The Sun. — London, England, 1854-03-27 00:00:00

COMPLAIN.! 'LEGE. The committee met on Thursday soon after 12 o'clock , The interest evinced as to the proceedings of this in. quiry appears to be greatly on the increase, for through out the day the room was completely crowded. The first witness called was Mr. Dillon Croker—He said, I have been for many years connected with the county of Cork. I was a ma gistrate of the county of Kerry. My son was a magi strate of the county of Cork. I was anxious, in 1851, to get an appointment as resident magistrate for my son. I applied to Lord Clarendon, who required testimonials. I wrote to my son in London to obtain testimonials. He was in London, and a person who knew he was seeking this appointment met him in the street. He was a brother to my agent. He told me he could put me in the way of getting a situation for my son if I could lodge a sum of 5001. in the bank by Saturday. I de clined. I was averse to the transaction, and was also unable to raise the money within the time. Mr. Thos. Lane was the name of the person. He said the party who could do the thing was a person in the city. He said that the money was not to be drawn from the bank until my son's name appeared in the Gazette. I have represented the conversation accurately. This occurred in June or July. lam ready to verify this statement on oath. Mr. T. Lane was then examined—l have not the slightest recollection of the conversation just declared to have taken place by Mr. Croker. I most unequivocally deny the statement of Mr. Croker. I never s had a con versation at all with Mr. Croker about a Government appointment, at any place, or at any time. lam pre pared to swear to the evidence I have just given. haomining pract i cesco mopnatnhye. To Mr. Keogh—l am secretary to w I am brother to Mr. Lane, Q.C., Munster circuit. By Mr. Butt—l cannot state that I never had any conver-ation with Mr. Croker as to the sale of a stipen diary magistracy, but I can positively say that I never asked a sum of money. To the best of my recollection, we never discussed the question about the purchase of an appointment. Such a conversation might have taken place, but as it is four years ago, it is very hard to re member a particular conversation. I will swear posi tively that I did not originate it, but I night possibly have followed it up. Mr. G. H. Moore, M.P., was then called to the wit ness chair. He stated that he had read Dr. Gray's evi dence, and had seen a report of a speech inserted in the Tablet attributed to him (Mr. Moore). The Chairman said it had been reported to this com mittee that he (Mr. Moore) could give some information on the subject of their inquiry. Mr. Moore said before stating anything, he wished to can the attention of the committee to a passage in the speech of Sir Robert Peel in the House of Commons on the abandonment of the appropriation clause by the Whig Government, It was as follows :—" What a pic ture the noble lord draws of his Irish allies when he says _ that the moment the personnel of the Government was changed their clamour on the subject abated." Lord John .Russell: "No, it was three years after wards." Sir R. Peel : "W€ll, it took the noble lord three years to make them cool. I appeal to any man whether it would have been decent for them to lose their heat at an earlier period. They were gradually exposed to the mild influence of office ; it is no imputation upon them whatever to say that under a Whig Government they got their fair share of official patronage ; and about two or three years afterwards their hostility to the Established Church abated, and they plainly told the noble lord they could give him no cordial support in an attempt to divest it of its revenues." In reference to these circumstances, as mentioned by Sir R. Peel, and in relation to the state of politics existing in Ireland at the time these circum stances occurred, I said at Ballina, on the 25th of Nov., 1851, " In consideration of this cry, you sent to Parlia ment the very refuse of your citizens—in consideration of this catcall you entrusted with the defence of your country and your faith men to whom you would have en trusted nothing else, and whom you knew went to Par liament for no purpose but to sell you, And what was the result ? Why, that you were sold, and sold at a price so base that the very misery of the traffic became more contemptible than its iniquity. I dare say many who hear me know the price at which Post-office and Custom-house appointments used to go. I do, at :ill events ; for I have been offered the money, and told that that was the or dinary market prices." The Chairman