The Sun. — London, England, 1863-08-14 00:00:00

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA. (From the Special Correspondent of the Times.) WASHINGTON, July 31. I have come to the threshhold of the American civil war—to the troops-beset city of magnificent iatances. We arrived yesterday morning in one of the heavy showers which seem intended almost day by day to temper the tropical heat of this weeern continent, but which have only the effect of adding to its stifling oppressiveness. We waded and floun dered t hrougn Washington as through a sea of mud; a circumstance which did not prevent the same town from presenting the image of a perfect wilderness of dust before evening. We found soldiers at the station, I can hardly say how many companies of them, quartered in the waiting-rooms, offices, and gangways of what is here called the depot or ter minus; we had to jump over them, we and our cloaks and our carpetbags, as they lay full-stretched in our way on the sloppy floor of the ill-sheltered establishment. Outside, the hardiest or unluckiest of the gang were wallowing in the mire, to which they are, to judge by their look, as thoroughly accustomed as to their beds; and all along the roads along those vast spaces of muddy mounds and quag mires which are here classed and numbered in streets, on the steps of the Capitol, before the doors of public buildings, everywhere we saw them ; sol diers of all arms, in every variety of costume, with out visible distinction of corps, on no perceptible duty or errand, were there—not in great numbers, truly, bat still conspicuous everywhere—as if to warn us by their übiquity of the fact that we had come to the seat of a Government whose only busi ness is war, to the centre of a nation converted into a vast camp, with a metropolis for head-barracks. I had seen soldiers enough in New York, in Boston, throughout the Eastern cities, and needed hardly to visit Washington to come to the conclu sion that the word "soldier" must be understood in America to convey a different meaning from that universally received among the well-organised and civilised nations of Earope. Of the dashing and enduring valour, of the hardihood and perseverance of American fighting men on either side, the world has for the last three years received more than suf ficient evidence, and the laurels they have reaped in the field cannot be tarnished by any word of discouragement that may be breathed as to their tidiness and discipline in camp. No ono could be unwilling to make great allowance for the circum stances under which a hest of 1,000,000 combat. ants were suddenly called to arms, for the nature of the men who supplied the rank and file, for the inexperience of the leaders, for the carelessness, to call it by no worse name, of the rulers at the war department. It takes years to make a soldier, and here not an army, but a hest of armies, was to be wot up at a moment's notice. Bat when all was and %hen tweed, dis4strous marches, want of accommodation, and the worst of management were ,ccout:t, there rtili rumiined great ia proc;'ga,n, dirt and squilor ry. I yaw squ,ns of armed N..‘x Y 'a •he - , recta of ki city running w who seeo,'d to have a hor- ror of water, as it ;he pure e etnent had power ro wlsh "the very tn , ,rn , w ow 3 strong man's hones," ac it p.rting with the crust of many days' dirt was ns painful to them as to the victorious racer of an. cient, times to shake the Olympic dust off his cha• riot wheels, They seemed actually to delight and revel in dirt, and in the tatters of their loose hang ing garments, in the rust of their dinted and twisted weapons. They had gone through hard work, and were fain to call the world to witness of the stren uousness of their exertions. The Neapolitan regi .ments in the palmy days of King Bomba were not more unmindful of that proper soldierly pride which, in the Old World, seems to identify valour with pipeclay, than are these heroic warriors of the Western Continent. They seem as scornful of uniformity of costume as the mosstroopers of the middle ages, and fall as naturally into the cdd and the picturesque. Not a score of them are anywhere to be recognised as men belonging to the same corps. The ungraceful and in convenient kepi, the last contrivance of French absurdity, has been officially copied here as every where on the continent of Europe, but Republican freedom has substituted all possible varieties of slouched hats ; of buttoned--up, tidily-fitting coats hardly an instance occurs, even among the officers; and, altogether, a more odd, rnffianly-looking set of crmed men than I have seen marching along the )otpaths in Bradway, in the midst of a delighted ; lob of citizens, clapping hands at them as if they were mere dumb figures at the play-house, it never was my lot to see anywhere—except, perhaps, in the suite of the Giribildian bands in Calabria. %Vasn this is said, the very worst is said with re gard to the outward look of these champions of the American Union. The mere mannschaft, as the Germans hive it—the thews and sinews, the mein and bearing of the great bulk of the Northern army, are all that the heart of its leaders could wish. There are no very high statures, no very bulky frames among them; they are, most of them, men of middle size, lean and lank, narrow .shouldered, stooping and shambling in many instances; they look worn and sullen, but they bear every mark of stern endurance and dogged resolution. They have no spare fl , eh, no exuberant spirits, no song, no frolic; but they lock like work—up to their busi ness, which is to kilt, to die. A gentleman who has had much to do with the management of these troops complains of them as " thinking bayonets." "The Northern soldier, , ' he said, " would rather go without his breakfast than without his newspper, Tie discusses the plan of the campaign with his officer, and sits in jadgrnsnt on his General's tactics." To this carp ing criticism of the rank and file, to this want of good confidence in their leaders, the gentleman in question ascribed the slow success and the frequent reverses of the Northern arms, and he contrasted it with the spirit of the Confederate soldiers—un educated men, as he described them—who look up to their commanding officer as a demigod, who receive orders, ask no questions, and allow themselves no rem arks. With all this disadvantage of not unwilling but unsteady discipline I ha'e every day greater cause to wonder at the transcendent confidence of the majority of those Northern men in the ultimate success of their cause. The earnest steadiness with which they pursue their purpose is only commen surate with their utter recklessness as to the means which must lead to its attainment. Not only do they not care," but they positively delight in the vastness of the sacrifice their country demands of them. They seem less eager for victory than for the fearful amount of blood and treasure by which they are to achieve you ask; "Aye, "Are they sure to take Charleston?" sure as death. The cos t will be tre mehd ; c; but who would wish to have it at a cheap rat e D tt : Hang the expense !" is the motto. It is not of , proud the butresult of their mighty effort that they are pro i of the capabilities and resources of their cou etry : in patting forth such c olossal power. The big war , t hey are anxious to prove, bears full proportions wi t h the bigness of the Republic. Every man seems to swell fore you as he d vve lls on the gigantic strength the .b State brings b into the fiel d. The nav y has rai sed the number of men of war, which were onl y 60 at the outbre ak h ost ilities, to 600 . What to - day costs millions , of to morrow will rise to tens of millions. They are not sorry for it; they are delighted at it; they w ill have no rest till the expense shall be hundreds of millions! A steam frigate founders, a regiment is cut, to pieces, an ironclad is sunk by the enemy. Hurrah! All the greater their joy. Here they are, ready with four new regiments, with four more steam frigates, with ten additional ironclads. Failure braces them up even more than success would elate them. Al; they are anxious to show is the boundlessness and inexhaustibleness of their means. Their is no ioss they cannot repair/ no waste, co extravagance they cannot afford. Of this I;te word must be well assured. It is in this extent, thiS eXpvitdvesiesB of their means, that lies the rtainty of their progress to the end. They want to mate much of it, doubtless ; they br;.g an intole rabie deal about it, we are al: sure. It is on this lavish, wanton display of unlimited power that they lay their hope of its irresistibleness. It is by it that they aspire to strike dismay and despair into the hearts of their present ioe—that they trust to over-. awe their eventual enemy. How can the South, how can Europe, have a chance to stand against this unweary giant P Let the struggle b fr: olonged for ever so many years, let the fortune of war be ever so fickle, and success alternate ev.r so blindly, America cannot fail to wear out all tu << gonism Such is the burden of the song that daily dinned in my ears whenever I mix in conversation with per sons about me. The present war can, lam every where assured, have but one issue. The South must give in, must surrender at discretion ; Union must be restored, Secession must lead to a thorough and speedy extinction of slavery. Whatever havoc and confusion emancipation may lead to will be of no moment in the great work of national regenera tion, in the consciousness of power, in the display of strength to which this struggle has given rise. America .an never be sufficiently thankful for the golden opportunity this war has given her, no less than the world at large, of setting a proper value on her unsuspected energies, on her latent vitality. Without their proverbial proneness to brag, the Americans themselves had no adequate notion, they say, of the bigness of their country, or of the might of their nation. This bigness and this might they have now begun to put forth at the expense of their Southern brethren ; and they will end by dis playing them at the cost of their Transatlantic cousins. Yes, war with Europe, war with England, is the object of their most ardent aspiration. They talk about it with a zest, among with a glibness, whic h per fectly amazes me. Were there a c onspiracy them all to hoodwink, to bamboozle, to impose upon me, I must say that they could hardwlyouhaldvescaleracrenlyt their part with greater diligence, they practise their lesson upon me with more e c e o l ns g o um i mate skill, concert, and unanimity. The feeling hostility to England, which was deep and earnest in New York, acquires fresh liveliness and intensity as I draw near to the seat of Government in Wash ington. It may be all idle vapouring and big talk. There may be nothing in it. Men must jadge of it in England as their sober judgment prompts them ; but I cannot help seeing and noticing what falls before my daily observation. If men ever meant what they say the Americana must and will have war with England, —a big war, a war like what they are now waging with the South, granting no quarter, and aiming at utter extermination. ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. HOME CIRCUIT—CROYDON, Aug. 13. The learned Judges, who disposed of five cases yesterday, ' disposed of nine today, three of whom being special jury and six common jury cases, and began two others. The total result and state of the cause list this morning was as tollows :—That 76 causes (common and special jury) had been disposed of, somehow or other, and that 88 still re mained to be disposed of, of which it will be seen that two or three were so disposed of to-day, leaving about 84 still to be disposed of on this (Friday) miming towards the end of the second week of tie assizes—that is to say, the proba ble result will be that at the ena of the week the greater half of the cause will remain to be disposed of. COURTNAY V. WAGSTAFFS—REED V. SAME. These were two actions by reporters engaged on the late Iron limes, a penny paper, which started in January and expired in March, egainst the supposed proprietors, on alleged contracts to employ them for the Parliamentary Seston of that year. The defendant denied his liability upon such a contract. Mr. Denman, Q C., Mr. Prentice, and Mr. H. W. Sharp appeared for the plaintiffs: Mr. Hawkins, Q.C., and Mr. Hanmen were for the defendant. The two actions were by consent tried together, and were commenced yesterday. It appeared that there were other actions pending by other parties. Mr. Denman, in opening the case for the plaintiffs, stated that it was of the first importance for any newspaper to secure the services of good reporters. The defendant was a merchant and a gentleman who had been proprietor of the paper, although the contracts were actually made by a Mr. bolt, the editor. The defendant, he believed, disputed his liability, on the ground, partly, of want of authority. But he believed that the authority would be amply estabiished. The defendant, who was engaged in various undertakings, was the proprietor of the paper, and had taken an active part in its management. On one occasion he had threatened to dismiss the manager. a Mr. Morgan, who would be called. On another occasion he had given directions as to an article of intelligence he deemed of importance. He also was con sulted on various matters, and assumed authority as owner. As to the rest of the case, the plaintiffs had been dismissed in the midst of a session, and, of course, too late to find other engagements, and were entitled to their salary to the end of it, as, in the absence of evidence of an undertaking to the contrary, the engagements were clearly for the Session. The plaintiff in the first case was called in support of his case. He met Mr. Holt, he said, on the 2d of January at the office of the Weekly Times, and was told by him that he was engaged in starting the Iron Times, and afterwards on another occasion he met Holt at the office of the latter paper, when he was engaged for the ensuing session as re porter, at £3 3s. a week ; and in the meantime to " write letters and paragraphs." Nothing was said then as to the proprietor. The witness said he had been engaged for five or six years as a Parliamentary reporter, and there was a general custom that such reporters were engaged for the session. Mr. Hawkins objected that there could hardly be a cus tom as to a paper not yet started. The newspapers, learned Ju dge whether said th o e r r e n ot imightit p b p e l generaleadin this c c u a s s t e o . m among The witness repeated his statement of the custom, and reporters, stated also and tha t that usually afterwards soarlarlily w alla a g e s increased engagedess a week. Parliament began in February, an d in the meanne rsed to the a mean time he was paid a guinea a week for the let ters, &c. was paid by one Hooper, a clerk of the defendant, and the defendant was often at the office conversing with Mr. Holt, the editor, or with Mr. Alpass, the foreign editor, or Mr. Morgan, the manager. The witness went on to prove direc tions given by the defendant. On one occasion, having seen Mr, Wagstaffe there talking to Mr. Holt, witness said to the latter after the defendant had gone, " Is that the capitalist ?" (A laugh.) Mr. Hawkins objected to this, and it was withdrawn, and he then cross-examined the witness, and elicited that some years ago Mr. Holt (who was a good deal connected with newspapers) started another paper called the iron .7inzes, and the witness was engaged upon it. He was asked whether he was not present at a meeting f the reporters at Holt's, at which the defendant was not present, and this he ad mitred. He was pressed as to whether Holt had not said he was starting the paper with money advanced to him by a friend, and this he denied. What he said the witness stated was "Well, we're going to bring the old Iron limes out again. They have plenty of money." He admitted that Holt said that if the paper succeeded different engagements might be made, and he was pressed whether Holt did not say that if it became a regular established paper the re porters' engagements would be placed on a permanent foot ing, and that he denied. He admitted that the last engage ment he had as a Parliamentary reporter was on the _Horn ing Chronicle, and was weekly, but he had had a sessional engagement on the Morning Chronicle. Re-examined by Mr. Denman, the witness said that Holt bad brought out the old iron Times partly on his own account, but he knew that Holt had not the means to bring out a paper on his own account, and he never heard that Holt had any advances to enable him to do so. Mr. Alpass, who had been foreign editor of the paper, and was always at the office, often saw the defendant there watching how things went on, and sometimes talking to the witness, looking at the witness as he was translating from foreign papers, and discussing matters with him, and he had heard him say to Morgan, the manager, "If you can't do better than this I must find your successor." Witness (who edited in the absence of Holt) had also consulted the defendant as to the money articles, &c. He also had heard the defendant speak about announcements of companies he was connected with. It appeared that Holt himself received a salary. Several other witnesses gave similar evidence, but it was elicited that their actual knowledge or experience applied rather to old-established papers, and one of them admitted, on cross-examination, that he had heard that the defendant had advanced money, and had said that he could not ad vance any more. The evidence in the case of both plaintiffs was very much the same. At the close of their case, The learned Judge threw out that, without at all pre judging the disputed question of , the defendant's liability, it might be a fit case to be amicably arranged. Mr. Hawkins said he would gladly have assented to that suggestion, but there were other parties in other actions not to now present. The learned counsel then stated the case hfeirnsatoharneoldheetaelnamcme, which, as already indicated by the line of einrealtioa%vbwanacseidnmsuonbsetyantocebtohlits,tothaatsstishtchdiem in starting the pap er, be employer. lie contended that was neither his partner nor his principal, and that this ' we liable, except eitherpos sibly as partner with Holt or as his paper and applied to the olt or of principal and age; had desired to start a defendant for an advance of money to assist him in so doing, and the latter consented to acjacciogn' this overwould the way in which do so, stipulating for som The eould account for the term sa on which the agreement between eel t r i e o ar ( l co th e the money was expended, alleged interference on his part. advance was made were embodied in an them in January, 1862, which the learned that. the defendant ehould advance Holt for the purpose of bringing out and editing the to paper, and should have the property and copyright as a security, e if..ct being and that the £l,OOO should be a charge on and payable out of the PrUfitB, but should not be any personal obligation en Holt, and that the defendant s h ould hav e a bsolute power of appointment an d removal of all persons employed on and about the paper, as clerks and accountants, to receive moneys, &c. The effect of this,• the learned counsel said, was to give the defendant a security, but not to make him either Holt's principal or his partner. The money was ad vanced from time to time by the defendant, sad, when the whole of it had been advanced and expended, Holt applied for more, and the defendant consented to make further ad vances to the amount of between £2,000 and £3,000. Such having been, the learned counsel said, the real relation be tween the parties, there had been no conduct on the part of the defendant holding himself out to the plaintiffs as a partner or principal, for they never knew him or heard of him until after their alleged engagements. That being so, he contended there was no liability at all, in law or in fact. All the acts or conduct ascribed to the defendant were to be accounted for by the agreement between himself and Holt, and imputed no relationship of principal and agent, or of partnership. Then as to the second question, of the extent of the liability (assuming any liability at all) and the alleged custom of sessional engagements, the learned counsel denied that it applied to papers just started to the knowledge of all parties as a mere speculation. The defendant and Mr. Holt were both called in support of this case for the defence. Mr.Wagstafle, the defendant, was called and examined by Mr. Hannen. He said he was a merchant in London, and had first known Holt in connection with some company in which he was interested. In January last year Holt ap plied to him to assist him in starting a paper, and the agree ment alluded to was entered into. The agreement was as follows : " Whereas, Mr. Holt is about to bring out and conduct a daily penny newspaper to be called the Iron Times, and has applied to Mr. Wagstaffe to advance and lend to him a sum of £l,OOO for the purpose aforesaid, which he has agreed to do in the terms hers expressed. It is agreed between them : " That the said Wagstaffe shall on or before the signing of the agreement pay to the said Holt £l,OOO, to be applied by him in and about editing and publishing and conducting and establishing the said intended newspaper. " 2. That the said Holc will assign to the said Wagstaffe all the plant and type, together with the copyright of the paper, as a security for the said sum of £l,OOO and interest. " 3. That the said £l,OOO, and interest thereon at the rate of 5 per cent., shall be payable our, of the profits to be derived from the said newspaper, but shall not be a personal obligation upon the said Holt. " 4. 1 hat the interest shall be payable quarterly, on the 15th April, 15th July, loth January, &c. " 5. That the said .£I,OOJ shall be repaid by annual in stalments of £3OO. " 6. That as a further security to the said Wagstaffe, he shall, so long as any part of the said sum shall be unpaid, have the absolute appointment and power of removal of all clerks and servants to be appointed to conduct or keep the books and accounts, and receive or pay moneys to be paid or received on account of the said newspaper, but shall not thereby incur any responsibility. " 7. That as a further term of the agreement, the said Wagstaffe shall have the optios, at any time within 12 calendar months from the date of the agreement, of requir ing an absolute assignment to be executed to him of three fourth-parts or shares of and in the said intended news paper ; and the said Holt agrees also to assign to him, or at his direction, three fourth-parts or shares of and in the plant, type, and copyright. " 8. That in case the said Wagstaffe shall exercise the option reservad to him by the last clause, he shall be at liberty to sell or assign the said three fourth parts or shares without the assent of the said Holt, but the said Holt shall not be at liberty to part with his share or part without the assent of the said Wagstaffe." At the time of signing it he gave Holt a cheque for £l,OOO, and Holt at once returned it to him and asked him to act as his cashier or banker, and pay away moneys from time to time at his order or direction, and be did so. He paid away more than the £1,0',0, and Holt then applied to him for more money, saying tie was satisfied that the paper would be a success, and witness agt ced to and did advance more money, taking Holt's bills as security. He never exercised his option of becoming proprietor and taking a legal and formal assignment of the paper, had only appointed one clerk. Ho had not engaged any _,f the persons employed upon the paper, nor ever saw any of them until after they were engaged. He had gone down to the office to see how things were going on, but had never interfered in the ma nagement. The witness explained the various incidents which had been spoken to as instances of alleged interfer ence. They were, as he represented them, mere casual ob servations or suggestions on the part of one casually present and interested in the success of the paper. On one of these occasions there was a premature rumour of Prince Alfred's death, and he had said it would be,well to be quite satisfied of it before it was mentioned, as it would ruin the paper if it turned out to be wrong. Cross-examined, the witness said ho was a general dealer and " bought foreign or domestic goods." He called him self a merchant. At the present moment he called himself also a contractor. He had been connected, perhaps, with five companies. He was pressed as to whether it was not his intention to convert the paper into a joint-stock company, and this he denied, and, being shown a pro spectus about it, said it was Holt's doing, Being asked if it did not appear as an advertisement, he said he believed it had, and probably he had seen it ; and had not objected to it. (It was for the purchase, on advantageous terms, of the paper, on which a certain sum had been already judiciously expended, and which only required more capital to become a good pro perty.) Pressed as to what was the sum the company were to pay for the paper, and whether it was not £lO,OOO, he said he did not know. Asked as to the persons put as directors, it appeared that one of them was the clerk he had appointed as cashier, and anotaer the foreign editor of the paper. Asked whether there was ever a company formed, he said he did not know. He was to have shares, but it was not defined how much he was to have, except that he was to have his money back. Pressed as to whether he should not, if the company had been formed and the purchase effected, have asserted his option of proprietorship to .the extent of three-fourths of the purchase money, he said he should. The learned Judge—And thus, if the paper was sold for £lO,OOO, you would have £7,500 ? Witness—Yes, that would be so. He admitted he was to be entitled to three-fourths of the paper or its purchase money. Pressed as to whether he did no know Holt had been in difficulties, he denied it. Ho was then pressed as to other tompanies he had been connected with. The learned Judge asked how that was relevant ? .. Mr. Prentic e (i n th e a b sence o f M r. Denman) .said he should contend that one great object of the defendant in establishing the paper was to advertise these other schemes, and that the alleged agreement between him and Holt was a mere pretence and sham, and that the defendant was the i eal projector and proprietor. The learned counsel then went on reading from a list in his hands, and, holding up a large bundle of prospectuses of joiut-stock companies, to press the defendant as to schemes it was suggested he had been connected with. Some of these he a dmitted—others he denied. He was asked if he had not said he required the paper to advertise such schemes, and this he denied. He was then pressed as to whethet before the alleged agreement he had not advanced moneys for the paper. This he denied, upon which a cheque of his given to the printer on the 6th of January, 1862, was called for and produced. It was for £lOO, and in favour of the printer, and before the alleged agreement, and made no mention of Holt. The witness, however, said the terms of the agreement had been already settled. Asked if the paper had been registered, the witness said he did not know. He admitted that for some time he had daily statements of the affairs of the paper. He denied receiving the money for the advertisements. He declared he had no interest in the con cern except to get his money back. Re-examined, he said Holt had given him a receipt for £lOO. He said he dealt in iron. He had done nothing with the paper but pay out his money. H e was quite willing that Holt, if he could, should dispose of the paper to a company, that he might get his money back. Holt in the first instance had assured him that the £1,600 would establish the paper firmly, and afterwards pressed him again and again for fur ther advances. He never advanced any money but on Holt's request, and altogether was out of pocket £2,700. Mr. Holt was then called and examined by Mr. Hawkins, and confirmed the evidence of the defendant. He said he had desired to start a paper on his own account, and had told defendant he could do so with £l,OOO, and defendant agreed to advance the money on the terms of the agreement contained in the true and real engagement between them. If he could have established the paper it would have been worth £40,000. It was a large lottery ; the prize would be great if it succeeded. The calculations had failed through unforeseen circumstances, but the money he at first had would otherwise have been enough. Tho defendant had never anything to do with the paper except under the agreement. He tried to get other gentlemen to join in the enterprise, but could not. The witness went on to state that he had engaged the reporters, and the plaintiff knew, and he had told them, that his circumstances would not admit of his entering into permanent engagements He had distinctly told them so, and stated to them that their first engagement would be for a week, though he hoped, if the paper were to succeed, to give more permanent engagements, and at the meeting of the reporters he distinctly re-stated this in the presence of all of them. Cross-examined, the witness denied he had ever told Mr. Mr. Alpass that the defendant was a proprietor. He also denied having said so to a Mr. Lilley (one of the witnesses for the plaintiff), but admitted telling him " not to gossip." He was then pressed as to whether he had told Alpass, Courtney, Reed, and Williams, that they were engaged only for a week, and he positively swore that he had told each and all of them so, He was then asked as to the advertise ment about the sale of the paper to a company, and he said there was no contract for the sale of it. He was then re ferred to the terms of the advertisement, whicb were—" Th e directors are under contract for the purchase of the paper upon advantageous terms ;" and he said that there was no contract in writing, and that the paper was in such a posi tion that it would be "advantageous" to let any one take it. Great laughter.) The company was not registered. nor was the paper. Asked as to the imprint—" printed and published fulitshwezdtrubh re by Mr. Mr. Holt for the proprietors," he said it look ed a it meant a g oo d d ea l, b u t it rea lly me ant nothing. (Laught er .) The learned Judge said there was some Act of Parlia qtuire:talnthiatas in that should nbeewstsaptaepderfosr. w h om the paper Was printed, THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 14, 1863. Mr. Prentice pointed out that the word was in the plural mtrueMTnehtseilneetrnheedca Judgeplaintiffs,evidence particulartheoneofHoltmustproprietor, careful thethejury aboutit.betheundoubtedfacts observed that he supposed one ques tion would be whether the alleged agreement betw ee n H o lt and the defendant was r ea l or only colourable.ls Mr. had tha t heldh he Should i , n a s s i s t thethat, defendantev e ni himself out as propr i etor, or He should f it were real, it constitut e d a partnership a was to be paid out of the profits, also submit that the defendant allowed Holt to join him as such. The learned Judge observed that thi • s was after the al leged engagements were entered into. Mr. Prentice said, from the first, the plaintiffs were aware a that Holt was not himself in position to make engage ments, and therefore that he must have been acting for some one, The learned Judge said he did not see how that would affect the question if the plaintiffs had made their contract without knowing of the alleged , petneieal p and before he had held himself out or allowed Holt to hold him out as the principal, even assuming that he had ever done so. However, this was merely for the purpose of seeing how the case might possibly be shaped. Mr. Hawkins then argued to the jury that, upon the evidence, it was quite impossible that the plaintiffs could have entered into these contracts on the faith of the defen dant being principal or partner, for they did not know of him, nor knew as a fact that there was any one else than Holt in the concern. The alleged engagements were before the agreement between him and the defendant, and before the defendant had anything to do with the matter. Nor could untrue statements by Holt, even had any such been made, affect the defendant, unless they were made with his sanction, and also before the alleged engagements. The learned counsel drew a humorous picture of the position of the paper in its last days, the printer daily pressing Holt for money, and Holt pressing the defendant ; and thus the de fendant led on day by day to make further advances. The Iron Times, he said, had not a very iron constitution, and the joint stock company had been suggested at the last moment as the only chance of supporting its existence. It was then that, as a mere afterthought, it had been endea voured to fix the defendant. Mr. Prentice addressed the jury in reply on the part of the plaintiff. He said it was quite ludicrous. to see how in these days joint-stock companies were " got up," and the case of the Iron Times was an instance of a scheme between a man with money and a man without it, by which in the event of success the moneyed man should realize a large fortune, and if it failed should lose as little as possible. The whole of the pretended agreement between Holt and the de fendant was a sham. It was expressly stipulated that Holt should not be personally responsible, and yet it was pre tended that he had given bills of security—bills, by-the-by, which had not been produced, and the giving of which, if they had been given, was only a proof of fraud, for it would be a flat contradiction of the agreement, Theadvertisement of the " contract" entered into fcr the purchase of the paper (which was denied by the defendant and his witness) was another evidence of fraud, and was obviously a mere device to gull the public, by a statement now admitted to have been utterly untrue. If the company had succeeded, as so many delusive schemes had succeeded, the result would have been a sale of this paper for a large sum, the greater portion of which the defendant would have received. The main question was, what had been the real agreement be tween the defendant and Holt, and the re ject had been to I enable defendant to evade all pecuniary risk or liability in the enterprise in which he was really engaged. The learned Judge, in summing up the case to the jury, first remarked on the point of damage, supposing the plain tiffs entitled to recover andpointed out that they had the , p benefit of their ti me ; b ut that if they cou ld not employ it profitably, they might be entitled to their full salary_ otherwise, not so. Then, as to the duration of the contract (supposing the defendant liable at all), there was not dise tinct retainer for a session, at all events, in Caurtney's case. But both the plaintiffs relied on an alleged custom, rest ing on what certainly seemed reasonable —that the en gagements of Parliamentary reporters should be sessional. Certainly, if that were so, it would go to confirm the case for the plaintiffs, but it must be considered whether it was probable that such a custom would be applied in the case of a paper just started, and there was the direct evidence of Holt that it was not so in these cases. Then as to the main question, whether the defendant was liable at all. He was of opinion, in point of law that if the ag reement between , Holt and the defer d ant was rea l, t h en (apart from his "holding himself ou t") t h e de f en d an t would no t be table. Its avowed object was to protect him from liability beyond the 4000---in fact, to limit his liability. This was aper tectly legitimate obj ec t, an d o ne which he might lawfully and fairly en d eavour to e ff e ct. And certainl y it was effected by this agreement, assuming it to be real. The case for the plaintiffs was, that it was not r eal, but colourable, and that the defend an t was re al owner, either a s p artner or as prin cipal and empl o y e r. It woul d be for the j ur y to say whe ther it was so or not. Beyond alt doubt there was nothing at all improbable in the agreement. On An t d h t e here w ra a r s aa tk i e t t seemed very probable and reasonable. ' positiv e oat h o f the defendan t and Holt that it was t h e real agree ment b e t wee n them ; a nd it would be a strong thing to ijury were asked to do, on account of disbelieve th e m, as ts-ee they must consider. The various cireumstase,es which . . interference relied on by the plaintiffs were various acts of and they had heard his explana planned by the defendant,certainly the fact that Holt received a tion. There was k well e that the defendant and he bad salary, but it might much a week as editor. Such, agreed that he should have so however, was the fact. Now, such were the main features in the case which the jury bad to consider, and which was pecu liarly he great question was, whethe r th e T one for them. . and whether the defendant was agreement was genume,t proprietor. It was sugg es t e d t h at really a proprietor or a p ar the paper was a contrivance to promote the defendant's cone or to get up some o ther ccmpa tny 0 carryon th e paper. ponies to not seem Aa to the first supposition, it did n show that th e agr eem ent was less likely to b e real , and as to th e o th er, the appearede been started only a s newspaper company 0 paper had failed. T a last resource whe n th here was one ed. other topic to be consider denY There was a rule of l aw under not the truth of hi s which a man could own represen tation if others had ac ted upon it, and thus, 110 d if the defe n d ant had held himself out. or a we any one to hold himself an d the plaintiffs had out, as the proprietor, trusted to that not he could be held t o in their contracts,dispute it. Upon that, however, the que stion would be twofold —had he so held himself out or allowed himself to b e h e ld out as owner, the and had he done s o beforep lai ntiffs were e ngage d . As to this the plaintiff s' "evidence was that th ey were en gaged before they heard ri of the d efendant, before the agree-' ment, and before the paper started, and b e f ore Parliament them opened, and neith er of had seen th e d efendant until afterwards. He co uld not seehimself how, on this • ' case CO A man w ground, the plaintiff ld be supported,s as not liable otherwise than as the real truth of the case, unless he had misled others into acting on the faith of a different state of facts. As to what had happened after the alleged engage ments, it was diffe rent, and there were, certainly,Y, several matters which had occurred, and Which • ceive that the were likely to lead the plaintiffs to con defendant was the the pro prietor. In conclusion, learned Judge left it to the jury whether the defend ant was reall y a proprietor, or part pro prietor ; and whet her the defe ndant held hi mse lf out as pro prietor or part prop rietor befo re or at the ti me o f the alleged engagements. The jury found all the questions in favour of the defend ant, except that they found that the defendant held • himself out as owner a fter the engagements. having found The jury, the three first questions in favour of the defendant, and the fourth question i wer e then asked in favour o f th e pla i nt iffs, w whether Halt had represented t h e agreement that beforethere was any principal behind him, a l so whether he had done so afterward s • ,the former they answered in the negative, the latter •in the affirmative. They also found that a weekly ye ' w ith both plaintiffs. engagement had been made The result was a verdict for the defendant the plaintiffs to move on t h , with leave for e questions answered in their f a vour. It was agreed that there was to be no appeal. OXFORD (CBleßfoCrelTMlTrifiociercßEySiTeEs.R), AU G . 13. CuoviN COURT. Mary Ann Golding was indicted for the murder of her i n f a nt child, at Stapleton, on the 16th July, Mr. Sawyer was for the prosecution; Mr, Weightman W as for the prisoner. Th e prisoner was in service as a housemaid at Stapleton. and on the 16th, at about 7 o'clock in the evening, her kb: low-servant went upstairs and found her in their bedroom. When she entered the room the prisoner left it, and she then observed marks of blood on the floor, and, looking un der the bed, saw a new-born child in the utensil in a crum pled-up state. She saw it move and gape. She at once left the room, and when she met the prisoner said to her " Oh, Mary, what have you done ?" to which the prisoner an. awered " Pray don't tell mistress ;" but she found her mis. tress, told her, and returned with her to the room. The child was taken out of the utensil ; restoratives were applied but it was found to be quite dead. It was then rolled up in some linen and left on the floor. The prisoner was ordered by her mistress to leave that night. Mr. Ilerapath, a sur geon at Bristol, was sent for the same night, and arrived at the house where the prisoner lived at about 10 o'clock. He exa mined her, and found that she had been recently de livered. He asked to see the child, and the prisoner then Po inted to a box, locked and corded, which the prisoner h a d fractured, from andthe bed,M r Herapa n go t ready for her departure, and in it the body of the child was foutnh observed twod.ltshead spots s extensively f about three e of which presented the appearance of the mark of a child's o head, with some hair adhering to the floor. On a r feetac d, post mortem examination considerable fractures of the bones of the cranium were disclosed, and there was much effu sion of blood beneath the scalp and the membranes of the brain. The lungs had been fully inflated, and breathing had been. carried on ;ome little time before death. The navel siring hied been cut. The delivery was nut a diffi cult one, nor did it appear el, if it could have taken place in an erect posture. The learned Judge pointed out to the jury the distinction between murder and manslaughter, and The jury found a verdict of guilty of manslaughter. The prisoner was sentenced to one year's imprisonment, with hard labour. James Price, the elder, was charged with feloniously dis charging a certain gun, loaded with gunpowder and shot, at and against his son, James Price, the younger, with intent to do him grievous bodily harm, at Woollaston, on the 3d of July. The indictment contained a count for unlawfully wounding. Mr. Sawyer was for the prosecution ; Mr. Powell defended the prisoner. The prisoner is an old man of nearly 80 years of age, and the prosecutor was his son, who, however, did not live at home. On Friday evening, about 8 or 9 o'clock, the son came to his father's house in a state of partial intoxication, and he went into the cellar to fetch a reaping -hook. The prisoner was there, and some words took place between them with:reference to the old man's cutting some vetches which the son had grown in a field of the old man's, The old man justified what he had done, and the son brandished his reaping -hook about, making tha sparks fly from the stone flooring, and threatened his father. The father ordered him out of the kitchen. He refused to go, and then he took down a gun and pointed it at his son, the prosecutor, who whipped behind the settle, but he fired, and some of the shot lodged in the son's leg. The son was taken up stairs and put to bed. There was no doubt that he had given his father great provocation, and it was stated that he had re fused to prosecute, but the magistrates thought that it was a case which ought to be brought to the assizes, an opinion with which the learned Judge expressed his concurrence. After his Lordship had summed up, and told .the jury that though, no doubt, the provocation had been great, yet guns must not be used in family quarrels, they found a ver dict of guilty of unlawfully wounding, with a recommenda tionto mercy. The prisoner was sentenced to one month's imprisonment in the common gaol. INNS OF COURT. The following is the prospectus of the lectures to be delivered during the ensuing educational term by the several Readers appointed by the Inns of Court :-. "CONSTITUTIONAL LAW AND LEGAL HISTORY. " The Reader will trace the history of our Constitution from the middle of the reign of Henry VIII. to the latest period which the time allotted to this course will enable him to reach. He will dwell particularly on the judicial and legal history of the different ages which he describes as re corded in the statute books, the volumes of reports, and the State trials. " In his private classes the Reader will begin with the reign of William 111., and proceed in regular order to that of his successors till the accession of George 111. " The books to which he will chiefly refer are—' Black stone's Commentaries,' by Kerr (last edition) ; ' Burnet's History of the Church;' Rapin's History of the Period :' ' Statute Book of the Period; Lord Clarendon's History;' ' May's History;' Rushworth's Collections ;" Brodie's History Hallara's Constitutional History ;" Haye's History of Conveyancing ;' Burnet's Memoirs ;' State Trials; Starkie's Law of Libel.' " EQUITY. "The The Read er on Equity proposes to deliver during the ensuing Educatio na l Term a course of six lectures :—l. On the Sources of English Law. The Origin of the Feudal System, and the Judicial Procedure to which it gave Rise in Normandy and England. 11. On the Office of Chancel lor; its Connexion with the Common Law Courts. The Rise and Principles of the :Equitable Jurisdiction. The Cus tody of the Great Seal, 111. On the present Constitution of the Court of Chancery. The Principles of Equity Pleading. The Reeent Alterations in the Procedure of the Court. IV. On the Law of Bankruptcy. "The Reader on Equity proposes to form two private classes —a senior and a junior—aczording to the amount of preliminary knowledge possessed by the students; using in the junior ' Smith's Manual of Equity Jurisprudence' as a text book, and in the senior examining the principal branches of equitable jurisdiction, with a frequent reference to cases, and also commencing the perusal of Lord Redesdale ' Trea tise on Equity Pleadings.' " THE LAW OP REAL PROPERTY. "The Reader on the Law of Real Property, &e,, proposes to deliver in the ensuing Educational Term six lectures on the following subjects :—I, The Specific Performance of Contracts for the Sale and Purchase of Real Estate. 11. The Ownership of Machinery and Chattels attached to or limed with Lands or Buildings. " The Reader on the Law of Real Property will in his private classes refer from time to time more particularly to the cases cited in his public lectures. He will also endea vour to go through a course of heal Property Law, using Mr. Joshua William's work on Real Property and Mr. Tudor's Leading Cases on Conveyancing as text hooks. "JURISPRUDENCE AND THE CIVIL LAW. "The Reader on Jurisprudence and the Civil Law pro poses in the ensuing Educational Term to deliver six public lectures on the following subjects :--- " 1. The Jurisconsulti of Ancient Rome ; their functions and emoluments, 11. The Historical Development of the Roman Civil Procedure, and its influence upon the Amend ment of the Substantive Law. 111, The system of Pleading in Roman Civil Actions. " In this private class the reader proposes to commence a complete course of Roman Civil Law, using baudars's Justinian,' and the Systema Juris Romani' of Mackeldey as text-books. " Theßeader will also, in his private class, discuss various points of International Law, using the work of Wheaton as the text-book. " COMMON LAW. " The Reader on Common Law proposes to deliver dur. ing the ensuing Educational Term six public lectures as under: —The first public lecture will be introductory to the study of the law. In the remaining lectures our com mon law will be viewed in relation to—l. The Leading Doctrines of Constitutional Law. 11. Principles of Legis lative Policy. 111. Principles Regulating Civil Rights and Liabilities. " With his private class the Reader will follow out the above scheme, using for reference—' The State Trials,' ' Smith's Leading Cases' (last edition), and Broom's Legal Maxims' (second edition). " The Reader on Constitutional Law and Legal History will hold his first public lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 11, at 2 p.m., at Lincoln'si•nn Hall, the classes meeting in the Benchers' Reading room, and his private lectures on Tues days, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at 10 a.m., the first claas meeting on Thursday, Nov. 12. " The Reader on Equity will hold his first public lecture on Thursday, Nov. 12, at 2 p.m., at Lincoln's-inn-hall, the classes meeting in the Benchers' Reading-room, and his private lectures on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at a qoarter-past 3 and a quarter-past 4 o'clock, the first class meeting on Friday, Nov. 13, "The Reader on the Law of Real Property, &c,, will hold his first public lecture on Tuesday, Nov. 10, at 2 p.m., at Gray's. inn- hall, the classes meeting in the north library, and his private lectures on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at a quarter to 12 o'clock and at a quarter to 2 o'clock ; the first class meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 11. "The Reader cn Jurisprudence and the Civil Law will hold his first public lecture on Friday, Nov. 13, at 2 p.m. at the Middle Temple-hall, the classes meeting in the Middle Temple Library, and his private lectures on Tues days, Thursdays, and Saturdays, at a quarter to 4 o'clock; the first class meeting on Tuesday, Nov, 17. " The Reader on the Common Law will hold his first pub. lic lecture on Monday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m., at the Inner Temple-hall, the classes meeting at the Inner Temple-hall, and his private lectures on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Satur days, at a quarter to 12 and a quarter to 2 o'clock ; the first class meeting on Tuesday, Nov. 10. "The first public lecture in this term will be delivered by the Reader on Common Law—viz., on Monday, Nov. 9, at 2 p.m. " The Educational Term commences on the Ist of Novem ber, and ends on December 22. " The first meeting of each private class will take place on the usual morning or evening of meeting after the first public lecture on the same subject. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—HoIIoway's Ointment and Pills.— The proofs of cures of the most virulent maladies and chronic ulcers speak louder than any words to the merits of these incomparable remedies. A grateful patient writes from Kingstown under date June 21, 1863 :—" I am happy to bear my testimony to the wonderful powers of your ointment and pills in curing me of the most distressing piles and lumbago after every other means had failed." Can aay statement be more to the point ? Any language more striking or convincing, or any result more gratifying? What a load of suffering and anxiety was in this case rolled away by the proper application of these noble curatives.. Swelled ancles readily s uccum b t o H o ll oway ' s meth caments. [ADVERTISEMENT.]—COINUMptIOII, all nervous, bilious, liver, and stomach complaints, in every stage, are only ag gravatet and accelerated by drugs of every description, but perfectly curable by Du Barry's health restoring Revalenta Arabica Food, as proved by thousands of cases which had been considered hopeless. We quote a few.—Cure No. 62,914. Miss Lange, 18 years of age, cured after the medical men had abandoned all hopes of her recovery from the last stage of Pulmonary consumption, with fearful cough, expectoration, exhaustion, spitting of blood, perspirations, hollow cheeks. emaciated to a skeleton. She is now, thank God, a perfectly he althy, blooming, fleshy girL—N. Lange, Commissaire de Police. Cure, No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of Frimley Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs' spitting of blood, liver derangement, and partial deafness. —Cure, No. 47,121. Miss Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indigestion, gatherings, lowspirits, an d nervous fancies. — Cure, No. 54 ,816. the Rev. James T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk, of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, which had resisted all medical treatment. In tins, 11b, 25 9d; 21b, 45 6d; 51b lis; 121 b, 225; 241 b, 40s. Barry du Barry and Co., No. 77, Regent-street, London ; also Fortnum and Mason; and all grocers and chemists in every town of the United Kingdom. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.—It is curious that we should be able at this moment to turn to Germany for an explanation of the fanaticism of America. oldest group of States in the world is now im pelled to extraordinary action by the very same yearning and passions which are cenvulsieg the country of Washington and Franklin. The Fe deralsare bent upon recovering political union, the Germans upon recovering political unity. What Germany has been for ages, that the American Re public might be expected to become in the event of Southern success or Northern failure. We should see a Prussia on the Hudson, and an Austria on the Mississippi, with Hesses and Hanovers perhaps in the North-West, and Badens in the South. The result would be precisely the same loss of public strength which Germany has long experienced. All the national power would be consumed at home. For external action the resources of the Continent would be next to useless. One of its divisions would counterbalance another, until the efficiency of the whole would be neutralised, and united action would be almost as impossible in America as it is found to be in Germany. There is one feature in the case, however, from which the Americans may derive a little instruction. The Federals are are never tired of asserting that the Union can only be dissolved at the cost of eternal war. Now, if that is really the truth, it must be owing to the inherent pugnacity of democracies, for certainly the balance of power in the Germanic Confederation has proved eminently favourable to internal peace. The Germans have been prevented from fighting other people, but they have at any rate not fought each other, and their political stagnation has been sweetened by profound repose. But they are not satisfied with it, and they are now about to make one more attempt at military unity. France has a population of about 35,000,000; Germany of about 45,000,000, and yet Germany stands in awe of what France may do. This is because France is one State and Germany 30. These 30 States get on comfort ably enough in ordinary times, but when war looms in the distance they find their body corporate paralysed. Austria is a great Power, and Prussia is a Great Power; Bavaria and Wurtemberg have each their armies, but Germany is nowhere. It is hardly a political entity. Before it could act in its confederate capacity, before a real "German" force worthy of the name could take the field, a modern war would be over, and whole territories might have changed hands. Cannot the German house be set in better order, so as to hold its forces disposable, and play a good part against any challenger, whether on the East or on the West ? That is the question which Francis Joseph, Emperor of Austria and Chief Sovereign in Germany, proposes to ask of his brother Princes at Frankfort. The quaint old city has seen a good many strange gatherings, but none stranger than that now contemplated. The representative of autocracy, conservatism, and prerogative calls a Royal mass meeting, a democratic convention of crowned heads, to arrange a " platform " on strong popular principles in the broad light of political day and with the utmost publicity of procedure. His Imperial Majesty hopes to make Germany a military, if not political, reality, and to see Father land counting for a little more than at present in the European world. For this chance he foregoes the traditions of his house, and as he has of late had some experience of constitutionalism as well as of war, he is willing to make provision for the latter contingency by some fresh work of the former kind. It is certainly a strong temptation. We may gauge the value of unity by the uses to which France can turn it. Relying upon a fusion carried by the insa tiable Jacobins to the utmost perfection of a political amalgam, France asserts her will with an absolute serenity of confidence. She quietly tells us that Europe can only be at peace while she is satisfied, and the boast is actually justifiable. Partly from her unexampled advantages of geographical position, but mainly from the consummate unity and compactness of her political constitution, she can dictate to her neighbours, and either loftily pronounce that " the Empire is Peace," or " go to war for an idea." She shows her appreciation of her privilege even by her jealousies. She does not approve unity in other quarters. She has declared without disguise that a united Italy would be prejudicial to her, and that a strong, well amalgamated Power either beyond the Alps or be yond the Rhine must be regarded as menacing her with injury and loss. She prefers Federations, con veniently constituted and comfortably balanced, the members or which can be elevated or depressed by the weight of her powertul hand. This is perfectly natural. On the European Continent real genuine unity is at present the privilege of France, and the gift would be damaged by diffusion. But Germany has a right to bid for the pleasing, and, what is more to the purpose, has the power of doing so. She cannot, like Italy, be hindered in the work. If she is determined, she can have her way ; but will she show any such resolution ? We doubt it. It is the old story of private jealousies conflicting with pub lic spirit. Now and then, at great crises of history, perhaps the Princes of Germany may sigh for that unity which confers strength, but for the most part they, and perhaps their people too, will prefer, like the Southern States of America, to maintain poli:i cal independence at the cost of political power. They will have no wish to take their Fatherland out of the regions of poetry. They know full well that they cannot, any more than the Americans, have two things at once—State sovereignty and a strong central Government. The King of Prussia looks at this matter very much like Governor Seymour of New York. Francis Joseph and Abraham Lincoln are both desirous of welding a great Power together to the terror of all opponents, but what the Pre sident and the nation gain the constituent coun tries must lose. It is only in the capacity for ex ternal action that all will be winners together, and in the eyes of phlegmatic Germany the occasion for such action would not often occur. Better live, they may think, as they have lived, fairly balanced, not uncomfortably settled, and relieved from the charges as well as the glories of conquest. Nation ality is a fine thing, but it costs a great deal of money, and often something more than money too. Mr. Cobden was right when he said that small States were generally happier than large ones. Your mighty empires are very apt to be aggressive, and to promote their own "destinies" in a very expensive manner. We have got two of these fabrics already —a French empire in the west, and a Russian em pire in the east. Would the peace of the world be promoted by another, equally formidable and equally ambitious, established between them ? Would our quiet friends the Germans like to be started in a race of this kind? They are now, it must be owned, a less powerful people than they might be. The great Teutonic mass is never thrown into the scale all together, and is outweighed therefore by the superior organisations of Celts and slaves. But they , are tolerably happy without either colonies or des tinies, or, if they could believe it, even without a fleet. They have not much active power, but they could do a great deal in the way of resistance, and their popular prejudices are wonderfully consulted by their State divisions. They have au element of disunion among them which is wanting in America. The war between the Federals and Confederates, bitter as it is, is, at any rate, not a religious war. Francis Joseph, the chief man in Germany, 'wants a 'strong Government" in place of a Federal Execu tive so weak as to be good for nothing. That is ex actly what the Washington politicians wam - . This Executive has hitherto been the weak point in both the American and Germanic Confederacies, but we see what it costs to strengthen it in the former case. What the Northerners say about unity and strength is undoubtedly true, but they forget that national power is not the dearest object of every man's heart. Mr. Jefferson Davis knows just as welt as Mr. William Seward that divided America will lose weight in the councils of the would, but that loss is a long way off, and is not half so impressive a con sideration as the loss of immediate self-government. The truth is that millions of men diffused over an enormous Continent have never yet permanently concurred in their estimate of what ought to be their politicel object. Different conditions create different views, different views establish different interests, and different interests lead to separate communities. The old Empire of Germany cry s t a l. lived into independent States in obedience to the gradual operation of natural laws. That these have never lost the old tradition of unity is perfectly true, and we sincerely wish that they may discover some method of giving it a more practical form, but sec tional jealousies and State claims are formidable things to deal with whether in the Old World or in the New. POST.—The cotton trade in Manchester and the surrounding districts has reached enormous pro portions during the last half century. Immense fortunes were made, which in some cases were in• vested in land ; a school of politicians arose from this branch of industry which attempted on various occasions to prove that the cotton interest was supe rior to that of any other in the kingdom, whether connected with agriculture, shipping, foreign trade, or the like. Suddenly, however, the civil war in the United States demonstrated the fact, which had often been predicted previously, that cotton was not such an absolute monarch in this country as had been imagined. A collapse was the result; a n d while the nation cheerfully responded by liberal subscripti ons to t h e cry o f di s t ress , i ngenu i ty tried to find a su b st i tute f or t h e raw ma t eria l Which had hitherto employed thousands pf hands, a s well as contributed to the natiPpal prosperity. A gl eam of hope s h ot t h roug h t h e darkened horizon wh et , it was announced that zostera marina, a brittle sort of seaweed was about to supply the place of the plant from th e S out h ern States; but a moment's in tion of thi s p ro posed subst i t ute at once dissiated the illusion, and the hopes of the nation then. centred on flax. No w , fl ax i s a substantial fibre. It has always been cultivated in this country. Queen Elizabeth insisted, in her arbitrary way, on its being . • grown in certain pr o p or ti ons t o t h e b rea dth of triable laud. The ancient Assyrians and Egyp tians were in the habit of clothing themselves ill purple and tine linen ; and any person echo has seen an Egyptian mulniny unrolled of nay date pretending to antiquity must have noticed the almost innumerable folds of linen with which the . whole wa s enc i rc l e d . I n fact, the linen trade of the British isles has run a close race with that of cotton during the last 50 years, and it was mainly owing to the abundance and cheapness with which the latter could be raised in the Southern States that it finally succeeded in establishing its pre-eminence, especially in long cloths, in the markets of the world. When the blockade of the Southern ports, then, stopped the main supplies of the raw mate rial, public attention began to be directed towards flax, and our agriculturists were urged to grow flax as a substitute for cotton, as it was supposed, and truly so, that the war might last many years, and that our manufacturers and East Indian cotton might not be able to adjust themselves to one another for some time to come. The war still con tinues, and in all probability will last for years. Cotton, it is true, arrives in considerable quantities from the East and from other parts of the globe, and our manufacturers are doing their best to adapt their machinery to the staple which they have to manipulate ; but in the meantime it may be in quired what are our agriculturists doing in order to promote the cultivation of flax, which, be it ob served, when extended, may help to obviate the deficit in the supply of the other commodity ? We tear not much. Tnings go on pretty much in the oid way. As long as beef, mutton, wheat, barley, butter, and the usual products of a farm fetch a ... fair price, our agricult ur i s t s p ursue th e even tee of their way, and never imagine that prices can alter. In this delusion, however, they may be mistaken. Wheat is now from five to six shillings a bushel; there is a promise of an abundant harvest not only in Great Britain but also throughout the world, end in all probability wheat will fetch but a moderate price for some years to come. Would it not be a judicious step, then, on the part of the British far mer to advance a trifle beycnd the usual stereo typed system of cropping, and grow, say, an acre of flax to every fifty of his holding P This crop is not an exhausting one, as many persons ignorantly suppose. It is sown about the latter end of April or first of May, and is ready to pull before any white crop is fit for the sickle ; and, as seeds are sown with it, they always prove unusually heavy next season. The seed of the flax, when saved, which it ought to be, is exceedingly valuable for feeding stock, either by itself or in the shape of oil-cake; and when our agriculturists consider the thousands of pounds annually which they expend in purchas ing this latter commodity, the seed of which is for the most part grown abroad, the question must naturally present itself to their minds whether they could not themselves grow this plant on their own land—which, apart from its valuable fibre as the foundation of linen, is one of the most efficient means, in the shape of oil-cake, for fatten ing sheep and bullocks. Almost any land in England, with the exception of a still retentive clay, will grow flax ; it occupies the ground a shorter time than any white crop; it pays well, and we are decidedly of opinion that more at tention ought to be devoted to flax than has hitherto been, not only in a national point of view, but also with respect to the individual interests of agricul turists themselves. The crop, in fact, has only to be known in order to be thoroughly appreciated. In Dorset, Somerset, Norfolk, and in certain por tions of Yorkshir e , fl ax i s grown i n small quantities. In Ulster it is more generally cultivated, but the great consumers of flex and hemp throughout the three kingdoms are obliged to i mport t h e ch i ef b ulk of their supplies from the North of Europe ; and it certainly does seem strange that Russians, Belgians, and Poles should be able to grow, manage, save the seed of and dress flax better than Englishmen, and, in addition, furnish them with that cake which costs so much, as well as adds to the weight of their sheep and bullocks. W.., certainly think that the time has come when our agriculturists might, with profit to themselves and advantage to the nation, set about preparing their land for sowing next spring a mode rate breadth of flix seed, and we have little doubt that continued experience will induce them to per severe in their efforts. COUNTRY MARKETS. ,~..__. MANCHESTER --Aux. 13. At our market this morning there was only a small at tendance of buyers, and the demand was extremely limited for every article. There was, however, no material change in prices from this day se'nright. BIRMINGHAM —Ana. 13. English wheat was sold at 988 to 52s for white, and 40s to 48s per 36 stone for red, Barley, new malting, 328 to 42s per qr ; grinding, 25s to 298 : Oats, old, 24s to 308 per 30 stone ; Irish, 22s to 255. Beans, 40s to 445, per qr. Peas, 36s to 44s per 36 stone. CORK—AUG. 12. The following were the quotations this morning: -.Red wheat, 8s Od to —s Od ; white, 108 3d to —s Od , barley, 6s Od d to . Os Od ; o a t s , 7 8 6d to Os Od. ; black do., 6s 10c1 to Os O --- EDINBURGII GRAIN—juLY 12. A large supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met a slow sale at is under the prices of last week. Barley met a brisk sale, and prices were is higher. Oat quiet. Wheat on the top Is Od down ....... average is 14d down. Barley on the top Oa 6d down........average is 10d down. Oats on the top is Od down ... . .... average Is Od down. Beans on the top is Gd down ..... ...average is 5d up. Total Suppl3r and Sales. BWheat ...1814 qrs ........ Sold 1299 qrs ar1ey........ 187 qrs ........ Sold 86 qrs Oats B eans 7l qr 5........ Sold 38 qrs Flour sells as follows :—Whites, 41150 d ; extras, 39s Od ; superfine, 395 Od ; fine, 37s Od. DERBY SMITHFIELD—AUG. 11. A good supply of fat beasts to-day, and the demand was somewhat improved. The number of sheep and lambs in the pens was large, without alteration in price. Pigs were plentiful. Fat calves scarce, and sold. better. MBeet ............ 6d to 7d Veal . ......... .6d to' 6d utton .... ....... 6d to 7d • Pork .. .. ..... .sdto 5t a Lamb .... , . ..... Bid to 9d Rough fat, 3s 9d per stone Hides, 3d to 4td; calf skins, 5d to 6d. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. Aug. 18. via Marseilles Aug. 13. Brazil and Cape Verds, by Briti v sh ia p m ac a le e t. i ........ 13.• 3. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena. Aug. 29. China, Penang, and Singapore, via S outharapton.Au g . 18, Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton .................. Aug. 18. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton.. Aug. 18. via Marseilles.... Aug. 13. India (Bombay), via Southampton ...,. ......... Aug. 25 via hlarseilles ................ Aug. 20. Portugal.... ............................. Sept. 3. Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton ...... Aug. --•— via Marseilles ........ Aug. 13. ONewfoundland ............................. .. Aug. 19. porto and Vigo .............. . ............ U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... Aug. 19 by U.S. packet.... by Canadian W.C. of packet. Aug. 14. Africa, Madeira, an d Teneriffe .......... —.. Bahamas, vi a N ew Y ork Au g . Mexico ......... .................... Aug. 2 7 . ........ .................... .. Aug. A 11l parts of W est I nd i es, including Chili, Peru, }Aug. l 3. Califor n i a , an d B ritish Columbia. Full benefit of reduced duty obtained by pur chasing liorniman's pure Tea; very choice at 3s 4d. and 4s. "High Standard" at 4s. 4d. (formerly 4s Bd.), is the strongest and most delicious imported. Agents in every town supply it in rackets. Births. CAYLEY.—On the 12th inst., at Lronapton, Y orkshire, the wife cayley, Esq., of a dau g h ter. .Ail oc n 12th inst., a t R osherville, Rent, the wife of Captain C. Monsen, Royal W e l sh Fusiliers, of a daughter. MOBERLY —On the 12th inst., at Winc hester, the wife of st. D . — i g O bY n the the Rev. H. E. Moberly, of a son. TA Edmund TatterTTEßs AtL.— Osall, n the of alh inst., at Gr osvenor-place, Mrs, 4t son . Marriages. AULEY—GOsey, Frederi RE.—On the 11th inst. at St. Clement' s , Jer sonck A. Auley, Captain Royal Artill e ry, secon d second daughter o of Capt. Auley, Maitland, Je rsey, to Annie Matilda, Sydney, f the l ate Thomas G. G ore , E sq ., o f FATTEN—TRYNNE-011 the 12th inst., in Westminster : Abbey, Eust ace John, the eldest son , of Colonel Wilson Patten, Rev, M. P., to Emily C onstantia, eldest daughter a the Lord John Thynne. Deaths. ham, blar AGAR.--OU the 10th i ns t., at Georgiana House, Chelteiv garet, the wife of Sir Felix Agar. BIRD. —On the 2d inst at Swansea, George Gwynne Bird, Es q• PR • • O • ageS d ' 6o „ EDWARDS.—On the Bth inst., at Tiddington, near Thame, Oxon, Sophia, widow of the Rev. James Edwards, vicar of Fairford, Gloucestershire, aged 95. FREER,. —On the 11 th inst., at Bishopstone, Richard Lane Freer, D.D., Archdeacon of Hereford. S LADE.—On the Bth inst., at Maunsell House, Sir. Fred.W. Slade, Bart., Q.C., aged 61. SPENCER.—On the 12th inst., at Nuttall, Notts, suddenly/ at an advanced age, Miss Helen Anne Speu cer. TRIPP,—On the 12th inst., at Pimlico, Mrs. Tripp, aged 63. London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREWS, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at TUE SUN Office No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the `.3avoy, in the County of Middlesex.—Friday, August 14, 1863,