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

MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK. Thereis only a limited inquiry for discount accom modation in the money market today, and were it not for the few who obtain assistance in order to pro vide for the settlement in Consols, extreme quietude would predominate. The bill brokers are, how ever, averse to making any concessions lest the ex pected outflow of gold should succeed the altera tion, and the rates are therefore maintained at 61 i per cent. The only alteration in the foreign exchanges yesterday afternoon was a decline in the rates of Holland. There were no bullion operations at the Bank yesterday. The bar silver by the last West India packet has been sold at ss. ltd. per oz , showing a rite of Id. per oz. compared with the price realised for the previous supply. At the half-yearly general meeting of share holders of the Colonial Bank, held this day, the report, which recommended a dividend for the past B iX months at the rate of 12 per cent., was unani mously agreed to. Two O'CLOCK. At the Paris Bourse this morning (affording to Mr. Reuter's telegram) the Three per Cent. Rentes Were quoted at 66f. 65c. Heavy. The market for the English Funds continues heavy, though little alteration is apparent in prices this morning. The disturbed condition of continen tal Polities has been the chief cause of the depression, and the late time operations have also assisted to Produce an occasional rise or fall. Consols are now 60,1 91 for money, and 911 1 for the account next February. The New Threed, are 901 91 ; the Re duced Annuities, 901 ; Exchequer Bills ss. dis. to par ; India 5 per Cents., 1061 a ; do. 4 per Cents., 1 "; and the Bonds, 3s. dis. General depression again prevails in the Foreign Market, and business is very quiet. Turkish 6 per Cents., 1862, are 678 68 ; do. Consolides, 47 1; Mexican, 361 ; Greek, 231 24 ; Spanish Passive, 3 31 34; do. Certificates, 131 141; Italian, 671 41 Portuguese, 471 1; and the Confederate Loan, 38 40. Business in the Railway Share Market has con tinned very inactive, and the few dealings reported show a further slight decline in values. North Western, North Eastern (Berwick), and South Eastern have each receded 55., and North Eastern (York) 10a. The Foreign and Colonial undertakings remain vary inactive, at former quotations. In Bank and Miscellaneous Shares there is little variation to report OR regards values. Lon don and Brighton have advanced to 54 55; Alliance have declined 46 ; London and "Westminster remain firm, at 81; 82 ; National Shipping Company are quoted par ; prem.; Pacific Steam lt to 2 prem. ; Contract Corporation, 2; I prem.; and Mauritius if Credit, Ito 1 prem. BRITISH FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK. GOVERNMENT FUNDS. i 3 per C ent. Consols Ditto Account 904 3 per C ent. Reduced 90j New 3 per Cent. 9Ol 1 New 31 per Cent, A n. 1891 New 3i per Cent. nnuities 6 per Cent. A nnuities, Jan. 1873 ** Ditto Annuities, 30 for 30 yrs, Yr, expire bth J an., 1880 .. expire sth April, Ditto (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug. 1908. . 1885. Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO, 2j& 3 per Cent. 1 5 dis par Ditto £5OO .. Ditto 4100 and £200 INDIAN GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Shut .11i!% Stock, 1871 106 j i Ditto 5 pet 1870 100 Ditto 4 Cent. 1888 Ditto Er, Cent. 4 per Cent Ditt o 4 1 4 aced Paper, -- Doper Cent ditto April, 1864 ,ft :Di tto ditto Aug. 1864 or 66 3 m k dis LI t ," bond o s Cl.iii Pm —o under £1,000.. FOREIGN FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK....Brazilian Austrian Bonds, 5 per Cent .: Ditto Der Cern ••• . ... 100 i 6 Ditto, 1839 and 1859 Ditto 41 per Cent., 1852-58-60 Ditto 1863 Ditto Scrip, 1863, £45 paid . Buenos Ayrei 6 per Cent Colombi a n 6 Scrip £l5 pd Cuba, 6 per Cent. kitulitin 6 per Cent. _ ...., Ihrto 4} per Cent, Danish 4 per Cent., 1863 Dutch, 2f per Cent., Ex. 12 Guilders Xquador New Consolidated. 1 per Cent — Ditto, Provisonal Land Warrant — Egyptian 7 per Cent lOl/ Ditto, Second Issue Greek o per Cent., 1821-5, ex-Coupons.. — 23 t i 41 Ditto Acco unt Ditto Coupon s — Ditto Account ll 101 G uatemala 6 per C en t. Ditto Account — Italian 5 per Cent.(Maremmana Railway) Mexican 3 per Cent 1 D itto Account 36 6 Moorish Imperial 5 per Cent New Granada l3l Ditto 2 per Cent. Ditto Deferred ............ — Ditto Land Warrants (Hectares) — Ditto 1 per Cent. (Deferred 3 per Cent ) Ditto 3 per Cent. Peruvian 3per Cent. Ditto Account Ditto 4} per Cent., 1862 Ditto Account ....... Pedm ontese, 5 per C en t ., E x. 25f — Portuguese 3 per C ent., 1853 Ditto Account. . — Ditt o 3 per Cent unt . , 1866, '7, '9, '6O, 62,'3 D itto Ac co i 4 Di tto, 1863 ........ Ditto Scrip, £ l5 paid . 1 pm Russian 6 per Cent., 1822, £ St — Ditto 4} per Cent 1850 B7 Ditto 1860 Ditto 5 pe r Cent . 1862 — Sardinian 5 per Cent Spanish 3 per Cent Ditto Account Ditto New Deferred Ditto Account Ditto Passive Ditto Account 331 i I Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded .. Ditto Account l4 Swedish, 4 per Cent..... Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854 Ditto Account . 90 Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858 Ditto £lOO Bonds.. 72 724 Ditto 6 pe r C ent . 1862 D;ato Account, . . 8 Ditto, £lOO Bonds ... . ......... Ditto 6 per Cent. 1..863 Ditto Guaratteed, 4 per Cent — Ditto Debentures, 4 per Ct,, Oct„ 1863 Venezuela 3 per Cent. ilitto Account Ditto 6 per Cent., 1862 Dividends on the above payable in London. Austrian, 5 per Cent., Ex. 10 Florins. Belgian 4 per Cent., Ex. 25f. .. — Dutch2i p er C ent., E x. 12 Guile Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates French Rentes, 41 per Cent., Ex. 25f — 11itto &mount .. Ditto Scrip (1863) L 42 Bs. 31. pPm . Italian, 6 per Cent., 1861, Ex. 25 PTance.. Ditto Account.... Consols M oney TWO O'CLOCK 9 1 Ditto Account . Liverpool Cotton Market—This Day. Cotton market very quiet, and full id. below Thursday. Sales about 2,000 or 3,000 bales. Im- Dhrt, 1,539 ; previously, 6,877. ~ ri f ART OBITUARY OF 1863.—Some of 'boat able painters have passed a wa y i n th e p as t year r ,. r ,t rac e• In F rance H orace V erne t an d E ug e ne Dela polliatnolig ourselves, Abram , Solomon, Augustus Leo- W t,g, 'William Mulready, Charles Robert Cockerell, and J. D. Harding. Mr. Sheepshanks, the munificent donor of the collection that bears his name, has also been called from us in the past year. , A CRITICAL ESSAY ON SIIAKSPEARE'S OrraELLo" has been published by Mr. F. Liiders at ar nburg, under the titl e o f " B e i trdge zur Erkldrung von an "keapeare' s Oth e ll o ." I t consists of 108 octavo pages, d presents several clever conjectural readings, as well as other e lucidations of the text. T ub LATE MR. BURFORD'S PANORAMA in Lei ceater-aquare has been finally closed. Art explosion of fire•damp occurred two days back at the St. Paul coal raise, at Grand Croix (Loire). Three workmen were burnt by the accident, two of them severely. boring a reh earsa l o f t h e b a ll e t o f "Fi ammetta, " at the Grand Theatre of Trieste, last week, the dresses of several of the figurantes caught fire, and before the flames could be extinguished one poor girl, only 14 years of age, Was so dreadfully burnt that she died a few hours after. SHARE MARKETS,---This day. hare! Railways. i Paid. .14. Bir., Vol., and Str. Val. :5 Blythe and Tyne. ,0 Bost.,Sleat.,andMid.Co it Bristol and Exeter it Caledonian Cort and Bandon Cornwall 10 Do A [0 Do. B gets no dig '211161)0.p an.has been paid to B. , 10 Dublin ez Belfast June. :5 Dun.,Perth,&Ab. June. it Edinburgh & Glasgow. it Glasg. and S. Western. it Great Eastern, Ord. stk it Ditto A stock it Ditto East Anglian et it GreatNorthot Scotland it Great Northern it Do A stock it Do B do it Gt. S. and W. of it Great Western .. it Do Str Val gua. stock it Lancashire & Yorkshirt it London and Blackwal. it Lon., Bright.,& S. Coast it Lon., Chat., and Dover it Lou. & North Western it Lon. & Sot.th Western st Sian., Shef., & Lincoln. 50 Mhryport and Carlisle. 124 Do f shares.. lit Metropolitan st Midland .4.0 Do New . • st Do Binning. & Derby 50 Mid. Gt. W. of Ireland 25 Do. 4 shares 25 Mid Kent 10 Do Cray Line st North British st Edin., Perth, & Dundee st Nth. Eastern—Berwic:- 25 Do, G.N.E. purchas , st Do Leeds at Do York st Do Carlisle •• .• st orth London 10 Do New 16.4 North Staffordshire 10 N. and S. W. Junction. et Scottish Central st Scot N. E., Aber. stool( at Do Scot. Mid. stock ' 10 Shrews. and Welchpoo; at Shropshire Union st South Devon at South Eastern at South Wales at. S. York. and River Dun 20 taines, Wok.,an d Wok. 25 Stockton & Darlington 25 8 Bi 8} 8i 83 Bb 121 122 7 74 37 39 164 17 98 99 107 10 50 51 47 49 8 8i 127 t2B 13i 1324 136 98 VD 65 65) 111 111i' 73 74 ' 108 I 0 43) 446 1072 1072, 101 i 1021 , 601 51 110 tit 129 i )3) 98 1,0 53 64 25 t 6 104 105 Do Do New, 186& Taff Vale.. 0 Do B 0 Do C 0 Ulster 25 Do .10 Do a Vale of Neath a Victoria sta. and Pim it Waterford & Kilkenny It West Cornwall d W. Hartlepool Har.&R it West Midland -Oxford it Do Newport' rt Do Hereford ORDINARY SHARES AND STOuIs,S. Closing Business Price. done. 65 I 111} 11 73 1071 1013 2 noi if 104} I 69 60 91 92 119 121 1 2 78179}, 11 111 124 126 43 45 98 lOU 63 64 33 34 951 o 6 N 100 10 104 a 382 9 10 L , 7} 7} w 158 160 5 54 21 3}P 83 86 170 175 91} 1 331 4 85} BRITISH POSSESSIONS. Closing 6hare tlatlways 1)0 Atlantic & StLawrence all 60 42 - Bk j liom.,Baroda&.Centlnd 100 1041 1( 51 10.1 51 1 Gu. 5 per ocrit 20 Do. New . ...... 8 1 P 20 Do. E. Shares v: Buffalo and Lake Huron 6 6} 1 0 Do. Preterence 00 itullalo,Brant,&Godrici. / . 9 p. et. bds. Aug. 1, 1872 ,00 Do. do. July 1, 184, lot , 100 Do. do. June 1, 18; , i 100 s t cit.,iz S. E ant n. (1, r.l 100 102 104 st Cape Town Dock Seri' 100 101 103 stock Eastn. Bengal gu. sp. c 100 106 107 stock Mist Indian. gu. sp. c. 10n 1151 1061 106 20 Do. do. G Ext l5 / lip 20 Do. do. H do. stock Grand Trunk of Canada lou 20 21 21 100 Do. Ist I'ref. Bonds all 74 76 100 Do. do. deferred.-- all 6/ 62 100 Do. 2d Pret. Bonds all 68 70 681 100 Do. do. deferred all 53 51 100 Do. 3d Pr ef. stock all 50 52 100 Do. do. deferred all 40 42 100 Do. 4th I'ref. stook— all 27 29 100 Do. do. deferred all 23 45 stock Gt.lndlalentu.gua.sp.c 100 106 107 20 Do. New gua. sp. 0 l2 111' 20 Do. January, 1862 8 1} ltp stook Gt. South.of India(Lim guaranteed 5 per cent. 100 1031 104 i 201 Gt. W. ot Canada Shares all 10 10i 10 20f Do. New ...... lb 11 1015 100 Do. 6 p.o. '73 with't opt. all 92 95 100 Do. 51 p. o. do. '77-8 all 86 88 10 Indian Branch Limited 2 101 107 stook Madras guar., sp. 0. .. 100 stock Do. 4} p. o. Extension 100 100 101 991 stock D 0.41 d 0.... —. 100 16 100 20 Do. Fifth Extension. 2 stock llclb.Corp. fi p. 0. Buds. 100 50 Melb. & Hobaon's Bay. all 57 59 100 Do. 7p. a Hong. Bds. al, Newßr uuswick. Candi, Class Aanl B. all 3 5 N.lll.C'das pc let t bds too 82 84 to. r Soinde .......... (10u 104 105 st ock Do. Delhi lOO 106 107 4t, Do. do d 9 2 1 fp st Do. Punjaub c•_, all 1051 106 k Du. Do. ) ea,. s ock Do. Indus. St. Pio.) k 1 ofi 101 103 COLONIAL GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. 6 p.o.J &J ul3 1877-81 100 102 104 Do. 6p. c. Feb . . it • Auu. 100 103 iO5 Do. 6p. o. Mar. & Sept. 100 103 105 Do. Ip. c. Jan.&July. lOt' 91 82 Do. 5 Inscribed stock 100 90 92 Cape G.Hope, 6p 0.1871 100 106 108 Do.Ap & Oct. 1880 100 109 111 Do. 1891 000 109 11l Do. Jan. & July, 1891.. 100 112 114 ICeylon, N0v.1878, 6p c 10u 110 112 'Mauritius 6 per cent .. 100 104 106 INatal Goy. 6 per cont.. 100 108 110 IN.B.Gov. p.o. a.&J ul) 100 102 104 Do. 6p. c.Ap. & Oot. 100 N. S.W. Gov. 5 p z., 18,4 100 99 100 Du. sp. c.,18‘ ato 100 99 100 100 —• Do. d0.,1888 &upwds 100 991 1001 1001 New Zealand 6 p cent. 100 107 109 • Nova Scotia Gov. 6p. c. sterling, 1875 lOO 103 105 'lolf Queensland Gcv. Bp. c lOO 108 110 8. Aus G6p.c.11378.&up lOO 108 110 —via Gov. 8 p.c. Ja.&,July 100 104 106 Do. to h o.n. haLizOot.. 100 110 111 1101 BRITISH MINES. 2 Ol!.mbrian Consol. Gold 1 ' Id k. ;litlord Amalgamated 355 365 Devon G. Con..(Tavist., 1 576 685 East Bassett (Illogan) 30 63 65 1 East Clogau (fold Ltd 52. Id par East Caradon ...... 9..14.0 27 28 East Carn Brea.... . . 3.4.0 7/ 85 n E. W'l Hassel (Tavistk.) 8.9.0 5 5.y Gam.dzSt.Aubyn(Gwen.; Ail 8 10 Great south Tolg;us 17s 45 4} G. Wheal Vor (Heston 40 14 15 Grenville 6.16.1 46 5 emd's-Foot 8.12 87 39 11 ingston Downs 4.,8.0 3 31 Lady Bertha Margaret (tJny Lelant eA 14 16 Marke Valley. 4 Myndy Iron Ore (Lim ) 25 15 f d New Setun l9f 90 100 • North Downs <s 15 2 N.Wh'i Basset(lllo4an, 3.1.0 21 3 North Wheal Crotty Oar Consols (st. Blaze) , ; Orovidenoe (Uny Lel nt.) 10.6.7 43 45 Southearadon(St.Cleer; 15 425 135 S. Cam Brea (Illogan).. ti'. Wheal Fran. (Illop,;au 18.18.9 60 65 Stray Park 30.17.6 25 30 6 ramarSilv..t Lead Min 41 Lin Croit 9 185 19 • %Vest Basset (Illogan) l6 11 12 W Cf radon (Liskeard) 5 20 21 West Seto: Wheal Basset (Illogan) 54 85 90 Wheal Buller (Itedrutb) 5 20 25 Wheal Kitty (U.Lelaut) 2.0.6 WhealLudcott Wheal Mary Ann (Men ) 8 12 125 Wheal 3eton . 585 150 160 Wheal Trelawney (Lis.) 7 t 21 22 Wheal Union 3.17 3 35 PREFERENCE SHARES AND STOCKS. London, Chatham, ac., Metrop. Ext., B, 6 per cent.. 1041 LINES LEASED Al' FIXED RENTALS. Lancaster and Carlisle, 215 1 London and Chatham, 41 per Cent., 911 Ditto, Com. Fund stook. 6 per cent., 101 • FOREIGN RAILWAYS. Bahia and San Francisco (11m.) gua. 7 per cent., 181 Great Luxembourg, 11i Sambre and Meuse, 81 San Paulo (lim.), gua. 7 per cent., Ditto (ad), 21 South Austrian and Lombardo Venetian, 20) I FOREIGN MINES. Cape Copper, Um., 76 Cobre Copper, 34 Port Philip, 11 f United Mexican (lim), 5; JOINT-STOCK BANKS. Alliance Bank of Lon am and Liverpool (lim.), 46 Australasia. 78 Bank of London. 155; Bank of Queensland (lim), 15 City. Ditto, new, 59 Consolidated Bank, lim., 10; Imperial Ottoman, i7i f London and Brazilian dim.% 54 5 London and County, 60 60 1 London and Westminster, 82 1i Metrop. and Prov. Bank (lim.), 231 National Provincial of England. Ditto, ditto, 38i New South Wales, 52} Scinde, Punjaub, and Delhi (lira.% 6; it DOCKS. St. Katharine, 71 MISCELLANEOUS. British Iron, 8 Ceylon Company, 10 I Crystal Palace, .21 Discount Corporation, limited, 111 E ,glish and Australian Copper, 21 Joint stock Discount, Ditto, new, 7 London General Omnibus Company, 2/ 1 London Finamial Association. lha, 24/ 1 .11adras Irrigation and Canal, 31 National Discount Comp my, lim., 101 National Steam Navigation, lim., 21 t Peninsula and Oriental Steam, 79 Ditto, new, 481 Royal Mail :item. 80 Univereal3larine (lim.) Insurance, 51 THE ST. HELEN'S TRAGEDY.—The alleged mur derer, James Clitheroe, still lies at the police station on the bed the awful deed was committed upon, and the surgeon in attendance has now good hopes of his recovery. The man himself is anxious to survive. He converses freely with the constables and with his wife, who occa sionally visits him. He still adheres to the mutual suicide story, and in his allusion to the crime speaks of it as a piece of romatt ic foolery. The wound has a healthy look, and his only complaint is that his neck teels very sore,--- , Drerpool Mercury. THh SUN. LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 6, 1864. Admission of Roman Catholic Priests as Chaplains into Prisons. Two subjects of great importance and interest to Berkshire came on for discussion at the Epiphany Sessions, held in the Assize Courts at Reading, on Monday last, and drew together one of the largest gatherings of magistracy that has been observed in the county for many years previously. The first had reference to the appointment of a Roman Catho lic chaplain under the provisions of the Prison Ministers Act of 1863, and the other to the removal of the Trinity and Michaelmas Sessions from the town of Abingdon to Reading, thereby transferring all the business of the county from the former to the latter town, on the ground of general convenience and economy to the county funds. Mr. Benyon, M.P., presided, and there were in court among the magistrates :—The Earl of Abingdon (Lord Lieu tenant of the county),Lord Overstone, Lord Norreys, the Right Hon. J. R. Mowbray, M.P., the Hon. P. P. Bouverie, M.P., Sir W. G. Hayter, M.P., Mr. Walter, M.P., Sir G. Bowyer, M.P., Sir F. Gold amid, M.P., Mr. Darby Griffith, M.P., Mr. J. T. Norris, M.P., Mr. S. Beale, M.P., the Hon. J. W. Barrington, Sir Paul Hunter, Sir Warwick Mors head, Colonel Loyd Lindsay, Major Court, Captain Seymour, Mr. Merry, Mr. Tucker, Mr. Bros, Mr. T. L. Goodlake, Mr. Wheble, Mr. Crutchley, Mr. Hibbert, &c. Mr. MERRY, the senior visiting magistrate of Reading Gaol, read the report of himself and col leagues of that prison for the past quarter; and the portion relating to a Roman Catholic chaplain was as follows : "We feel it incumbent upon us to notice the circular of the Rev. Canon Ringrose which has been sent to us, in common with the magistracy of the county, because the court has a claim on their visiting justices for any informa tion in their power to afford on matters connected with pri son rule. Mr. Ringrose's application to us, under 26th and 27th Victoria, chap. 79, had reference only to the second paragraph of section 3, which directs as follows : • •• • The visiting justices of any prison may, if they think fit, without a special request being made by, but not against the will of, any prisoner of a religious persuasion differing from that of the Established Church, permit a minister of the church or persuasion to which such prisoner belongs, to visit such prisoner under such restrictions imposed by them as may guard against the introduction of improper persons and improper communications, provided that any prisoner shall, on request, be allowed to attend the chapel, or be visited by the chaplain of the gaol.' The above section, it will be seen, leaves the ques tion of admitting strangers entirely at the discre. tion of the visiting justices, and we accordingly gave that question the grave consideration due to a pub lic principle. Mr. Ringrose, in contending for ' free dom of conscience,' applies a just argument, which must not, however, be exclusively limited to his own position as a Roman Catholic. The act re quired us to consider the like claims of every mini ster of every persuasion differing from the Church of England, and we could not, consistently with the equal justice due to all, comply with his re quest. It is just wtthin the compass of a prisoner's cunning and ingenuity to declare himself of any persuasion that would afford him occasional relief by out-door visitors from the punishment of the separate cell. To exclude the ' improper com munications' contemplated by the Act, if not the ' improper persons,' would be impracticabie, even if the supervision of a largely increased number of wardens were provided. Safe custody would be endangered, and the discipline of the gaol rendered nugatory. The opinion we have expressed to Mr. Ringrose remains therefore unaltered. The court is not responsible for that opinion. All we could do consistently with the prudence resulting from experience has been done. Prisoners are made aware of their option, and if they decline the ministration of Mr. Ringrose the Act is clearly against coercion, whether actual or virtual. But as that gentleman now applies to be recognised as ' chaplain,' with contingent remuneration, it is for the court to decide not the visiting justices. The Act provides for no such appointment as chaplain. The first paragraph of section 3 directs that where the number of pri soners belonging to some religious persuasion differ ing from the Church of England, is so great, as in the opinion of the justices, &0., to require the ministrations of a minister of their own church or persuasion, the said justices may appoint a minister of their own church or persuasion to attend at such prison, &0., and may award him a reasonable recompense out of the county rate.' As this section involves the question of numbers, it is our duty to inform the court that the average number of Roman Catholic prisoners annually has been about five, and of these a large propor tion have declined seeing Mr. Ringrose. It seems of some importance to remark that the fact of a prisoner not desiring to see a minister of any parti cular persuasion by no means infers that he is thereby isolated from religious or moral instruction. Ignorant as heathens, as some prisoners commonly are, as regards Christian motives and responsibility, there isa vast field for instruction, quite apart from doctrinal points, which the gaol chaplain, as the appointed officer of the county, can properly and - profitably inculcate. We recall, for example, the two excellent formularies of Christian precept, ' our duty towards God and our duty towards our neighbour.' If a man loved God with heart, mind, soul, and strength, and his neighbour as himself, doing unto all men as he won:el be done unto, kept his hands from picking and stealing, did not covet and desire other men's goods, but laboured truly to get his own living'—if this were learnt and laid to heart, by whomsoever taught, the cost and anxiety of repressing crime would be won derfully lightened, and we certainly need no extra neous ministration for this and similar instruc tion." Mr. MERRY then moved that the report be re ceived and adopted. Mr. GIBSON had given notice of the following motion : " That referring to the provisions of the Prison Minis ters' Act, 1863, this court doth resolve that the Rev. J. Ringrose, Roman Catholic priest, be permitted to visit such prisoners in the Reading gaol as shall bo registered under the 4th section of the said Act as Roman Catholics, with cuz, any special request being made by, but not against the will of any prisoner." Mr. T. L. GOODLAKE seconded the motion for the adoption of the report and contended that it was entirely in the discretion of the visiting justices to say " yes" or " no" to the demand or petition of Canon Ringrose. The visiting justices had delibe rately and advisedly rejected it, and stated their adherence to the resolution. He venturned to think that the relation of visiting justices to the court on this question was like that of Cabinet Ministers to Parliament. The court must support them or turn them out. (Laughter.) Looking at it for a moment on the semi-polemical side of the controversy, it occurred to him that there was no possible hardship in the case—there was not even the shadow of a pretence of hard Ship. On an average in a year there were only five Roman Catholic prisoners, and all could at any time time send for the Catholic priest, if they pleased, so that there was not much to complain of. He thought that the hardship was the other way if they enforced a pastor on an un willing people. He might be told that the prisoners would not send for the priest, and therefore they would be left without instruction. For his part, he thought that the discipline of the gaol was cal culated to convey more effectually lessons of refor mation than any lessons of dogmatic theology which they might receive. But the strongest objection to the appointment of a Roman Catholic chaplain was that if they did so they must on every ground of equity and justice admit ministers of other denominations. (Hear, hear.) If this were done, judge of the emotions of his friend, Mr. Merry, on approaching his leingdom to see the effect of this synod of theological sages. (Laughter.) These were all rival sects, and every thing connected with them was progressive. The establishment had its chapel and chaplain, but how long would Canon Ringrose be content to remai❑ roheless and altarless ? (Laughter.) A Bethel tent must be erected in which he should conduct his forms of worship, and provision m ast be made for others ; so that " contusion worse confounded" would reward the justices for "straining at a gnat and swallowing a camel." (Laughter.) Mr. WALTER, M.P., said he thought the court was not quite aware of the difficulty in which Mr, Gibson's motion placed them. He he.d no hesitation in saying that he disapproved of the decieion of the visiting justices. That, however, was not the question they had to discuss; but what appeared to him was, that they could not make Mr. Gibson's motion harmonize with the Act of Parlia. ment. The third section of the act contemplated two distinct things. First, the appointment by the court if they saw fit, of a Roman Catholic chaplain, and the payment to him of a salary—that was if there was a sufficient number of Roman Catholic prisoners in the gaol to warrant such a course ; and the second part of that section enabled the visiting justices, if they thought fit, without a special request being made by, but not against the will of, any prisoner differing from the Established Church, to permit a minister of the church or persuasion to which such prisoner belonged to visit him at proper and reasonable times. It appeared to him (Mr. Wal ter) that Mr. Gibson's motion, of which he had given notice), did not come within the scope of that Act. At the same time he felt bound to say that he differed from the visiting justices. As far as he read the Act, it did not appear to him t hat the Court had any power to interfere with the visiting justices in this matter. The Court had no power but to express an opinion, which, if it was as he felt, would be one of regret that the visiting justices had not complied with the request of Canon Ringrose. Whether the Court had any power to discharge the visiting justices he knew not— (laughterj—but at all events they had a right to give expeession to their opinion on the matter. He (Mr. Walter) had a decided opinion on the subject, probably in a different direction from that of Mr. Merry, as he was satisfied that the court had no power to interfere with the discretion of the visit ing justices. The court had power to appoint and pay a Roman Catholic chaplain, but did not possess the power to interfere with the visiting justices when the Roman Catholic priest was not paid. (Hear, hear.) The Hon. P. P. BOUVERIE, M.P., thought Mr. Gibson's motiotimight be altered by the insertion of a few words to meet the Act of Parliament. Ile did not hesitate to express his wish that something should be done to meet the views of Canon Ringrese. The Right Hon. J. R. MOWBRAY, M.P., observed that the Act of Parliament vested a discretion in the visiting justices, but he thought it competent for the court to ex press an opinion upon any motion as to what they thought it discreet for the visiting justices to do. If the visiting justices did not act in accordance with the opinion of the court, then, at the next sessions, the court could appoint fresh visiting justices. He thought it was hardly intended, although the Act no doubt states it, that the whole discre tion should be thrown upon the visiting justices. It was a proper subject upon which the court should express an opinion ; but he must say that he concurred in the decision of the visiting justices, and on the reasons which led to that decision. While, however, what had been done in the past was what he approved, still it occurred to him whether for the future a different course might not be adopted. (Hear, hear.) Sir W. G. HATTER, M.P„ said, on looking at the Act of Parliament it struck him that the opinion which his hon. friend Mr. Walter had expressed as to the second branch of the third section was quite correct, and that the visiting justices were the only persons who could prevent a priest or minister of a different persuasion from that of the Estab lished Church to attend prisoners of such different persua sions in the gaol. But then he thought there was a way of obviating the difficulty. The first part of the third section stated that the court migbt appoint a Roman Catholic or other chaplain with or without a salary. Now, if any one were to move an amendment to Mr. Gibson's motion hav ing reference to the first portion of the section—that was, if instead of the motion made by Mr. Gibson it was proposal that Mr. Ringrose should be appointed chaplain, without a salary—the same effect would be produced, except that he would stand in the capacity of a chaplain instead of not holding an office of a specific character. It seemed to him desirable that the opinion of the court should be taken upon the matter. He was not prepared to move that amendment, although he would give his assent to it if it were moved by any magistrate. (Hear, hear.) Sir G. BOWYER, M.P., said he wished to know what was meant by adopting the report of the visiting justices. Did it mean that the Court concurred in everything stated in it ? The difficulty in the matter might be got over by a motion being made that the report be received only, and then it would be open for the Court to proceed with the considera tion of Mr. Gibson's motion. A discussion upon this point ensued, and it was ulti mately unanimously resolved that the report of the visiting justices of Reading Gaol be received and filed, anditnter ed with the orders of the sessions. Mr. R. GIBBON then brought forward the motion of which he had given notice, namely—" That, referring to the pro visions of the Prison Ministers Act, 1863, this Court re solves that the Rev. J. Ringrose, Roman Catholic priest, be permitted to visit such prisoners in Reading Gaol as shall be registered under the fourth section of the said Act as Roman Catholics, without any special request being made by, but not against the will of, nny prisoner." He said it was much to be regretted that the visiting justices should have refused permission to Canon Ringrose to attend upon the Roman Catholic prisoners. And he could not help thinking there was a little feeling in the matter ; for he recollected that immediately after the breaking up of the Court at the last Quarter Sessions at Abingdon, Mr. Merry met him and remarked, " Halloo, Sir, you have stolen a march upon us." From this he thought that Mr. Merry must hava fancied that he (Mr. Gibson) had done something underhand. If Mr. Merry entertained any such opinion, he (Mr. Gibson) desired to assure him that he must be greatly mistaken. On the Saturday previous to the sessions already alluded to he met Canon Ringrose at Reading, and he spoke to him on the subject of being permitted to visit Roman Catholic prisoners in the gaol. He certainly had no intention of doing anything that could in any way be con strued as "stealing a march" upon any one, neither had he any disposition to be a party to an act that could fairly be regarded as unfair or unreasonable. He knew that in the garrisons, both in England and in the colonies, Roman Catholic priests were admitted. As in garrisons, where there were many Roman Catholic soldiers, no danger was apps ehended nor difficulty experienced, he did not think that anything of the kind would be experienced where the prisoners there were only few in number. He therefore much regretted that the visiting justices of Reading Gaol, in the exercise of the discretion vested in them by the Act of Parliament, should have thought fit to deny Canon Ringrose the whirls. sion he sought. Nor did he regard it as fair towards their brother justices that they should have done so, several of whom were R o manCatholics,and the representatives of some of the most respectable families in the county. On the former occasion when Mr. Merry met him he said, " If we gran t this, we must do so to all sects of religion." Now, in refe ranee to this, he would observe that it was comparatively few Dissenters that were sent to gaol. He had been a magistrate in a neighbourhood where there were more than 3,000 Dis senters for above 20 years,and from that district he had not known a single Dissenter committed to gaol. He wanted to know, then, where could be the danger of admitting the ministry of a Dissenting persuasion ? (Hear, hear.) From the letter sent to Mr. Ringroseby the visiting justices he understood that it would be inconvenient to allow him to visit the gaol, because there had only been on an average five prisoners ; but he could not understand this, since there had been a difficulty in finding labour for the prisoners. He regretted extremely that it was solely in the power of the visiting justices to receive or reject Roman Catholic priests. This, ho conceived, was unsatisfactory, because it might so happen that three Roman Catholic magistrates might be appointed as visiting justices, and they would, of course, take care to have a chaplain for prisoners of that persuasion; but then, when t heir ter ms of offic e expire d, the y might be succeeded by gentlemen holding different views, and the arrangements made by their predecessors would probably be set aside. It was not right that things should be left in this way. Since it was clear that his motion could not be put to the vote, he trusted that some amendment might be proposed to effect the same object, and hoped that the visit ing justices would consider their duty to the Legislature and also towards Roman Catholics. Major COURT said it was of importance to the Roman Catholic prisoners in Reading Gaol that they should receive their religious impressions from those who were devoted to that purpose. He did not think it possible for a Roman Catholic priest to enter that gaol with any notion or im pression upon his mind to create what were called prose lytes, or to do anything else than inculcate those high Chris tian principles which were sccordant with the Protestant faith. He could not, instruct them in any other way than their own chaplain. lie (Major Court) regarded it as the positive duty of the Court, so far as lay in their power, to make provision for the entrance of Mr. Ringrose to in struct the Roman Catholic prisoners. He had known Mr. Ringrose for 30 years, and always observed in him every feeling and conduct of a perfect gentleman ; therefore he did not think it would at all endanger the discipline of the gaol to allow him to perform clerical duty for the benefit of those particular prisoners who were ready to receive in structions from him. Mr. TUCKER said he had no desire to interrupt a full and free discussion of this sort ; but, according to the version which had been given of the Act of Parliament, the motion could not be taken into consideration by the Court. The Act of Parliament did not give the Court power to do what the motion asked it to do, (Hear, hear.) That was as clear as possible from tie explanation of the .Act given by Mr. Walter. If Mr. Gibson had come before the Court and asked them to appoint a Roman Catholic chaplain, or any other chaplain, he would have been in perfect order, and it would have been competent for the Court to consider and determine the question; but he submitted that Mr. Gibson came and asked them to do what the Act of Parliament did not give them power to do. Ho regretted that they had to discuss a religious question of this sort, for, say what they would, they could not divest it of its religious aspect. (Hear, hear.) The Hon. P. P. BOUVERIE, M.P., said he agreed with Mr. Tucker that he did not think it possible for the Court to wry out Mr. Gibson's motion, but by the alteration of a few words they might give effect to the intentions of the Legislature. The reformation of the prisoner was the great object of prison discipline, and as it was found that many pri soners exempted themselves from attendance upon service on account of declaring themselves to be either Roman Ca tholics or members of other religious persuasions, this Act of Parliament was passed so that religious instruction might be provided for all such cases. He, therefore, was anxious that a chaplain for Roman Catholic prisoners should be pro vided— that he should be an officer of the county, properly paid, so that he might be subject to the regulations of the Court. He should propose the following amendment : "That, referring to the provisions of the Prison Ministers Act, 1863, this Court requests the visiting justices of Read ing Gaol to obtain the services of a priest of the Roman Catholic Church to visit any prisoners under their charge (who, by declaring themselves of that creed, exempt them selves from the visitation of the chaplain of the gaol), at such moderate salary as may be agreed upon by them, and to report what they may do thereupon to the Court from time to time." The hen. gentleman was here reminded that the amend ment could not be put, because, involving an expenditure of money, it was necessary that not . ce should be given. Upon this some of the gentlemen conferrred together to modify the amendment, during which time Mr. WALTER, M.P., rose and said it was much to be re gretted that the gentlemen who concurred in this matter had not met to determine the form in which to put a propo sition to the Court so that it could be adopted. He listened to the amendment of his hon. friend (Mr. Bouverie), and it appeared to him to be open to the objection of the original resolution, because it was drawn up under a misapprehen sion of the Act of Parliament. The Act had two objects. No doubt it was the intention of the Legislature to empower county justices to appoint Roman Catholic chaplains and to pay them in certain localities. He (Mr. Walter) took part in the discussion in the House on the Bill, and paid great attention to the whole matter, so that he felt satisfied ho was correct when he stated that the first clause of the third section had reference particularly to Lancashire, Liverpool, and places of that kind, where there were large numbers of Roman Catholic prisoners. In those places it was intended that the county justices, if they thought fit, appoint Roman Catholic chaplains and pay them. But that was not the whole of the Act. The second part of the third section had a totally distinct purpose—that, where the Court of Quarter Sessions did not exercise the power of appointing a Roman Catholic chaplain, visiting justices should have the power of relaxing the rules of the prison so as to admit Ro man Catholic priests or other ministers, and thereby com ply with the Act. He wished to state to the Court his strong opinion upon this subject. If it had been proposed by Mr. Gibson, or any other magistrate, that this Court should ap point a Roman Catholic chaplain and pay him a salary, he should have opposed it. He did not think that this county was one contemplated by the Act of Parliament for the appointment and payment of a Roman Catholic chaplain. There was not a large number of prisoners here, and there. fore he did not think that the first part of the act applied. But the second portion of the clause was to meet the cir cumstances of a county like this. The Roman Catholic pri soners were few in number, and the Roman Catholic priest should have the right or privilege of visiting such, subject to the regulations laid down, and prcvided that no objection was made to it by the prisoner. That he took to be the meaning of the act, and, with the view of carrying out its meaning, he had framed an amendment, vit. : " It is the opinion of this Court that the visiting justices would do well to carry out the provisions of the Prison Ministers' Act contained in the second part of the third sec tion of the act." He submitted this amendment because, while, on the one hand, the Court only had the power of appointing and paying a Roman Catholic chaplain, they had no power to enforce visiting justices to make any such arrangement. He was therefore anxious to collect the opinion of the Court as to whether the visiting justices had done wisely in refusing Mr. Ringrose the permission asked for. When he listened to Mr. Merry's string of objections as to the difficulties, impossibilities, confusion, trouble, and want of discipline that would arise supposing they attempted to carry out this act, it struck him that they were very much the same sort of objections they would hear if we were at • tempting to obtainjustice for Protestant prisoners in Roman Catholic prisons in Spain. They would not hear a word about conscience or matters of that sort. But he believed that there was no difficulty in the matter. He believed that the half dozen Roman Catholic prisoners in Reading gaol could be visited by Mr, Ringrose (providing that they did not object) without any breach of prison discipline whatever—(hear) ; and if there happened to be any prisoners of the Wesleyan, Baptist, Independent, or Jewish persuasion, the same pro vision should be made, and there should be no difficulty in carrying out this Act of Parliament. He would undertake, if he were a visiting justice, to carry out the law without giving to Mr. Ringrose. or any other minister, any undue license. (Hear.) He was as anxious as any one to main tain prison discipline, and he cltd not see that it would in any way be affected by giving effect to the new law. His object in proposing this amendment was to collect the sense of the Court as to the expediency, or otherwise of carrying out that modified or limited provision in the second part of the third section of the Act, believing it to be their duty to promote every means for the religious instruction of the pri- soners. Sir GEORGE BOWYER, M.P., said—ln the course of the discussion this had been spoken of as a religious ques tion. He denied that it was a religious question. It cer tainly was not so. Mr. Goodlake had used the word polemical, but it had nothing to do with polemics ; it had nothing to do with theology. The Legislature in passing that Act was not actuated by any sectarian or religious motive whatever, The Act was passed on general public grounds. It was an Act for the improvement of discipline in the gaols of the country, and for securing to prisoners in those gaols who did not belong to the Established Church that instruction and religious assistance according to their own persuasion, without which it was utterly vain to expect any amendment in those prisoners. That was the object of the Act, and he hoped that no one would after this say that it had anything to do with a religious question. He under stood that the chief objection of Mr. Merry to any proposi tion of this sort was that if they appointed a Roman Catholic chaplain they must do the same with regard to prisoners of other persuasions differing from the Established Church. In answer to this he would say that he did not ask the Court to give to prisoners of his own religious persuasion that which he was not willing should be given to prisoners of other persuasions. (Hear, hear.) But he must mention this circumstance to the Court, which had not been suffi ciently considered. It was that the Roman Catholics were placed in a very peculiar position with reference to this question. He believed he was correct in saying that there was scarcely any instance of a Dissenter objecting to the ministrations of the Established Church. The Established Church was Protestant : they were Protestant, and they did not object to the ministrations of that Church. But with regard to Roman Catholics the case was different. They did object to receiving the ministration of any persons except they were priests in the Roman Catholic Church. Such was the doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church, and one reason was no one but a priest could administer those sacraments according to the tenets of Roman Catholics that were absolutely essential. Therefore, as a matter of fact, the Roman Catholics were placed in a different posi tion from Dissenters. Yes, Dissenters might receive the ministrations of the gaol chaplain, but Roman Catholics could not receive those ministrations in a reli gious sense without violating their duty to their Church. In Ireland the principle of having different chap lains was carried out without any difficulty, and he could not understand why the same should not be done in this country. (Hear, hear.) And then with regard to the fact of Roman Catholic prisoners hers being only about five annually, he did not understand why that should make any difference. Why should those five be placed under more disadvantageous circumstances than 50 or 500? The rights of five were the same as 50 ; they had the same right to the ministrations of their own clergy, and if they wanted to do them real good they could only do it through the religious instruction and appliances given them by the ministrations of their own religion. The policy of the law was not to neglect the reformation of prisoners because they were few. If only five their reformation was as much the object of the law, and the Legislature intended them to be taken as much care of as if they were 500. The question of numbers was only to be taken into consideration when the payment of salary had to be determined. (Hear, hear.) On that morning he had a conversation with Canon Ringrose, and he stated that salary to him was perfectly immaterial, and he was quite willing to give his ministrations without any salary. He could not help remarking that it had been said in the House of Commons and other places that the Roman Catholic clergy had a secondary object in view in getting admission into gaols. Everybody was not so fond of being in a gaol, or of a gaol, as Mr. Merry. (Laughter.) Most people considered it anything but an agreeable thing to have to go to a gaol. The Catholic clergy could have no objeot in going but to do their duty. It was a painful duty, and they were only anxious to do it. As for proselytizing, it was perfectly absurd. How could they do it I Look at Reading Gaol, and they saw it was a place of separate confinement. The priest had given to him a list of the names of the prisoners belonging to his church ; he goes into their cells and sees them separately, and then goes away. How could that be proselytizing ? It was a most absurd thing to mention. He was quite certain there could be no difficulty whatever in the visiting justices so regulating the visits of Mr. Ringros to prisoners of his persuasion that no inconvenience to prisoners could occur, no improper communications could take place, and no im proper persons could get into the gaol. Ho hoped that the Court would agree to the amendment of the hon. gentleman, Mr. Walter. Mr. MERRY, a visiting justice, said he should be glad to save the time of the court and to clear away a vast quantity of misapprehension. The Rev. Canon Ringrose was a gen tleman whom they had met on the most respectful terms, and they had told him that they would inform all Roman Catholic prisoners he would attend if they desired him. Mr. Ringrose had not been denied access to prisoners when they had requested to see him. A suggestion was made that the discussion was proceed.. ing while the amendment had not been seconded. As it was found that Mr. Gibson's motion was illegal it was ruled that Mr. Walter's amendment should became a substantive motion. Lord OVERSTONE rose and said he would avail himself of the opportunity of seconding the motion of the hon. gentleman, Mr. Walter. He was sure that the Court would be glad to come to a speedy decision on the question. The hon. baronet (Sir G. Bowyer) who had addressed the Cowl, stated that this was not a religious question. Upon that point, and that point alone, must he disagree with him. He (Lord Overstone) looked upon this question as religious, and exclusively religious. (Hear, hear.) He felt himself jus tified in seconding the motion of Mr. Walter, because he l was perfectly convinced that that motion was strictly in accord. ance with the act of Parliament, whether they looked to the strict letter of the act, or went further and looked at the intention of the act. (Hear, hear.) The act of Parliament opened first of all with a liberal intention, and gave to jus tices in quarter sessions the power, if they thought proper, of appointing a Roman Catholic priest to attend the gaol, clearly showing by that provision that they recognised the sacred doctrine of religious instruction in this country being earried to every person as far as possible, and in that form of instruction that would be most accessible to him. (Hear, hear.) But, failing the appointment of a Roman Catholic chaplain, would be a measure too strong for the conditio n of things in most parts of the kingdom—the acts proceeds to give permissive powers to the visiting justices, and the clause of the act was specially appropriate to the condition of Berkshire. The act says--" The visiting justices of any prison mAy, if they think fit, without a special request being made by, but nct against, the will of any prisoner of a church or religious persuasion differing from that of the Established Church, permit a minister of the church or persuasion to which such prisoner belongs (if no appointment has been made under this Act) to visit such prisoner at proper and reasonable times," &c. That was the proposal which his hon. friend, Mr. Walter, had submitted to the Court. It appeared to him that this proposition was strictly in ac cordance with the letter of the Act. It was impossible to look at the two provisions of the Act without seeing the obvious intention of the Legislature. The great and clear principle which the Legislature intended to realise was that religious, instruction in this country should have every facility given to it to reach the parties in the form in which that instruction was most accessible to them, and was most likely to produce its great and holy results. (Hear, hear.) That was the great principle which the Parliament declared —they carried it by the voice of the country, and it was upon that principle the Quarter Sessions were called to act. Would they give their sanction and concurrence in aid of the intention of Parliament on this great and important subject? He felt so strongly upon it that were he a visit ing justice and a proposal of this kind came before him he should tremble in his conscience if he offered any impedi ment to facilitating the intentions of Parliament. He put it, then, to the justices solemnly assembled in Quarter Ses sions, with. this Act, recently passed, before them, that they were called upon to express an opinion—not offen sively to the visiting justices--that they did concur in this Act of the Legislature ; that, even if they had to contend with some difficulties, they should not be deterred in conveying instruction to prisoners in that form which they might reasonably hope would produce good results. (Hear, hear.) That was the question, then, before the Court, and he entertained no doubt as to the decision they would come to. Mr. NIERRY said it was an extraordinary thing that so much should have been said when everything which Mr. Walter proposed was actually done in the gaol at the pre sent moment. Gentlemen seemed to have run away with the idea that access to Roman Catholic prisoners was for bidden to Canon Ringrose. So far from that being the fact, every facility was given to him. The prisoners, when ascer tained to be Catholics, were informed that Mr. Ringrose would attend upon them if they wished, and when they gave their assent to it that gentleman was sent for. All that Mr. Walter asked for was being done at the present time. Mr. WALTER said Mr. Merry was under a misapprehen sion on the subject. The old law, as he understood, en powered visiting justices to permit Roman Catholic priests or any ether ministers, at the request of a prisoner, to visit a gaol; but the new law enabled visiting justices, without a special request being made by a prisoner, to permitßoman Catholic priests or any other ministers to visit the gaol. Mr. MERRY—But then the Roman Catholic priest, or any other minister could not visit any prisoner against the will of such prisoner. That was the point. Tnere must be first the consent of the prisoner before and Roman Catholic priest could be admitted to the gaol. The visiting justices were careful to make known the Act cif Parliament to the prisoners, and every facility was afforded them to see the ministers of their own religious persuasion. (Hear, hear.) Sir WARWICK MORSHEAD, a visiting jastice, remarked that exactly what Mr. Walter stated was being carried out in the gaol. Mr. MERRY said the motion was perfectly harmless, and he had no objection to it. The CHAIRMAN read the motion—" It is the opinion of this Court that the visiting justices of Reading Gaol would do well to carry out the provisions of the Prison Ministers Act contained in the ascond part of the third section of that Act," and on putting it to the Court it was carried nem. con. A. motion was afterwards submitted by Mr. Merry that the Trinity and Michaelmas Sessions, hitherto held at Abingdon, should in future take place at Reading. A long discussion ensued, and the motion was strongly opposed by Sir G. Bowyer, M.P., Mr. Norris, M.P., and other magis trates; but on a division it was carried by a majority of 27 to 19, so that all the Quarter Sessions will hereafter be held in the new Assize Courts at Reading. Disgraceful Scenes in a Church. The St. Augustine petty session on Saturday was occupied nearly two hours (says the Kentish Gazette) in the investigation of two charges of assault alleged to have been committed in Seasalter Church on Sunday, the 27th ult. In the first case George Hayward, jun., ropemaker, was charged with assaulting George How, grocer, and in the second George How was charged with assaulting Miss Fanny Hayward, sister of the defendant in the first case. Mr. Allen Fielding appeared for the defendant in the first case, and for the complainant in the second. The assaults arose out of the dis puted right to certain seats in one of the pews in the parish church of Seasalter. Mr. How deposed that he went to church on Sunday morning, the 27th ult., but was prevented by the defendant George Hay ward from going into a pew in which he claimed two seats. As he attempted to enter the pew, which was then occupied by Hayward and two ladies, the defendant pushed him back several times, and on one occasion pushed him nearly down. This con stituted the assault complained .of. Mr. Fielding, on behalf of the defendant, contended that Mr. How had no right to the pew, the seats in which belonged to the Hayward family, and that no assault had been committed. The alleged pushing was denied, but the defendant admitted that he prevented Mr. How from entering the pew. Mr. Nichols, churchwarden, was called, and deposed that two seats in the pew in question had been allot e d t o Mr. How, and that the remaining three only belonged to the Hay ward family. The magistrates held that an assault had been committed, inasmuch as the defendant had, by his own admission, prevented the com plainant going where he had a right to go. They therefore fined the defendant Is. and 14i. costs. The case of the alleged assault by Mr. How on Miss Hayward was then proceeded with. It appeared that in the evening Mr. How, accompanied by his wife, again attended church. On entering he found the pew occupied by Mr. George Hayward, Miss Fanny Hayward, the complainant, and two other ladies. Mrs. How was permitted to go into the pew and take the seat furthest from the door, but Mr. -Hayward prevented Mr. How from accompanying her. Mr. How then went into an adjoining pew, jumped over the partition to join his wife, and, as was alleged, sat himself down on the knees of the complainant, who was next to his wife. He con tinued to sit on Miss Hayward's knees for five or six minutes, though repeatedly r?quested by her to get up. This constituted the alleged assault, and the circumstance was distinctly sworn to by the complainant and another young lady who was in the pew at the time. The defendant denied sitting down in Miss Hayward's lap. He said there was plenty of room for six in the pew, and that he only sat down between his wife and Miss Hayward. In doing so he might, perhaps, have sat on Miss Hay ward's dress, but nothing more. The magistrates deliberated a few moments, after which Mr. Delmar said they were unanimously of opinion that an assault had been committed. It was very ungallant as well as very unseemly to sit down in a lady's lap, at any rate without her consent, and the magistrates would fine him 10s., and 12s costs. Mr. How wished to say that the occurrence in the evening would not have happened if it had not been for what took place in the morning. PRESERVATION OF CORN.—An experiment was lately made in Paris for the preservation of corn from fermentation and the attack of insects by enclosing it in a metal vessel and exhausting the air. The experiment was made in the presence of numerous persons, and is said to have succeeded perfectly. Ten hectolitres of wheat were placed in a metal vessel, and the air was exhausted. The vessel was opened after 15 days, and the weevils, which were seen quite lively when the wheat was placed in the vessel, haol quitted their cells and were dead. They were warmed, but did not stir. Being placed on white paper, they were crushed and reduced to powder without leaving any stain on the paper. From various experiments made on wheat under glass, it was found that the weevil retains life longer than any other insect when deprived of air. SECOND EDITIO bUN OFFICE, HAI F-PAST 4 O'CLOCK. SCHLESWIG-H OLSTEIN. The Ostdeustsche Post publishes a letter from Paris, stating that the Danish complications have drawn France and England closer together, and that the Emperor is averse to allowing the Duchies to be wrested from Denmark for the purpose of being incorporated in the Germanic Confederation. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT•—This Day, OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Baron Martin.) CHARGE OF MANSLAUGHTER.. A married woman named Waterfield, residing in Union street, Maryiebone, surrendered to an indictment charging her with causing the death of her husband. The parties, it appeared, had a violent quarrel, and eventually blows were struck ; when, it was 611eged, the defendant struck the deceased with an iron bar. The jury returned a verdict of not guilty. NEW COURT. (Before Mr. Justice Mellor ) Ellen Keefe was indicted for manslt.ughter. The death of the deceased man, it was alleged, was caused by a blow from a pair of tongs administered by the prisoner. The jury found her guilty, but strongly recommended her to mercy. The learned judge sentenced her to two months' impri sonment. POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. GENTLEMEN CHARGED WITH DISORDERLY CO.NDUCT —ASSAULTING THE POLICE.—TWO gentlemen, named John!Buck and[George Thomas, both residing at Shooter's hill, Woolwich, were charged before Mr. Pyrwhitt with being drunk and creating a disturbance in Piccadilly, and Buck was further charged with assaulting Sergeant Henry Atwell Allen 20 C, Henry Hyatt, night constable of Burlington Arcade, said the two defendants came to the Piccadilly end of the Bur lington Arcade, yesterday evening about half-past eighti, the gates at the time being closed, and his orders being not to let any persons in after eight o'clock except the inhabitnats The defendants, who were ,very fresh and riotous, tried to force their way into the arcade, notwithstanding ha told them they would not be permitted to enter, and that drunken persons were not permitted to enter at any time. As they caused a large crowd to assemble, and were very unruly, evidently being out for an evening's spree, he sent fur a constable and gave them in charge. He had been the constable for eight years, and it was the first job he had brought to the court, though he had often had to threaten young gentlemen. (Laughter,) Sergeant Henry Allen, 2) C, said on going to the arcade he found the two defendants there, both of them in a state of intoxication. The last witness wanted to keep them from entering the arcade, but they persisted in trying to do so and refused to leave. After same persuasion he (the ser geant) got them to leave, and they went a short distance and got up a crowd, Buck saying he would not leave the place, but would be locked up ; and on taking him into cus tody, finding all persuasion useless, he became very violent and struck him (the sergeant) in the face, and took hold of him by both thighs and tried to throw him over his head, and all the way to the station was very violent. Hyatt said that Thomas tiled to persuade Buck to leave. Buck said he did not think it was so late. He wanted to see his bootmaker, and he was pushed violently, as he • thought. Mr. Tyrwhitt fined Buck 40s. or a month, and discharged Thomas, at the same time stating that the inhabitants had a perfect right to shut up the arcade even in the middle of the day if they thought proper, and if they did not close it at night they would have all sorts of persons there. THE WEATHER AND THE PARKS, Tho frost still continues, and, judging from the state of the glass, is likely to last for some time longer. During Monday night the thermometer registered 28 deg., showing 4 deg. of frost. At nine o'clock yesterday morning the mercury did not rise beyond 29 deg., and even at noon it was only 30 deg., showing that the frost was still continuing. The various parks were largely patronised. In St. James's-park 1,500 persons disported themselves upon the ice, and several became immersed, but were rescued with- out injury. In the Regent's-park there were about 6,000 skaters and sliders, although the ice was only two inches in thickness. Under Deputy-superintendent Parsons the endangered persons were rescued, and they were attended tol by Mr. Norton, the society's surgeon. About five o'clock not fewer than six persons were floundering in the water at one time, but they were happily speedtty rescued. Mr. Young, tho secretary, and Mr. Williams, the superintendent, were pre sent and gave instructions to the icemen in each park as to the treatment of the immersed. The Long Water in Ken sington-gardens had about 2,000 skaters and sliders, but only two boys fell into the water. They were attended to by,Mr. Williams, of the receiving louse. LONDON GAZETTE—Last Evening. WHITEHALL, JAN. 4. The Queen has been pleased to present the Rev. Ashby Blair Haslewood, li.A., to the vicarage of Saint Michael, in the City of Coventry and diocese of Worcester, void by the resignation of the Rev. Sidney Henry Widdrington. ADMIRALTY, J Ax. 4. NAVAL INIGHTS OF 'WINDSOR. The Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty do hereby give notice to such Lieutenants in her Majesty's Navy as are desirous of being recommended for the appointment of Naval Knights of Windsor, under the will of the late Samuel Travers, Esq., teat they must apply at this cffice on or be fore Wednesday, the 6th of April next, when they will be informed of the nature of the certificates and testimonials which are required, to show that they come within the meaning of said will, which expresses that they " are to be superannuated or disabled lieutenants of English men-of war," and shall be single men, without children, inclined to lead a virtuous, studLus, and devout life, to be removed if they give occasion for scandal. Lieutenants who may be appointed Naval Knights of Windsor are allowed to hold the rank of Retired Commander, in the event of its coming to their turn by seniority. BANKRUPTS The following are the only bankrupts of commercial im portance in the Gazette : Robert Cranston, timber merchant, Gateshead Howard Wrigley, gas manufacturer, Hyde Alfred Spark, jeweller, Lealenhall•street, City Richard Hurtord, tailor, Camden-town Heinrich Jacob Lange, manufacturer, Aldgate Samuel Perry, cowkeeper, Soho James Burns, fishmonger, S , iford Wm. Talbot, boot maker, Nottingham William Thornton, licensed victualler, Birmingham George Sworn, brewer, Wareham Thomas Haat, greengrocer, Spitalfield-market John M.`Alpin, commission agent, Barnsbury Edward Battersby, coal merchant, Coal Exchange Richard Haldor, publican, South Shields James King, coach maker, G-sport Joseph Symes, commercial traveller, Bradford Daniel May, publican, Lawrence-lane, City Andrew Paul. surgeon, Mecklenburgh - squ are S.'OTCH BANKRUPTS. W. and J. Muon, farmers, Dumfin, Luss George Anderson, ironmonger, Stonehaven James Douglas, draper, Linlithgow Thomas Coulter, merchant, Lochgilphead Thomas WilsoL, corn merchant, Edinburgh Course of the Exchange—Yesterday. inasterdam , Ditto 11 Kt Rotterdam A.utwerp .. 25 6 2 Brussels 25 621 H.amburgh l3 71 Paris • • - Ditto Nlarseilles Frankfort on Maine —119 h Vienna Trieste Petersburgh ..... 33i Berlin Madrid ... Cadiz 11 17 it 19 11 19 25 67k 25 671 13 8 25 30 25 75 25 75 119$ 12 55 12 5 5 33! 471 472 25 85' 48 48 '25 90 Leghorn ____ Milan — 25 85 '25 90 Genoa ,— 25 85 25 130 Naples Paler . 25 87k 25 96 Messina — 25 5y 871 25 9(1 Lisbon -- i 52 Oprto... - F or Gold in Bars (Standar4), per 0z.... £3 17 S 0 0 0 Mexican Dollars .........• :0 Silver in Bars (Standar d ) 0 5 1 I South American Do ublons S BIPPING—This Day. LONDON, Jan. 6.—Wind this day at noon—North ; moderato breeze, and fine weather, with severe frost. FALMOUTH, Jan. s.—Wind E.—Sailed—Oriental, for Gibraltar. CLYDE, Jan. 4.—Wind S.E.—Arrived—Camilla, from New York. PLYMOUTH, Jan. s.—Wind N . .BArrived — R oman, ecrew steamer, from Southlrupton tor t h e C eded Good (nY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPII.) Morning. GRAVESEND, Wednesday Arrived, Jan. s—Catherina and Eliza Johnson, fro m Gothenburg ; Magdalena Sophia, fro from 13oul Aalborg. Pas, from Arrived, Jan. 6—Concordia, m ogne; Gothenburg, Ilope, DEAL, Wednesday Morning,. Passed—Thedosia, for Brigham ; Electra, for Grenada Victoria, for St• liitt'a.-011 from London.