inquired if he could state any case in reference to those observations? Mr. Moore—Yes, and the circumstances were these. A young man came to me one day, and asked rue to get him a particular appointment in the Post Office that was at that time vacant. Seeing me hesitate, he said, "I aim ready to do the usual thing." I immediately replied-- " What do you mean by the usual thing ? " upon which he seemed surprised that I did not know what he meant, and said he was ready to give the first year's salary for it. As I did not accept his offer, he hoped, he said, that I was not offended, and I said " Certainly not, as I never took offence when none was intended ; but that after what he had said I could not think of recommend ing him for the appointment, even if I had the power of obtaining it." I have heard that there was a regular tariff for situations that had been mentioned by people to me, who said it was t h e usual thing, and were sur prised that I had not heard of it, as certain men were in the 'habit of selling appointments—and that there was a price paid as an equivalent for such transactions. I heard the statement generally made, and I have con versed in public with men of all parties, and I will ven ture to say that no man expressed his disbelief that amongst a certain portion of the Irish members that this practice has prevailed. The Chairman —When was this offer made ? Mr. Moore—l cannot very accurately ten • isist_l -csays-rs-asnentlek-s amendment to Lord Palmerston's mo tion (as was understood) on the affairs of Greece. The only appointment I ever received was one at Ballina, and by a strange coincidence it was soon after the only important vote I ever gave in favour of the government, against Mr. Roebuck's motion. The Chairman—Can you give the committee any clue that they may trace or get specific information that such practices prevailed 1 Mr. Moore—l can give no further information upon that point. I may, however, state that whe n I was fi rst returned to parlia men t I had hundreds of applications to me for situations. I told all of those who applied that it was of no use, and that I could not get them, as I was a vehement opponent of the Government. They said that my predecessors were equally vehement Repealers, and that they had got situations, and they further said they were sure I should get them if I applied. I accordingly wrote letters, stating th a t persons were appli can t s, b ut to only one did I obtain an answer. I had but one appointment sent for my dis posal, and that was for a situation at Ballina. To Mr. Bright—l had voted with the Government on the Greek question, and it was after that vote that the appointment was put in my hands. To Lord Barrington —I sent the appointment to Bal lina, telling them to select the fittest person, and I knew nothing of the person who was appointed, or have I ever seen him. Mr. Macartney, M.P., was called, and in reference to what was said by Mr. Butt on his appointment on the committee that he could speak to a dozen cases of corruption, said that was not to be taken literally, it meaning five or six, and when Mr. Butt said a dozen cases, it was only an Irish way of enlarging on all sub jects. (A laugh.) Mr. Bright, M.P. was called. The Chairman—Dr. Gray has stated in his evidence that the hon, member for Manchester could give us some information on the subject of our inquiry. Are you able to do so ? Mr. Bright —I can give the substance of a conversa tion in which a person stated a direct fact to me when I was in Ireland about two and a half years ago, and as he gave it as a matter that he knew on his own knowledge, he had a right to presume that the facts were correctly stated. I think it is a matter that it would be material for the committee to pursue to its conclusion. I was in Sligo in September, 1852, along with a friend of mine, an Irish gentleman, and in travelling we went up a short river to the sea at Sligo, and for that purpose we made us of a boat that is kept at the extreme end of the town by a shoemaker. The owner of the boat, and a man who worked for him in the capacity of boatman, pulled us up the river, and whilst going along, amongst other conversatio n , a goo d deal was said aout Sligo elec both tion and the representatives of Sligo, when the boatman and his man spoke of the sale of [ADVERTISEMZENT.I—TELESCOPES.—Iier Majesty's Panes being notorious there. They gave as an instance Royal Letters Patent, for valuable and extraordinary im- Lthat about 40 persons were going to the same place provements in the most powerful and brilliant Telescopes u te , Wean _were going on one occasion, and that 39 got to know the distances of objects viewed through them— liaraeranetro, fhoedllrtinh:tfo t one of them who was a member of Par- of great importance to the army and navy. Messrs. S. and the _the river. A man got him out, and B. Solomons, opticians, 39, Albemarle-street, Piccadilly. Jude to th e Parliament, as a testimony of his grab- Observe—opposite the York Hotel.—These telescopes pos sess such extraordinary powers that some, 3i inches, with firs that n ie for saving his life, promised him the ac cordingly sncul o d become vacant in the coast guard, an extra eye-piece , will show distinctly Jupiter's %son , It w as teof bat to him through Mr. Andrew Saturn's rin, and the double stea- viththe same m tele- Walker, scope can be seen a person's countenance three miles o 3o t it wa s al so stated to him the ne- and a half distant, and an object from 16 to 20 miles. cessity of his g iZ notl. or 40/. for the place. They They supersede every other kind for the waistcoat-pocket, said that the ro an been able to raise the money, and are of larger and all sizes, with increasing powers or had any of hie Mends ,h acind the place was given to accordingly.— The Royal Exhibition, 1851. -Small glass some one else, and i t presumed that that man or for the waistcoat-pocket. A valuable, newly-invented, very his friends had raised t r lo u money. I made a memoran- small, powerful waistcoat-pocket glass the size of a walnut, durn of the circurnet anoo abrupt 1 purposeher a re agetereemaker—story of Pat opera-houses, clearly seen at 12 to 14 miles. They are r rnvaluable lp f s or a shooting, deer- Somers ; sold his patron Bred boatmen a place in coast-guard for 301. or 401. • stalking, yachting, to sportsmen, gentlemen, gamekeepers, an other fo g r o h t .it through and tourists. Opera and race-course glasses, with wonderful Andrew Walker, who did the bu s i ness On ray return h im there— power; an object can be clearly seen from 10 to 12 miles ore places f or men . sales notorious—got "I in Sligo than distant. Newly-invented Spectacles ; immediately they any man ever did before.'' to Dublin on are placed before extremely imperfect vision, every that occasion, I mentioned that fact t o / Ar .L u h object becomes clear and distinct ; the most aged, de was coming in the boat from Kinestown ca s , w . . . to Efolyhead fective sight is brought to its youthful natural and • who had no doubt mentioned it to Dr, Gray. ' ginal state. Deafness—New Discovery— , The Or g a nic Mr, W. Dame--I am a solicitor, living in Dublin. °Wn s brator , ,an extraordinary powerful, small, newly-invented can give the committee no information a my instrument, for Deafness, entirely different from all others, sonal knowledge. I have been informed by a P " to surpass anything of the kind that has been, or pro man in Dublin that a member of Parliament had gellt bably ever can be, produced. Being of the same ceived money and bills for the purpose of selling an ap.. colour as the skin, is not perceptible ; it enables deaf pointment for a person under Government. A gentle- Person s to hear distinctly at church and at public as man s ; the unpleasant sensation of singing noises in who was at my house in Dublin told me that a the ears is entirel o y c:of re d m il ve d and . it . aff ords all the assiet situation was promised by a member of Parliament for niece that possibly Ile carlilly. Observe, opposite the York Hotel. wards the sum of 1,000/., but as it was not forthcoming the ekoA;voerezilvsesoars.J HOLLOWAY'S PILLS FOR THE bills were destroyed. A new negotiation was after wards opened, and a gentleman got an appointment in srosiAEß COMPLAINTS, INDIGESTION, AND DISOR the Excise, and was filling the office at the present time. DERRD Richard Haynes, of her Majesty's As soon as he obtained the appointment the g entleman Docky ar d oytnen u t ofyrnouth, for several years had not had passed a bond to a bank as a responsibility for ' bills to the enj a day's good health, constantly su ff ering the extent of 1,000/. from indigeasion and liver complaint. He had the best To ale. Butt —My i nformant was personally discon- medical advice frons both array and navy surgeons, but netted with the matter, and I should be sorry to own the disease yielded not to e'r treatment, and various any man a s my f r i en d w h o would b e mixed up w i t h suc h other remedies were tried with a like result. At last he transactio ns I think I have a letter in my possession began to use Holloway's pi lls ' and this fine medicine has that polfmhoisststomach and invigorat e e n would go far to establish the case against the mem • so strengthened the tone her of Parliament. A Mr. Lynch, living in Athlone, his constitution, that he is perfectly cured, an d - received a letter from a person who has the correspon- joys the best of health. —Sold Professor Holloway's Establishment,yali dence abut the transaction in his possession. lru 2 g 4 g 4 i:ts, s a t n r d an a d t , To Mr. Keogh_ We have met before, but you were London- PRI OF BREACH OF not then so calm as you are now. I know a Mr. Ed ward Walsh, an attorney, anal I met him while I have been here in the lobby. I niet Mr. Edward Lynch in Athlone, and all I know!of him is that he lives there. His father-in-law keeps the house that you attacked with a mob. I was told there that there was a traffick ing in Government patronage to secure your return. It was continually mentioned that patronage was used to secure your return. I cannot mention any one living man who told me that, as I did not know any persons in Athlone. I heard it stated there, but Ido not know it of my own knowledge. Mr. Butt here interposed, and the room was ordered to be cleared. On re-admission, Mr. Dame was recalled—ln_ answer to questions from Mr. Keogh he said—l received a letter from Mr. John Malone. Ido not know him or his character, and if he has the documents, and is mixed up with these corrupt transactions, I do not wish to know him. Ido not know his general character from rumour, as that would be a very unsafe ground to form an opinion upon. If I were, for instance, to judge of your character from general rumour, I might be doing you very great in justice. (A. laugh.) Malone wrote to Lynch, and that letter was forwarded to another person, but who that person is I will not tell, as I promised him that I would not, and as the mention of his name would do him great injury in his business. If you will have it, I will tell you what I did hear. I heard it spoken of you that you were so reckless that you in duced a gentleman to accept bills for you on the eve of your late contests for 1,0001. that you allowed those bills to be protested, and that you afterwards obtained for his son an appointment in the Excise. The name of the gentleman was Smith. The bills were protested ; and the books of the National Bank, if they were pro duced here, would show that fact. It was said that you had reduced the man to ruin, and had driven him out of the country to a foreign land. It was said that this gentleman was engaged in canvassing for you. The conversation arose in this way ; that it was strange that persons could be got to vote against Mr. Norton, and could be found to vote for you. You want to convey to the public that I desired to injure you, but it is not so, for I only pitied you. I cannot give the names of per sons who stated the conversations that I have spoken of. I cannot charge my memory with the names of the per sons who were present. Mr. Edward Johnstone was with me in Athlone ; but I do not know whether he was present at the conversation. Mr. Edward Lynch was with me at the hotel at the time you smashed the door. I state as distinctly as if on my oath that you headed the mob of 2,000, and that the landlady said it was you smashed the door. On that occasion I remember, in the presence of M r . H en d erson, putting my hand on your shoulder, telling you that it was a serious thing for a Solicitor-General to head a mob, and I told the police at the time to take cognisance of it. I have made allusion to this subject, but I have never said to any member that I was in possession of a document that would establish the charge against you. My im pression is I never stated this subject to a member of Parliament. I did say this, while I was just now in the lobby, seeing two or three members of Parliament stand ing about, that I thought it was very wrong for Mr. Keogh to subject roe to such a harrassing examination, for if he compelled me to answer such questions, some thing would come out that would not serve you. The witness having intimated that he thought he might have the letter in his possession in his portman teau (he having come to London on some private busi ness) he was requested to go to his hotel and search 'Or it. THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 27, 1854, ments from the territorial revenue, 1,8841. 12s. 4d. Total charge on the territorial revenue, 269,9461. ls. 2d. Total expenditure, 734,961/. 18s. 2d. These returns, as we formerly mentioned, are fifty-two in number. They are ably compiled ; they do credit to Mr. Archer, the acting registrar-general, and form a document of great value in illustrating the progress and history of this young nation. NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER MURRAY. A glance at the map o f th e south-eastern portion of Australia is sufficient to show the great importance of ascertaining the course and character of the rivers that water the inland plains. The colonies of New South Wales, Victoria, and South Australia line the seaboard. Behind them, or rather behind those parts of these colo nies that we can speak of as really occupied by civilised man, stretches a vast area of table-land, watered by numberless streams. These streams, some of which are in the summer nothing more than dried-up brooks, while others are deep and broad rivers, have in general a south westerly direction, and, the lesser feeding the greater, they all at length pour the volume of their united waters into the channel of the Murray. This river, which finds an exit into the sea through the Lake Alexandrina, in South Australia, is thus the highway of the water communication of our Australian colonies, and it may be considered a very important incident in their his tory that in the autumn of last year Sir Henry Young, the governor of South Australia, himself ascended in the Lady Augusta steamer to a point 1,500 miles from the mouth of the river. An account of his expedition, contained in two letters addressed to the Colonial Secretary, has re cently been laid on the table of the House of Commons ; and the narrative of his investigation suggests abundant matter for speculation on the future destinies of Aus tralia. The basin of the Murray and its tributaries gives to Australia what the valley of the Upper Mississippi gives to America—a field where the energies of the young country may be profitably absorbed for centuries. The portions of a colonial district that skirt the sea assume inevitably within a certain space of time something of the character of an old country. The land is all occupied, every advantageous situation is guarded by the jealousy of vested interests, all the resources of the country are appropriated to public or private uses, and it becomes as difficult, or nearly so, for rude ene rg y t o fi n d a vent as it is in England itself.! But if an unoccupied territory, rich in varied natural wealth, lies behind, and yet is con nected with the settled district by a network of great streams and rivers, the growth of the whole colony can not approach its limit under a period of time too great to estimate. And in Australia the Murray and its depend ent streams not only water a territory capable of sustain ing to an indefinite amount the surplus population of each of the Australian provinces, but supply a natural band by which the different provinces are linked toge ther. The remote sources of the Darling and Murrim bidgee may be traced to the great mountain chain of New South Wales, the Upper Murray flows through Victoria, and the Murray enters the sea in South Aus tralia. Nature seems thus to point to the formation of a great and expansive whole, andto give a warning and to provide a safeguard against the establishment of petty and disjointed societies. The Lady Augusta had on board about forty-five per sons, and the number was composed of men sufficiently different in birth, education, and local associations, to make the surv e y i m p ar t ia l , accurate, and serv iceable. And as they all agreed in bearing testimony to the capa bilities of the Murray, their opinions may perhaps be considered conclusive. There are three members of the Legislative Council of South Australia, two reporters of Adelaide newspapers, several persons acquainted with the river navigation of the United States and California, and others who had acquired experience in the rivers of Europe. The main result of their investigations is that the Murray Proper may be considered navigable from the Goolwa, where it enters the sea, to Albury—that is, for a space of 1,900 miles ; while the Murrimbidgee, from its junction with the Murray, has a navigable course of 700 miles to Gondagai, Albury is within 400 miles of Sydney, and the Loddon, a stream of some importance flowing into the Murray, will conduct the gold-digger within thirty miles of Bendigo. Thus the Murray offers a means of transport for the whole district to the con fines of New South Wales, and also a ready access to gold-fie ,ds--one that will hereafter be probably much preferred to the dangerous navigation of Bass's Straits and Port Philip Heads, and the tedious land journey from Melbourne. _ Sir Henry Young estimates that on the banks of the 1 Murray and its tributaries there cannot, even at the present time, be less than one million and a half of sheep, while the heads of cattle and horses are also numerous. But the runs are in all cases inadequately stocked, and a vast portion of the whole district, espe cially on the Darling, is not yet stocked at all. The timber and soil along the banks of the Murray are pro nounced to be of two distinct kinds. The land is either alluvial, requiring embankments to bring it into perfect cultivation, but affording pasture of the finest descrip tion, or it is a mixture of sand and red loam. On the alluvial soils are to be found gum timber and the varie ties known as box and peppermint, while the red loam is covered with pines. The gum timber is said to be fit for the heavier parts of ship-building, and for dwelling and store houses. " Saw-mills may, therefore," as Sir H. Young remarks, "be soon expected to convert this timber into boats and rafts adapted to the river naviga tion, and into vessels, to be decked and sparred at the river terminus, for disposal in the neighbouring colonies ; while the timber of rafts broken up at the Goolwa would meet with a ready sale." Unfortunately, the passage through the sea-mouth of the Murray is beset with so many dangers as to be prac tically impossible. Sir Henry Young and the local Le gislature are using every exertion to remedy this im portant defect. There is excellent anchorage for the river boats at the Goolwa, between the north shore of the Murray and Hiudmarsh Island, in a capacious and perfectly land-locked basin, with a depth of 16 feet water. A jetty has been constructed, and this jetty is connected with another jetty at Port Elliot, in Encounter Bay, by an iron tram of seven mil... nnur , ....nleted, or (on the prbief. .f ..mplotion, over A dead level country. fort Elliot itself offers a remarkably safe anchorage, being sheltered from every wind except the south-east, from which direction there is little cause to apprehend the inconvenience of a heavy sea, as the great length of beach, extending to a distance of eight miles, must ope rate as a check. It cannot be denied that the want of a direct communication with the sea is a very serious drawback to the navigation of the Murray, but as art has connected the Goolwa and Port Elliot, and as Port Elliot has advantages superior to almost any harbour on the southern coast of Australia, the tide of commerce will probably be in no degree prevented from finding this inlet into the interior. In order to promote the settlement on the banks of the Murray of persons whose industry would be directed towards facilitating the passage of the produce to the coast and of the supplies which the stockewners need in return, and in expectation of large numbers of immi grants being attracted to the route of the Murray when its advantages are more fully known, the Governor and the local Legislature have decided on proclaiming the lands on both sides of South Australia, to the extent of two miles, to be the "Hundred of the Murray." The effect of this will be that no squatting leases will be issued within the hundred. Surveys of allotments of land in blocks of 10, 80, and 640 acres are to be made, so as to suit the wants and purses of different purchasers ; and the purchasers of These allotments will have a pro portionate amount of commonage of pasture assigned them within the hundred of the Murray. The runs of the lessees of waste lands will thus undergo an insigni ficant diminution ; but this will be amply compensated for by the greater facility of procuring labour, the for mation of villages, and the ease of communication. The flat land immediately adjacent to the banks of the Mur ray is evidently destined to be at some future period of very great value ; and it needs wise precautionary measures at the outset to guard against a great public resource being frittered and jobbed away by speculators. Whether the plan of thus reserving the land in the vici nity of the Murray is to be considered a permanent, or, as is perhaps more probable, only a temporary measure, it shows that the local authorities are in some measure alive to the exigencies of their position. And it is but due to Sir Henry Young to remark, that the zeal and• judgment he has shown in exploring the Murray, and the appreciation he has displayed of the real interests of the province committed to his care, reflect the highest credit on himself personally. STATE OF TRADE. ATLANTIC AND PACIFIC RAILWAY After the lapse of an hour he returned, producing a letter. It was to the following effect : " Athlone, March 7, 1854. "My dear Friend,—l am still very ill. My best thanks to you for your letter. lam confined to my bed. I wish you would find out whether Lambert Smith has taken out administration or probate, or the colonel. lam too ill to look up the documents I wished you to see.—Yours, &c. " T. MALONE." The Chairman sa id th e w it ness must attend the com mittee at their rext meeting. The committee then adjourned until next day. The proceedings commenced in this committee on Friday, by the re-examination of Mr. Win. Auchinleck Dane, who repeated the statement he made on Thursday about Colonel Smith having accepted a thousand pounds worth of bills for Mr. Keogh, in consideration of that gentleman's promise to procure him a stipendiary ma gistracy ; of Mr. Keogh's having neglected to provide for the bills, and Colonel Smith being ruined in conse quence, and obliged to leave the country ; and of Mr. Keogh's having afterwards procured an appointment in the Excise for the Colonel's son. Mr. Lambert Smith said that he had an appointment in the Customs at Bristol, which he obtained through his father's interest with Sir J. Young, in Dec. 1845. His salary was originally 1501. it was now 2001. but he was otherwise in independent circumstances, His father, Col. Smith, resided at Athlone from 1831 to 1848 ; he was Adjutant-Gsneral there and an elector of the borough. He was the personal friend of Mr. Keogh during many years. It was originally understood at the contest for Athlone in 1847, that Mr. Keogh was to be borne harm less by Mr. Attwood, but he was not by any means borne harmless. During the contest it became neces sary to find money to carry on the proceeding s , and, to oblige M r . K eog h , w i tnesses ' s father, Colonel Smith, accepted a bill drawn upon him by that gentleman for 2001., and another for 2501. The amount of the Colo nel's engagements for Mr. Keogh was 4501., and not 1,000/, ; and these engagements were entered into partly for friendship's sake and partly for the s . a .. l,ce of . t the cause of Sir R. Peel, which Mr. consideration of any The appointment were certainly not undertakc o rLi i - n: y ": 1; 2 1 ' Droinige ofuntf-n-aCrit the time that promise was alleged to have been made was of the value of 8001. a-year, so that he wanted no stipendiary magistracy, nor was there any promise of patronage for any member of Colonel Smith's family. The bills were not taken up when they fell due, but they were afterwards provided for, witness's father paying a portion and Mr. Keogh the rest. In point of fact, Mr. Keogh was still slightly in the debt of the representatives of Colonel Smith, who was dead. Colonel Smith's going to America was not in any way connected with any non-performance of ob ligation on Mr. Keogh's part. It arose solely from his retirement from the army. When an officer gets over a certain age, he is not allowed to sell out, except on condition that he settle in one of the colonies. In that case he gets two-thirds of the value of his commission at home, and the other third on settling. So witness's father was paid 3,0001. in England, and was obliged to go to Nova Scotia to receive the other 1,500/. Witness had a brother in the army. He commanded the New Zealand pensioners. He held no other appointment under the Government. At the conclusion of the evidence of Mr. Smith the room was cleared. On our readmission. Mr. Keogh, addressing the chairman, said he wished to inform hiss that it was not his intention any longer to sit upon the committee. He should remain in the room for the present, to enable the committee to form a quorum ; but he should take no part in the proceedings. Ever since the present line of evidence commenced it had been his idea that he ought to take the course he was then taking, and he should apply to the house to discharge him from further service on the committee, and to appoint some other member in his place. Mr. Dane was then recalled to the witness -box. He said it was known to some of his friends that he had an eye to contesting the representation of Athlone, and one of them—a gentleman whose name he would not com municate--had given him a memorandum of a great many things alleged against Mr. Keogh, the gentleman in possession of the seat, in order that he (witness) might make any use of it he pleased, should an occasion arise. The witness then stated to the committee the substance of the memorandum. It contained the par ticulars of a number of small situations and appoint ments procured by Mr. Keogh for the relatives of Ath lone electors. It also referred to a number of judgments obtained by the National Bank against Colonel Smith and Mr. Keogh on their joint and separate bonds, and contained also some inferences which the writer, as an individual, drew from what he knew of the matters. It did not contain any allegation of corruption or place selling on Mr. