships in the channel ho had before alluded to one tide, the Admiralty considered their objections had in a great measure been removed, and as the docks would prove a great public adtantage, they had no objection to the bill being read a third time. Lord REDESDALE said the bill had been placed for a third reading in the ordinary manner as an unopposed bill, but as it was found there were objections to it, it had been removed. He would take care that noble lords should have due notice when the bill was set down for a third reading. The subject then dropped. SUITORS' CONCILIATION BILL. Lord BROUG H&M said he should postpone pressing for a second reading of this bill until Tuesday next. WAYWARDEN'S CONTRACTS BILL. Lord REDESDALE moved the second reading of this bill. Lord STANLEY of ALDERLEY said the bill was en tirely unnecessary, because the matter had already been dealt with by previous legislation. This bill was read a second time. LEASES AND SALES OF SETTLED ESTATE ACT AMENDMENT BILL. On the motion of the LORD CHANCELLOR, the house went into committee on this bill. Lord CHELMSFORD moved an addition to one of the clauses, which, in effect, gave Sir T. M. Wilson the power to apply to the Court of Chancery for permission to build on certain portions of his estate. Lord EMMY said he had just presented a petition from the Board of Works against such a provision as was sought to:be introduced into the bill by the noble lord's addition. He thought it would certainly interfere with the passing of the measure, as the House of Commons only last evening rejected a bill which had been introduced for about the sixth time, by which Sir Thomas Wilson would be en abled to apply to the Court of Chancery for permission to grant building leases on,certain portions of his estate which he was not at liberty to do at present. The proviso of Lord Chelmsford was added to the bill. Lord ST. LEOPARDS objected to the principle of the bill, in permitting tenants for life to apply to the Court of Chancery, which, in its will and discretion, might appoint trustees to sell the settled estate and lay out the money, if they saw fit, in the purchase of railway shares. Lord CRANWORTH defended the bill. The principle was to permit the owner for life to improve the estate and exercise ownership over it, except in so far as that he could not alienate it. The principle had been already admitted and recognised by the existing law, which was merely to be amended by the present bill. Lord PORTMAN objected to the clause altogether, The LORD CHANCELLOR explained that it was in compliance with the wish of many noble lords that he had prepared the clause. However, he had no wish to press it against the wish of the house. (Hear.) Several peers intimated to the Lord Chancellor that he ought to go to a division. Earl GREY said that it was not thought well to give powers of assisting railways by special clauses in a pri vate bill. It was understood that a general bill was to be passed to give those powers to all owners of settled estates ; and the special clauses had accordingly been struck out of the private bill, which had been sent down to the other house without it. The bill now before their lordships was a simple fulfilment of the pledge given by the noble and learned lord. He trusted it would be allowed to pass through Committee. The discussion was prolonged by Lords Powis, Romney, and Taunton, The LORD CHANCELLOR thought that the measure might be brought forward in a better form in another ses sion. He therefore withdrew the clause, The bill was then passed through committee without the amendment. NAVAL MEDICAL SUPPLEMENTAL FUND SO CIETY WIND UP ACT, 1861, AMENDMENT BILL. The Duke of SOMERSET moved the second reading of this bill. Lord CHELMSFORD opposed it. After a short discussion, the second reading was agreed to. SALE OF MILL SITES, &o. (IRELAND) BILL. This bill was read a second time. DRAINAGE AND IMPROVEMENT OF LANDS (IRELAND) BILL. This bill was read a second time, and referred to a select committee. AFRICAN SLAVE TRADE TREATY. Earl RUSSELL moved the committee on this bill, which was agreed to, and the report was received. VOLUNTEERS. On the motion of Earl DE GREY and RIPON, the house went into committee on this bill. Clauses 1 to 34 were agreed to, with a few verbal amendments. On clause 35 being taken up, Earl DE GREY and RIPON suggested that his noble friend (the Duke of Richmond) should allow him to intro duce his (Earl De Grey's) amendments first. The amendments were then put. The Duke of RICHMOND, in opposing these clauses, did so without any feeling of hostility to the great and im portant volunteer movement. But he disapproved of the attempt to obtain practice grounds and rifle ranges for the volunteers by the means set forth in the clauses under con sideration. The powers songbt by them were very great and so very unusual, that few of their lordships would be willing to have them conferred upon them, and still fewer would be willing to exercise them if conferred. The Coast Defence Act was not a parallel case, as it was merely directed to the coast defences ; but the present bill extended over the whole country. They were asked to legislate fora particular purpose, and no ground or peculiar hardship had been shown for the justification of the extreme powers sought. (Hear.) No case had been adduced of a corps that was linable to procure practice-ground, and no attempt had been made to show that the volunteer force would be the less efficient for the want of those extraordinary powers. The power, if granted, would be very seldom exercised, and therefore it would not be well to pnt into the hands of the lord-lieutenant such a power ; for, practically, it would be in the hands of the lord-lieutenant. The corps would memorialise the lord-lieutenant to appoint them a bound —the lo r d-li eu t enan t wou ld appo i n t hi s deputy lieutenant to inspect an d re p or t u p on th e groun d f or him— and, if he tho ug h t it right, he would accede to the proposal which he would forward to the Secretary of State. After the a ds • , application would be ma d e to Parliament to ratify rrangem ent by enactment. But, s eeing th a t th e plan would come recommended by the lord-li eu t enan t an d th e Secretary of State, what pro perty have of defeating the would any owner of ~b een made out bill f in Parliament. Seeing that no case had only them the clauses, and that the grievance which su objectionable the statute book by one, they would only b e mon:bey:jun almost an imaginary concluded enactment. passing an unnecessary and u.ded by moving (Hear, hear.) The noble duk e omission of the clause. the Earl DE GREY an d RIP ON was not surprised e that th e their noble lord had raised th e q uesti on, or that lordships would opp ose the clause. B ut , in the Lo t f h l ace, he could not think that the noble duke was correct in sup posing that the main resp onsibilit y would be thrown upZ n the lord-lieutenant. There was no doubt that the proposal to the lord-lieutenant should be made, and that he should g i ve a certificate. That power wasadded merely to give additional security that no land would be taken except where it was wanted, and could not be obtained except by the intervention of this power. A petition would have to be presented to the Secretary of State for War, who would make inquiries into the circumstances, and if he approved of the proposal it would have to be brought before Parliament. He (Earl De Grey) had introduced words requiring the lord-lieuten ant to certify not only that the ground was wanted, but that the proposed ground was secure, and properly adapted for the purpose, so that the certificate could only be granted where the volunteers really required land. But then came all the other proceedings. A petition would be presented to the Secretary of State. The Secretary of State would make the same inquiry which was at present made under the Local Government Act, after which he would make the order, which would require the sanction of an Act of Par liament. The real question was, whether there was any tkecesaity tor the power. In country districts it was hardly possible that volunt eer cor p s s h ou ld b e i n want o f ranges for Practice , but in every large town,eapecially in the neigh- Imirlaood of London, there was Brest difficulty in obtaining such ranges. In London there were 26 corps whose prac tice ground was at the Government range at Woolwich, where they could only practice when the reg 1 , r troops were not occupying the ground. The consequ tkee was that they were debarred from anything like reg : ar practice. Volunteers ought to have peculiar facilitie :, r, in conse quence of their superior intelligence and ril , ‘ interest they took in practising, they were were enabled to attain a very high proficiency when they were afforded proper opportuni ties ; so much so that Parliament had recently decided that not less than 10s. out of the 30s. granted to the volunteers should be dependent on their having passed through a con siderable amount of musketry instruction, involving the firing of a large number of rounds every year. It would be impossible for them to obtain that money unless they had proper facilities afforded them for practice. By an Act passed some time ago, they were enabled to obtain ranges voluntanly,but it had not resulted in their obtaining them. The present bill had been framed under the direction of the late Sir G. C. Lewis,to whom and the Government it appeared that these clauses were justified by the needs of the force, and they were a necessary corollary of the vote of Parlia ment, which depended upon the efficiency of the men. The rejection of the clause would be regarded with much regret by a considerable number of volunteers. But at the same time, it the general feeling of the house was that the clauses should not be proceeded with, he would have no objection to withdraw them, as they formed no essential part of the bill. The Earl of DERBY thought that the noble earl could not deny that in those clauses he had asked for very un usual powers. Persons whose grounds were sought wou d be put to the expense of resisting; and no cases of practical grievance had been brought forward to show the necessity for such power being given. He hoped that the noble earl would consent at least to postpone the consideration of the compulsory clauses, if he did not withdraw them. . . _ Earl GRANVILLE urged that the same power existed already with regard to the regular army. But, on the whole, seeing the opposition that was offered to the clause, which his noble friend had evidently miscalculated, he recom mended him to withdraw it. The Earl of DERBY—I have always had a great opinion of my noble friend's discretion ; but I must confess I never saw that discretion more remarkably exhibited than on the present occasion. (Laughter.) Earl DE GREY and RIPON said that he would consent to withdraw the compulsory clauses, but on bringing up the report he would introduce a clause to preserve to the vo l un teers the permissive powers wh:ch they possessed a t present. (Hear, hear.) Clause 35 and the other compulsory clauses were then struck out. The remaining clauses were agreed to, and the bill passed through committee. No mention was made of the new clause which Earl De Grey and Ripon has given notice to insert after clause 14; but we understand that it is to be proposed by the noble earl when the report on amendments is brought up. SECURITY FROM VIOLENCE BILL. The report of amendments to this bill was considered and agreed to. OFFICERS OF ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE BILL. Thia bill passed through committee. INLAND REVENUE BILL. This bill passed through committee. THAMES EMBANKMENT (NORTH SIDE) BILL. This bill was read a third time and passed. MILITIA PAY BILL. This bill passed through committee. OFFENCES (SOUTH AFRICA) BILL. The Commons' amendments to this bill were considered and agreed to. Their lordships adjourned at half-past 8 o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS—Last Evening. The SPEAKER took the chair at the usual hour. PRIVATE BUSINESS. The following bills were read a third time and passed : The Bucklby Railway, the Launceston and South Devon Railway, and the Yarmouth Gas, CHINA. Lord NAAS gave notice that in consequence of the ab sence of the noble lord at the head of the Government, which they all deplored, he should not bring on his motion on China to-night. Sir G. GREY said the noble lord had requested him to express his regret at his unavoidable absence through in•• disposition. He would therefore postpone his .notion on for tifications until Monday next, and immediately after that was disposed of, would proceed with the vote for the Ex hibition building. CHINESE INDEMNITY. Col. SYKES asked the Secretary of the Treasury how it was intended to appropriate the balance of nearly half a million of dollars of the first Chinese indemnity remaining in the Treasury, and whether any rejected claims would be reconsidered ? Mr. PEEL said no claims would be reopened with re gard to the half-million dollars. He imagined they were paid to meet the expenses of the army. BERNARD M‘LAUGHLIN. Mr. HENNESSY asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland whether the attention of the Poor •law Commissioners had been called to the conduct of the Board of Guardians of the Innishowen Union, in refusing to allow a sick inmate of the workhouse, named Bernard M'Laughlin, half a pound of bread, which had been ordered by the medical officer as extra diet. Sir R, PEEL replied that the person alluded to was a pauper lunatic, and the medical officer attending him ordered him half a pound of bread as extra diet. This, however, was refused to be given by the master in the first instance, but ultimately on the remonstrance of the Poor Law Board it was granted. EDUCATION IN SCOTLAND. Mr. DUNLOP asked the Lord Advocate whether it was the intention of the Government to issue a commission of inquiry into the state of education in Scotland, and whether if so, the putting of the Revised Code in operation in that part of the United Kingdom would be postponed until the result of such inquiry be reported ? The LORD ADVOCATE had some hope that a com mission would be issued to inquire into the state of educa tion in Scotland ; but he could not say whether the revised code would be postponed until after that took place. MARY ANNE WALKLEY. Mr. DAWSON asked the Secretary of State for the Home Departmentwhether his attention had been drawn to the case of Mary Anne Walkley, deceased, and the word ing of the verdict delivered by the coroner's inquest em panneled to investigate the circumstances of her death ; and if it would not be desirable and humane to introduce legislation for the purposes of limiting and defining the hours of labour in millinery and other establishments where females are employed Sir G. GREY said his attention had been called to the subject. He could only repeat what he said the other night, that it would be impossible to establish a system of regis tration applicable to rooms in private houses. CONVICT PRISONS. Mr. H. SEYMOUR asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department why the report of the directors of Irish convict prisons had not been laid upon the table of the house ? Sir G. GREY said the report was presented about a week ago, but he was not responsible for its distribution. He thought that rested with the officers of the house. THE MHOW COURT-MARTIAL. Mr. CONINGHAM asked the Under Secretary of State for War whether, subsequently to the memorandum of the 18th December, a second memorandum or letter, embodying the opinion of the Commander-in-Chief on the Mhow court martial, had not been issued ; also, whether the pro ceedings, alleged by Paymaste r Smak4 to have taken plac e on his court martial, were Fabmitted to the Judge Advocate General in England for his opinion, and whether that opi nion was obtained before the paymaster was gazetted out of the service ? The Marquis of HARTINOTON said that no second memorandum had been opened. The second part of the question was so vague and inadequate that he ehould not be justified in giving an answer to it. Mr. BENTINCK asked whether there was any precedent for holding such a court-martial, and if not, whether it was not an insult to officers in India ? The Marquis of HARTINGTON believed there was no precedent. He did not think that there would be anything insulting to the Indian officers. Mr. DISRAELI complained of the expense that Would be incurred. Sir DE L. EVANS recommended that the whole regi ment should be called home, A long discussion took place. An adjournment of the house having been moved for the purpose of making it an order. The motion was of course withdrawn. EDUCATION (IRELAND). Mr. COGAN asked the Vice-President of the Com mittee of Privy Council, whether any correspondence had taken place between the Irish Government and the depart ment of Science and Art or the Treasury, on the proposed abolition of the Museum of Irish Industry in Dublin ; if so, whether in that correspondence an opinion hostile to the proposed abolition of that institution had been expressed on the part of the Irish Executive ; and whether he would lay that correspondence upon the table of the house ? Mr. F. PEEL, in the absence of Mr. Lowe, said that there had been some correspondence between the Irish Go not ex m pl m ai i n tte h e o h w ad tn a e lr r e n a v d n y rt be o e b n ta l i a n id ed on ci t r h mil e t a a t b io le n vtherenemn ent and th e T reasury on t h e subject. The report of produce t he correspond ence. was given to the h ouse. H e did not think it expedient l b d e i e f e o c i t e l d o t said the Dublin R o y a l S oc i ety Mr ' C°G. AN l the hands of tnenabes yet it had never been placed in met that day to consider the report, and elexorrespondenee. move for the proialwtion , of il th e gave notice that he would UNIVERSITIES ndSCOTLAND. /sir. STIRLING asked the IT us, who and Acbhermust be taken by b d n eeo, in order that War if he would state the steps which r i See retarY of State for the universities of St. Andrew's candidates for direct CoEUrniasi, gree of M.A. in these universities, may obtvaei taken the de r tion from examination under clause ri th: la t e h w e elren tions, which his Royal Highness the Commander is h a s been pleased to grant to candidates who h ave taken similar degrees in the University of Edinbnigh. The Marquis of HARTINGTON said the universities had only to make official applicaticr.s to the War-orace t o obtain the same privileges. POOR LAW. Mr. FERBAND asked the of the Poor Law Board whether he had yet received the return of the num ber of unemployed unmarried woolen in the cotton factory districts of Lancashire and Cheshire ? Mr. VILLIERS said he bad not yet been able to obtain such returns. THE BRAZILS. Mr. BRIGHT inquired whether the Government could lay the case submitted to the King of the Belgians and his award on the table. Mr. LAYARD said the award was only received yester day. It would be printed and laid on the table at once, RELIGIOUS ENDOWMENTS (IRELAND) BILL. On the motion of Mr. DILLWYN this order was read and discharged. THE WELLINGTON CAR. On the order for going into supply, Mr. C. BENIINCK asked the First Commissioner of Works to explain the circumstances under which the Wel lington funeral car, wicker work horses, trappings, &c., are exhibited to the public at sixpence a head, by the vergers in St. Paul's Cathedral. Mr. COWPER said he believed that the vergers were allowed to take 6d. a head from persons going down into the crypt. Whether the dean and chapter were right in allowing that he could not say. Persons could not go into the crypt without a verger, and there were no cathedral funds out of which those officials could be paid, Mr. OSBORNE said that if this was a work of great genius it would ba a rare opportunity for the Brompton boilers. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 26, 1863 which justified him in battling against the decision of the court-martial. He appealed for justice for Captain Smales, whe was a husband and a father, was entitled to the sym pathy of the public at large, and of every man in whose breast dwelt those feelings which had long been the pride and boast of every Englishman. The motion was then agreed to, and the house went into committee of SUPPLY. The Irish educational vote was resumed. A long discussion of a very diversified character ensued, in which several of the Irish members took part, on topics connected with the vote, which was eventually agreed to. Upon the vote of £12,028 for the expenses of the National Gallery, Mr. CONINGHAM moved the reduction of the vote by £1,400, the amount still charged for the expenses of a Ger man travelling agent. Mr. PEEL thought the vote could not be considered ex travagant. The travelling expenses were only £6OO out of the amount. Mr. A. SMITH thought that was one of the excrescences on the national expenditure that ought to be cut off at once. It was met ely paying for continental trips for the amuse ment of the agent. The amount of money spent for pic tures was ridiculously small when compared with the amount charged for expenses. Mr. GREGORY defended the vote. Mr. MITFORD complained of the difficulty experienced in inspecting the pictures at the Na ional Gallery. The rooms had become a regular Lunging-place for tall Guards. men and nursemaids, and he suggested that on the two students' days the public should be admitted at a small charge, After a short discus-ion, the vote was agreed to. The vote of £1,500 for the National Portrait Gallery was, after some opposition, agreed to. Several small votes were afterwards agreed to. £1,200 w,tsvoted for establishments at Bermuda; £1,288 for ecclesiastical establishments in British North America; £7,200 for British Columbia; £2,500 for Vancouver's Island ; £27,745 for governors, &c., of the West Indies ; £9,000 for salaries to judges, &c. On the vote of £20,200 for civil establishments on the West Coast cf Africa, Sir F. BARING moved to reduce the vote by £2,000 for the civil establishment of Lagos. The trade of the place was rapidly increasing under its uncivilised Government; but since it had greatly declined, owing to the high duties im posed on the trade of the place by this Government. Ho complained that the p spars be had moved for in reference to the expenditure at Logos had not been produced. He hoped the committee would insist on having the necessary infor mation before voting the sum asked. We were attempting to make the whole coast subservient to our views, which was not the way to obtain our object. Our policy ought to be to encourage the Governments of Africa, and to support those who were willing to give treaties which would lead to the suppression of the slave trade, and not exhibit inclina tions to take possession of land and rob the chiefs of what fairly belonged to them. Mr. FORTESCUE defended the vote. There was every prospect that Lagos would henceforward pay its own expenses, and turn out one of the most successful British settlements rn the coast of Africa. The papers referred to had not been produced from a misapprehension, but they would soon be laid on the table of the house. So far from the customs duties being excessively high and detrimental to trade, they were moderate and beneficial as a fiscal measure. The hon. gentleman referred to the state of affairs generally at Lagos, Abeokuta, and Da homey, and the attempts which were made to put down the slave trade. He hoped the committee would grant this small assistance to a new colony. Lord A. CHURCHILL considered it a very fair vote, and one the committee might readily agree to. He under stood the French had taken possession of a neighbouring place called Porto Lago, and intended to make it a free port, the effect of which would be to interfere with the trade of Lagos. It would be as well for the country to give this small assistance to the colony. Mr. BUXTON supported the vote, on the ground that it was of great importance towards suppressing the slave trade that Lagos should remain in our possession. Mr. CAVE doubted if we should ever put an end to the slave trade by our present policy. Our course appeared to be to suppress the slave trade with one hand and encourage it with the other. He should not oppose the vote, because he believed the establishments were of great value to the coast; but he did not think the slave trade would be abo lished until the inducements which occasioned its continu ance were less, Mr. LAYARD eulogised the conduct of Commodore Wilmot, and maintained that he had done all in his p ,wer to induce the King of Dahomey to give up the abominable institution of human sacrifices. The amendment was negatived without a division, and the vote was agreed to. The following votes were also agreed to :—.C5,602 for the Island of St. Helena, £7OO for the Orange River Territory, £5,000 for British Kaff. aria, £960 tor Heligoland, £4,286 for Falkland Islands, £6,850 for Labuan, £6OO for Pitcairn Island, £26,622 for New Zealand, £5,000 for buildings as Cape Coast (North Australia), £10,720 for the Emigration Office, £46,000 odd (being the balance of £166,543) for con sular establishments abroad, £81,054 for China, Japan, and India, £35,000 for embassies and missions abroad, £50,0.0 for special missions, £4,825 to defray the salaries of three undersecretaries to embassies and missions abroad, and fer the North American Boundary Commission. The Chairman WAS then ordered to report progress, and the house resumed. PUBLIC WORKS (MANUFACTURING DIS TRICTS) ADVANCE BILL. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in com mi' tee of the whole house, moved the following resolution : " That the commissioners of her Majesty's Treasury be authorised to issue, out of the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, to an amount not exceeding £1,200,000, upon security of local rates, for facilitating the execution of public works in certain manu ficturing districts." That sum, with money in hand, would amount to £1,500,000, and that, it was thought, would be sufficient till the meeting of Parliament next year. The balances in the Exchequer Were so favourable that the sum asked to be advanced would in no way interfere with the regular expenditure of the country, Mr. HENNESSY was happy to find the balances in the Treasury were so satisfactory, and he asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer to assist the public works on the Shannon. A sum of £38,000 would be required for that purpose. After some remarks from the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, The resolution was agreed to. NEWCASTLE UPON-TYNE (ST. MARY MAG DALEN HOSPITAL) BILL. This bill (with some amendments) passed through com mittee. The Sir Robert Hiteham's Charity and the Ruthin Charities Bill was read a third time and passed. The Police and Improvement (Scotland) (Provisional o:der) Bill was read a second time. Howth Harbour Bill passed through committee. Harwich Harbour Bill as amended was considered. Walmer Vestry Bill was read a third time and passed. Postmaster-General (Sale of Land) Bill was read a third time and passed. Port Erin (Isle of Man) Bill was read a third time and passed. STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATES BILL. The house went into committee pro forma on this bill. The English Church Service in Wales Bill was passed through committee. The Poor Removal (No. 2) Bill was withdrawn. The Costs Security Bill was read a second time; The Courts of the Church of Scotland Bill passed through committee. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TlMES.—There is hardly a financial question that goes so deep into our domestic institution 89 the history of the Malt Tax. It is a question that con cerns every farmer, every considerable householder, and every employer of labour. The history goes back very far, and there is not an agricultural so ciety or a market table in the country in which the tax is not frequently alluded to with the most un affected feeling of hardship. The farmer feels for a thirsty man, and would gladly give his labourers, or his harvest people, a better beverage than the pale and watery stuff which is all that he can now afford. Everybody would like to be independent both of the brewer and the exciseman ; and there are few village households that do not possess a knowledge of brewing above their opportunities of putting it in practice. It is the old wine of Eng land, as old as any civilisation among us ; and it, as our antiquaries tell us, the Romans natu ralised the vine, that plant never prospered atter they left us to our tate, and was speedily superseded by Sir John Barleycorn. Our financiers gaze with incredulity and envy at the immense figures to which the consumption of good ale attained a cen tury and a half ago, when England was not a third so populous as it now is, or a twentieth part so rich. The good people of those days must have cared more for good liquor than even gcasd cheer, and for both more than finery. Ail classes must have had a large daily altowence of beer. To be sure, it stood instead of tea and coffee, and sugar, of wine and spirits. The jog of beer went round many a house hold where now you would see two decanters of divers-coloured liquids making :heir appearance day after day, with the water line, if we may so call it, siowly sinking down to zero. Perhaps the new custom is better than the old, but rough hospitality has a charm unknown to the superfine habits of these days. Ale was always called the Englishman's drink. He was always proud to have it good, and to be able to drink it himself and give it to all who had done him a service and shown themselves his friends. So we don't wonder at the agriculturists always returning to the charge, and asking their never ending, still beginning question about that Malt Tax. You may drive out nature with a hay-fork, says the old moralist, but she will come back again still. So, here are the farmers and the farmers' friends still at their old agitation for the reduction of the Malt Tax- The argument this time is also an old one; it has been advanced any number of times within the memory of man ; experiments have been made, and committees have reported on it. It is quite clear that the agriculturists are no; yet con vinced. They say that this is a question of cattle as well as of man. Cows and sheep like malt or wetted barley, and terive upon it. They fatten on nothing better. Candid and intelligent farmers affirm this most positively, and say they have tried it. One would have thought that everybody who felt an interest in the question would have tried the experiment of feeding a certain number of cattle on malt, and an equal number on some other favourite food. Agriculture is an experimental science, and is learning something new every day. Sir F. Kelly is remembered to have once stretched a point in medical jurisprudence, but he would hardly amuse the House of Commons with a positive receipt for the quick fattening of cattle, if he did not know something about it. He pledges himself deliberately to the nutritive qualities of malt and its value to the feeder of cattle. It he says truly, than it is clear England is losing a great advantage placed by nature at her feet, and carelessly thrown away. Barley is a hardy plant ; it can stand longer delays and greater exposure to changing weather than most other crops, and a summer that would almost destroy wheat will take little more than the colour out of barley. What will not do for brewing will do for cattle. Sir F. Kelly, whose views on this subject are endorsed byCol. Barttelot and Mr. Ben tinck, does not tell us the precise nature of the de velopment produced upon cattle fattened on malt. Nor is it necessary that he should do this. If malt will make an animal fat, that is enough. It is true that many of us think beef and mutton fat enough, and suspect that fat meat is a swindle between the cook, the butcher, and the tallow-chandler. But that is wholly beside this question. We assume it to be an object to fatten beasts quickly and young, so as to convert them as soon as possible into a saleable commodity. The man who can make a sheep thirteen months old assume the weight and form of one a twelvemonth older is pronounced a public benefactor. We conclude that Sir F. Kelly and Mr. Bentinck have seen this done upon malt, and wish the process to be cheapened and made general. Orcourse there are other questions which cannot be lost sight of. There are the taxes on tea and coffde, and upon spirits. We must have the money, and the money must be levied with as much fairness as possible. Beer contributes too large a sum to the Treasury to be carelessly tampered with So malt must pay its share, since there must be taxes. If it can be shown that a malt tax becomes incidentally a meat tax, and that any important brunch of husbandry is actually fettered and in jured by this tax, it would be worth while to find out some way of malting for cattle that should pre vent the chance of fraud. The agriculturists them-- selves do not suggest the substitution of a beer-tax for a malt-tax, which would certainly save the trouble of distinguishing between malt for brewing and malt for cattle. They see that quality, not quan tity, is the thing to he taxed. So we must look else where for the protection of the revenue. We can not, however, afford to lose a source of national wealth simply because the officers of Excise will have a difficulty in preventing it from being misap plied. Our agricultural societies, our cattle shows, and the wonderful displays of butcher's meat with which an English Christmas is celebrated, will testify to the value of feeding. It is also the most gentlemanly branch of farming. Let us, then, make the most of it, and endeavour to save gentleman farming from the reproach of unprofitableness. It is now one of the most expensive amusements. Per haps we shall have to thank Sir F. Kelly and Mr. Bentinck, at least, for cheapening it. POST.—It is not to be wondered at that the great European Powers should undertake to settle the affairs of Poland without consulting what is now styled " the National Government" of that coun try. In the first place, it would be rather difficult to find that institution ; and in the second, when found, it would not be considered to possess any of the qualifications which would justify official inter course with constituted Governments. Neverthe less the views of the National Government with reference to the negotiations now pending are of the highest importance, and we are therefore glad to have it in our power to lay before our readers the three conditions under which alone an armistice would be consented to by the Polish National Go vernment. They are as follow :-1. The armistice must extend throughout the whole Kingdom of Poland as it existed previous to the first division in 1772. 2. A plenipotentiary on the part of the National Government must be admitted to defend the interests of Poland at the conference. 3. A national diet, composed of delegates from the pro vinces, as well as from the Kingdom of Poland, must meet under the gurantee not merely of Europe but also of the national army which occupies all the provinces. If these conditions are not complied with, our information goes on to say, the Poles will hold out to the last. Such being the temper of that nation, we can hardly expect Russia to accept the proposal for an armistice. With every desire to do so, it would be impossible for her to suspend hostilities if the Poles do not. Are the Powers prepared to grant a conference upon the remaining propositions, supposing that Russia should consent to one, without an armistice as a preliminary con dition ? It is by no means certain, or even likely, that she will do so; but the contingency being pos sible is worthy of consideration. The peace of Europe and the interests of humaeity being at stake, would a conference under such conditions secure the one or advance the other ? We venture to think not. The same atrocities which we now daily record would continue to be perpetrated, and one of two results would a ri s e. Either, whi c h is meatimprobable, Russia at ould concede the de mands of the Powers, in which case the conces sions granted to Poland would enable her to make a much more successful campaign next year than she has this; or the Russian Government, foreseeing this, would break off negotiations as the season ad vanced and as the chances of the insurg en t s b ecame desperate, in which case the conference had better never have taken place at all. With every desire to find a pacific solution to the question, it will not do to ignore the fact that the National Government have it in their power to thwart the efforts of the Powers in this direction. It is very natural that they should say, " We will not submit to any arrangement which may be imposed upon us against our will. If we are excluded from taking part in a conference we will continue hostilities, and every concession which may be granted in our favour at any such conference we will take advantage of to secure the only result which will be ultimately satisfactory—namely, our national inde pendence." Tho proposals we have made to the Cabinet of St. Petersburg are really an effort of diplomacy in its favour. If they fail in consequence of the determined attitude of the National Govern ment, the Russians have only th emse l ves to t h an k for ih; had they, instead of driving the Po es to the position of stubborn resistance which acts of bar barism and atrocity have justified them in assuming, adopted a more humane and civilised policy, the Poles would have been more easily appeased, and Europe, apprecirting the difficulties with which the Emperor has had to contend, might have interfered in his behalf to some purpose. But how can we exert ourselves to extricate the Czar frcm his em barrassment when such acts are being perpetrated as are recorded in the private letter of a Polish nobleman which will be found elsewhere in our columns. Inasmuch, then, as in the opinion of the Poles a conference from which they would be ex cluded could lead to no result, and inasmuch as by refusing to suspend Loatilities they are determined to render any such conference impracticable, it will become necessary for the Powers 90 agree upon some collective form of subsequent action. The indica tions which we have received from Perla do not leave ua in much doubt as to the readiness of the Emperor to co-operate with us ; b u t the hsaviest responsibility will devolve upon Austria, because she has most to lose, most to gain, and is in a posi tion to make her influence felt more decidedly than either of the Western Powers. It is to be hoped, therefore, that should France and England deem a conference impossible without an armistice, Austria would not refuse upon that ground to continue with them in united diplomatic action, or hesitate, if the infatuated policy of Russia rendered still stronger measures necessary, to throw into the scale a weight which might secure peace to Europe, or at any rate render any prolonged resistance to so strong an alliance impossible. We are far from wishing to predict a European war, but we can imagine a combination which would render such a war rather a name than a reality. There is no reason why it should consist in anything very much more serious than the breaking off of dip'omatic relations. If Austria allowed the tree transport of arms and munitions of war across her Galician frontier, and placed a corps darmee of 60,000 men in Galicia it and if the Russian fleet were blockaded in the Baltic, so as to keep open the coast of Samogitia, the Poles could do the rest for themselves. There is no reason why any European power should send a soldier abroad It would, in other words, merely am unt to m king a ring and seeing fair play. It is possible that Sweden might undertake operatiains for her own behoof, but there could be no moral obligation either upon France or England to do more than make a naval demonstration. It is with no desire to see any such consummation arrive that we allude to these contingencies, but it is as well that the bugbear of a European war, such ae might possibly arise out of the present complications should be reduced to its proper proportions. It is, more over, because we do not wish to be exposed to the charge of " drifting into war," as though we were the mere sport of circumstances, that we point out the direction of those currents into which, for the sake of certain great principles, we may, when the time comes, deliberately steer. All foreign inter vention on the part of this country is an inconveni• ence. Could we avoid it consistently with our position in Europe and our duty as a great Power, bound by treaties and fettered by moral oblige tions, there can be no doubt that in a purely sel fish point of view it would be our interest to do so. Our policy abroad, then, generally resolves itself into a choice of evils. If the alternative of assum ing a hostile attitude towards any one European Power is disagreeable, it is less so when all Europe is with us and the cause is one of justice and huma nity. If we had from the first outbreak of the Po lish insurrection refused to take any cognisance of it whatever, which was the only other course open to us, we should have been false not merely to the liberal principles we profess but to the actual obli gations imposed upon us by treaty. In this respect the analogy fails between the case of Poland and that of the Southern States of America, whose in pendent national character we never stipulated in a treaty should be maintained. If the course we have followed should lead to a rupture with a great European Power, we shall at least feel that we have exhausted every means furnished by diplo macy to avert it; and that while the cause justifies an active sympathy, the conditions under which that sympathy will be displayed are such as will secure a triumph to ourselves and freedom to a suffering and heroic nation. HERALD.—Her Majesty's Government aro in no haste to make public the award of the King of the Belgians in the dispute with Brazil. The substance of his Majesty's decision has been communicated to Europe some 48 hours. The very words in which judgment is delivered have been given ; yet, when Mr. Bright asked a very simple question about it, he was required to give notice, and when he re peated his question he was told the papers would, as soon as possible, be laid upon the table of the house. We can understand the repugnance of Mr. Layard to precipitate the fiasco. It will undoubt edly be a trial to the Government to have to eat the leek, and, after having talked so loudly about the honour of the British flag, to find that the King of the Belgians has decla re d no t on ly th a t th e re was noinsult, but not even any intention to insult. Yet this is substantially King Leopold's decision. He dismisses the case of the officers of her Majesty's ship Forte with costs—that is to say, he convicts the English Government, or Lord Russell, or Mr. Christie, of having trumped up an unfounded charge. Could any reasonable being outside the small Mi nisterial circle have expected any other result ? The worst part of it is, that up to the latest moment Lord Russell persisted in including the alleged in sult to the officers of the Forte in the list of crimes for which satisfaction and pecuniary redress were to be demanded. So that our Foreign Minister stands arraigned at the bar of public opinion for having exacted, at the cost of war upon a country unable to resist, reparation for an injury never com mitted. And the Liberal press defends this spirited policy. The " leading organ," which could hardly find epithets to express its disgust at Lord Palmers ton's attack upon Greece, a power which had sys tematically cajoled, swindled, and betrayed us, enters into an elaborate defence of Lord Russell's last es capade on the ground that weak powers must not do wrong with impunity. It is the old story of Ihe wolf and the lamb. But the mischief is done, the rupture is complete. Let us hope that the Govern ment will be satisfied with their triumph, and that having driven M. Moreira out of the country they will now put the best face on the matter, acknow ledge the mistake into which that blundering, irri table Mr, Christie has led them, make the amende honorable to a friendly Court, and shake hands. Lord Russell has offered the affront : a graceful apology may almost render it an obligation. THE ARMY ESTIMATES. Gen. PEEL, having remarked upon the increase in ti :e army and militia vote, asked whether the amount included the cost of conveying the native Indian troops employed last year in China. He also complained that the public money was so frequently expended in the War Department without being brought within the control of the house. Col. SYKES wished to know what had become of the last sums received of the China compensation money. Mr. H. BENTINCK also remarked on the public money being spent without the knowledge and authority of the house, but said it would always be so while there was still that absence of all independent action on the part of mem bers. Both the holders and the expectants of office had an interest in keeping up the present state of things, and they, acting in combination with the front benches,not of one only but of both sides of the house, succeeded in passing estimates of a most objectionable character. He did not mean in par ticular to refer to his right hon. and gallant friend (Gen. Peel),because he believed he was at all times sincerely anxious to prevent useless and improper expenditure ; but, never theless, he must take his share of the blame which was the penalty of being found in bad company. (A. laugh.) Sir J. ELPHINS CONE complained there was no Par liamentary control over the Indian expenditure. The Indian navy had been abolished, and English vessels were kept on the station and paid for by the taxpayers of this country. He asked where the system was to stop. Mr. BARING said the change had increased instead of diminished the control of Parliament over the Indian expen diture, and no money could be voted for the navy without the consent of the house. Discussing passed estimates was a reflection on independent members of the house, who exa mined with great minuteness the votes as they were sub mitted to their consideration. The hon. member for West Norfolk should study the estimates at the time, and take his objections to them then, instead of leaving it till after the money was spent. His attacks on the conduct of his leader on his side of the house had been ably answered by the course taken by the gallant member (Gen. Peel). There was no doubt the vote referred to had been increased owing to the China war ; but it had been properly spent by authority of Parliament, under the powers of the clause in the Appro. priation Act. The excess, however, was foreseen, and pro vision was made for it in vote No. 2. He did not mean to say the estimates of 1861 were accurate in every material; but they were more so than they had been before that period, and they were indebted to the late Lord Herbert for the im provements then introduced into the estimates for the first time, by the adoption of a revised system. So far from their being inaccurate and excessive, there was a saving, on the whole, of £261,000, which was repaid into the Treasury, though there was en excess of £82,000 for regimental pay and allowances, owing to the unexpected return from India of two regiments; and, secondly, the necessity of having re course to recruiting, owing to the state of American affairs, which increased the number of men to be provided for. He denied there was an excess of £360,000, as stated by the right hon. gentleman (Gen. Peel). In 1859, the number of men was 5,000 more than the vote taken by that right hon, gentleman. Mr. F. PEEL explained that the excess in the estimates 1861-2 were owing to the China war, and was charged in the vote of credit taken for that war. The cost of the Indian troops sent to China was not included in the estimates of that year, because the expense could not be ascertained when the estimates were laid before Parliament. The detailed ex penditure had not been completely audited, and that was the reason why it had not as yet been presented to Parlia ment. The money was taken from the China military trea sury chest, and would be returned to it. Sir A. WILLOUGHBY complained of the state of the accounts, and impressed upon the house to be cautious in voting sums of credit. The charge of last year in the Ap propriation Act would, he thought, work well, and prevent money from being spent in future, except on estimates sub mitted to the house. Money had been expended that had not come before the house with full explanations, and he instanced the £14,000 paid to the German Cape settlers. It was an expenditure without any authority whatever. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER concurred in opinion that the house, as a body, ought to be thankful to any member who undertook the irksome task of challeng ing ,the public accounts. By the present change in the Ap propriation Act, the Treasury could not sanction the trans fer of one vote to another to meet the excess of expenditure on that vote. It was impossible to prevent occasional ex cesses, owing to the vast and diversified demands of the public service. It was important that the attention of the house should be constantly directed to them, for, if not, there was a temptation that was sure to operate on the heads of departments, on asking for large sums in favour of popular votes, and small sums in those that were less popular. Nothing would more effec tually correct that tendency than making certain the attention of the house to the estimates, and again con sidering de novo the character of those excesses. A trans fer of money could only be made by a distinct vote of that house. Mr DISRAELI said his right hon. friend (General Feel) wished to show to the house, by the audited accounts for 1861, that his criticism on the estimates, when they were submitted to Parliament, were justified, the justness of which criticism was impugned at the time by her Majesty's Government. He did not deny the advantage of the change made in the appropriation clauses, but it was no answer to the right hon. gentb,man's charge. All the extenuating circumstances now mentioned by the hon. member for Penryn were anticipated by the right hon. gentleman. That gentleman had pointed out that a proper allowance had not been made for the inevitable return to this country of the regiments alluded to, and her Majesty's Government disputed the accuracy of his observations wi' h regard to the China vote. Circumstances had since shown that his right hon. friend's criticisms in 1861 were sound and just. After a few remarks from Mr. BARING in explanation, the subject dropped. SMALL ARMS. Mr. H. VIVIAN called the attention of the house to the report of the committee on small arms, and asked her Ma jesty's Government what action they proposed to take thereon. He said that three millioLs had been spent on the Enfield rifle, and the result had been unsatisfactory. He maintained that the rifle we manufactured was of the worst description, and that the fact showed a want of organiza tian somewhere in our departments. It was not, however, too late to retrace our steps, and he was therefore anxious to know what course was to be pursued in the matter. Mr. H. BERKELEY could not agree with the hon. and gallant member, or ass, nt to the proposition that the Whit worth or Westley Richard rifle was perfect He believed, on the contrary, that for campaigning purposes the Enfield was better than either. The Marquis of HARTINGTON denied that the Go vernment had taken a wrong course or wasted the public money in the expenditure which they had incurred in the manufacture of the Enfield rifle. In the opinion of the committee, it was superior to the arm of any other country, and the Government did not contemplate any alteration until they had tested, by the most thorough and practical trial, the superiority of the Whitworth, With that view, 1,500 such rifles would be served out to the Rifle Brigade and 60th Rifles, while 2,000 Westley Richards would be supplied to soldiers of the line serving in every quarter of the globe. In this manner their merits would be fully tested, and the weapon which was proved superior would of course, be adopted. THE ROYAL ENGINEERS CORPS. Col. DUNNE called the attention of the house to the sum granted for the retirement of the officers of the Royal Engineers corps, and complained of its application. He hoped the subject would be taken into consideration, and that the £16,000 now allowed for the purpose of enabling the officers of the corps in question to retire, in order that promotion might be facilitated, would really be devoted to that object. Mr. F. PEEL was proceeding to reply to the hon. and gallant member, when The SPEAKER interfered, and ruled that the hon. gen tleman could not do so, he having already spoken. Capt. JERVIS hoped that the matter would be consi dered, and the sum mentioned by his hon. and gallant friend bona fide devoted to the object for which it was voted. THE COURT-MARTIAL ON PAYMASTER T. SMALES. Mr. CONINGHAM, who had given notice of his intci tion to move a resolution on the subject of the court martial at Mhow on Paymaster T. Smales, said he thought, after the discussion which had taken place, that he should best consult the wishes of the house by postpon ing his motion until after the evidence had been printed. He should have abs+ained from making any observation, had it not been for the remarks which fell from the hon. and gallant member (Colonel Dunne), and which was cal culated to damage Captain Smales in the estimation of the tt ere illegal char acter;very proceedings connected with the whole trial BLEACHING AND DYEING WORKS ACT AMENDMENT BILL. On the motion for the consideration of the Loids' amend ments to this bill. Mr. C. EWING expressed a hope that the case of the milliners and dressmakers of the metropolis would also be considered, and leg slation attempted for their protection. The amendments were agreed to. The LORD ADVOCATE obtained leave to introduce a bill to remedy certain defects in the law relating to the re moval of prisoners in Scotland ; and The house adjourned at halt-past one o'clock. EXPENSE OF NEW STREETS.—The return just presented to Parliament shows that the expense of making New Oxford-Street (made between 1842 and 1847) was .C 33o,o74— Cranbourne-street (between 1841 and 1845), £206,093—and Victoria• street, Westminster •between 1845 and 1851), £i15,000. The fist two streets were paid for out of the London -bridge Approaches Fund, and rents and sales of property purchased, and constructed under the charge of the * Woods and Forests. Victoria-street was constructed by the 'Westminster Improvement Commis sioners, subject to limited Control by the Woods and Forests, and the expense was defrayed by coal duties and improved rates, amounting to about £lOO,OOO, the balance being raised on mortgages and bonds. SHOCKING DEATH FROM LEAPING FROM A WINDOW.—An inquiry was held by Dr. Lankester, at the Elephant and Castle Tavern, King's•road, on 'Wed nesday, relative to the death of Edmund James Wall, who was killed by jumping from a window under the following circumstances :—Deceased, who had been ailing for some time, lived at No, 9, Northern•buildings, Somers Town. He had latterly made repeated attempts on his life. Two or three evenings back his wife left him in the parlour with a Mrs. Ward. He said he should go out into the street, but as on the previous night he had made a determined effort to cut his throat with a knife, Mrs. Ward placed her back against the parlour door to prevent his egress. He walked rapidly to the parlour window, which he threw up, and before Mrs• Ward could prevent him he threw himself out. He fell on his head with dreadful force, and was co vered with blood. Dr. Saul said that deceased died from the injury to the head. Ho stated before he died, " That as they would not let him out the door he leaped from the window" He was apparently out of his mind, and did not intend suicide, A verdict of accidental death was returned, Remarkable Trial for Poisoning, A remarkable trial for murder by poison has just been held in Berlin. The accused were the widow Knothe, aged 47, and a working mason named Stein mann, 27 years old ; the victim was Knothe's hus band, a colourmaker, in comfortable circumstances. The poisoning had been carried on for a long time before death ensued, and the circumstances of the case showed atrocious deliberation and a most deter mined purpose, on the part especially of the woman, who appears to have been infatuated by her passion for her accomplice, with whom she had for some time carried on an adulterous intimacy, and from whom she bad obtained a promise to marry her should she become a widow. The appearanJe of the criminals made an unfavourable impression upon the persons present in the court. The woman is a little, thin person, with a pallid countenance, prominent cheek-bones, and a hoarse voice. Steinmann has rather regular features, but his countenance, bearing, and answers all betrayed great stupidity. The death of Knothe took place in November last year, and although the symptoms, as decided upon the trial, certainly seem to have been of a suspicious nature, the doctor in attendance suspected nothing, was mis led by the wife, who described her husband as hay ing been addicted to the abuse of ardent spirits, and gave an ordinary certificate of death. Two days later an anonymous letter which he received, and at once handed to the police, led to an examination of the body, in which a quantity of arsenic was found. In 'he judicial investigation that ensued it transpired that for upwards of a year, during which time Steinmann had lodged in the Knothes' house, there had been frequent quarrels between the husband and wife, the former suspecting her intimacy with the mason, and insisting that he should quit the house. When arrested, the accused at first denied their guilt, but, it having been proved that shortly be fore her husband's death the woman had bought a pound of arsenic, Steinmann made a confession, which she afterwards, in all essential points, confirmed. It appeared that th e y h a d tr i e d var i ous kinds of poison, and that the attempts were for a long time unsuccessful. "If I had but hemlock or night- shade !" the woman often exclaimed. Not having them, she tried aquafortis for about three weeks, in such doses as she could venture to give, mixed in her husband's drink, but she succeeded only in making him ill. She then thought of quicksilver, and scraped it off a looking-glass, mixing it with sour kraut. As this did not suffice, she took Stein mann with her to Frederick's-heath, in the neigh bourhood of Berlin, to pluck hemlock, which she next day put into her husband's soup. Nightshade wes sought for but could not be found, andatlast she thought of arsenic, proved w hi c h finally effec tual. In the course of his confession Steinmann declared that he had never loved Knothe, and had 110 intention of marrying her, but, as her husband had a good business, he reckoned on profiting by it after his death. The woman, on the other hand, said that from the first moment she had seen her paramour she had conceived a violent passion for him, and that she loved him more than ever now that they were shortly to die together. Never- theless, she endavonreed to make it appear that it was not she but Steinmann who administered to her husband the dose that determined his death. The two wretches were found g. ilty of murder, and condemned to the scafiold. Decapitai ion is 'le mode in which capital punishment is still carried out in Prussia. It takes places within the precincts of the gaol, in presence of a certain number of per sons invited as witnesses. DEATH FROM OVERWORK. In consequence of a report which appeared in the newspapers of an inquest held at the workhouse on the body of the young woman, Mary Anne Walk ley, who was found dead on the premises of Mdme. Elise, the dressmaker, at 170, Regent-street, Dr. Lankester, in his capacity of medical officer to the parish of St. James's, Westminster, visited the place on Monday last and presented a report on the sub ject at the vestry meeting held yesterday, of which the following is an abstract. The premises used for the business consist, not only of the house in Regent street, but of two houses in King street. Dr. Lan kester visited the kitchens, dining rooms, and several of the bi droonis, the whole of which were clean and in good order. In all the bedrooms provision was made for ventilation by top sashes of the Win' dows being moveable. He found single, double, and three budded rooms, each bed being occupied by two young women. He especially examined the room in which the young woman died, and found it to contain 1,360 cubit feet of air, giving only 349 cubic feet to each of the four occupants. There were two windows in the room, which could be let down to secure ventilation. He next visited the work rooms, and found 60 girls working there, which together contained about 3,630 cubic feet of air, or little more than 60 cubic feet to each individual. Dr. Lankester then gives the number of occupants and the cub'cal contents of the other rooms, the allowance of air to each person being in some cases as low as 108 cubic feet—the general average being only 300, or below that of the room in which the unfortunate young woman died. There are 1 9 bedrooms, containing 74 occupants. Dr. Lankester goes on to say that, without passing any opinion on the case which has been already investigated before the proper tribunal, he considers that it opens up the whole question of the interior condition of the workshops, workrooms, and sleepingrooms of the metropolitan workpeople. It also opens up the question of the number of hours that persons may be employed in sedentary occupations in ill-venti lated rooms. The whole of these are matters of the greatest importance to the whole community, in volving the life and health of a large number of per sons. The pariah of St. James's, Westminster, ought to be particularly interested in this subject, from containing a larger number of persons working in shoprooms arid workrooms in proportion to its po pulation than any other parish in the kingdom. It is also in this parish that one of the most dense'iy populated districts exists, and in which the largest amount of disease and death occurs from overcrowd ing ; or, in other words, from a deficient supply of fresh air. With regard to establishments like those of Madame Elise, it is almost impossible, w ithout professional superintendence, that overcrowding in some instances should not occur. Neither the heads of the houses nor the young women themselves have , sufficient intelligerce to know how to ventilate rooms. Dr. Lankester considers that it is a ques tion worthy of the attention of the Legislature to see whether some systematic co-operation, under properly constituted officers, might take place in all cases where large numbers of persons are domiciled, as in schools, shops, workshops, and workrooms. The confinement of young persons in close rooms for 10, 12, 14, and 16 hours a day must be destructive of health, and no amount of sleeping space can make up for the evils inflicted by such confinement. In the winter the case is still worse, for many of the rooms are lighted with gas, each gas burner consuming as muoh air as five per sons. It is therefore not so much to be wondered at that a young person dies from the effects of the evil, but that in eo many cases the human system resists the destructive influences brought to bear upon it The vestry referred the report to a sub-committee, to consider what steps should be taken in the matter. COUNTRY MARKETS. J., MANCHESTER-JUNE 25. At our market this morning there %yak a fair attendance, but the extreme fineness of the weather cauted a rather dull demand. For English wheat lull prices were obtain able, while American was offered at 2d per 100 lb cheaper. Oats and oatmeal met a slow salt, with no improvement in value. Flour scarcely inquired tor, and we cannot alter the rates of last week. Indian corn receded 6cl per qr. Beans were the turn lower. BIRMINGHAM-JUNE 25. English wheat was sold at 48s to 668 for white, and 40s to 508 per 36 stone for red, Barley, new malting, 32s to 42s per qr ; grinding, 24s to 28s Oats, old, 24s to 30s per 30 stone; Irish, 22s to 255. Beans, 38s to 44s per qr• Peas, 36s to 44s per 36 stone. EDINBURGH GRAIN-JuNE 24. - --- A fair supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met a slow sale at about the prices of last week. Barley a re ady sale, and 6d to is per qr higher in price. Oats met a dull sale. Beans in lair demand, at full prices. Wheat on the top 2s 6d down average is Id down. Barley on the top Os 6d down average is 7d up. Oats on the top is 9d down average Os 7d down. Beans on the top is Od down average 3s 2d dovi. Total Supply and Sales. Wheat . 788 qrs Sold 399 qrs 8ar1ey........ 206 qrs Sold 135 qrs Oats Beans 26 qrs Sold 17 qrs Flour sells as follows :—Whites, 42s Od ; extras, 40a Od superfine, 38s Od ; fine, 36s Od. CORK—JUNE 24. The following were the quotations this morning :—Red wheat, 9s 9d to —s 0.1; white, lOs 3d to —s Od , barley, 6s Od to Os Od ; oats, Os Od to Os Od. ; black do., 7s 2d to Os Od. DERBY SMITHFIELD-RTNE 23. A limited supply of fat beasts to-day, and for the best quality last week's prices were easily obtained. Th e num ber of sheep and lambsin the pens was good. Fat and store calves were in less supply, but equal to the demand. Fat pigs were in large supply, but a heavy sale, Beef Mutton .... 6d to 7d I Pork Lamb .. 9d to —d I Rough fat, 3s 9d 6 p d e per c : 5 l Hides, 3d to 41d; calf skins, 5d to 6d. [ADVERTISEMENT.I—HoIIoway's Ointment and Skin diseases, contractions of the sinews through rhenwa, - tism, or violence, deformed and painful joints, &c., whic h had previously resisted every kind of treatment, have over and over again been cured by Holloway's remarkable medies. The most signal proofs of the efficient) of his Ointment and Pills have been kindly suit to the Professor, from all parts of the world with the expressed hope that such te,timony may induce other sufferers to try . means which are represented to have well nigh worked nuracles.l Holloway's Ointment is competent to cure almost al cutaneous affections, after a few dressings with this unguent, the skin feels soft and supple, its secretions be come natural and its appearance healthy. Births. BRETON.—On the 24th inst., at. Portsmouth, the wife of Captain John Breton, Town Major of Portsmouth, of a daughter. COOK.—On the 24th inst ' the wife of Thomas W. Cook, of 8, Clifford-street, of adaughter. KERRicH. - On tne 21st inst., at 2, Guildford-road, C South Lambeth, the wife of Captain Kerrich, 26th Reg• ame romans, of a son. Marriages. WILBERFORCE—ANDERSON.—On the 234 inst., at Lea Church, Ernest Roland Wilberforce, second son of the Lord Bishop of Oxford, to Fiances Mary, the youngest daughter of Sir Charles H. J. Anderson, Bart., of Lea Hall, Lincolnshire. WILLIAMS—GAEL.—On the 231 inst., at St. Marylebone, the Rev F. H. Williams, incumbent of Christchurch , Ashton-under-Lyne, to Jane Susanna, daughter of S. H. Gael, Esq., of Charlton -King's, near Cheltenham Deaths. ed 5. B it ows.—On the 25th 5 inst., at 42, H o lf or d- square , Chas. 03nr::.12---, Esq., ag C On the 25th inst., at Old Brompton, Charles IL d 79. 2 c o rpe, Esq., aged 55. ELLIOT.—On the 24th i nst., at No. 4, Pr i nces -t er reco, Knightsbridge, Ad m i ra l t h e Hon. S i r G eorge Elliot, IC o aged 78. G o 4 c C H * B . •—•,o ange the 3,1 inst., at Ipswich, Mary Hill Goo ch, How —On the 25th inst., at Basingstoke,Lear How,Esql aged 62. JANSON.—On the 23d inst., at Stamford-hill, Thomas C. Jansen, Esq,, aged 54. WADHAM.-011 the 23d inst , Henry Wadham, of the Inner Temple, aged 33. A d m iral WOLRIGE.—On the 19th inst., at Nutwell, Devon, William Wolrige, aged 77. --.. London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDB E V 2 ' of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN 0 1"). Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy , ua . the c ounty 0 hilddlesea.—Friday, June 20. 1863.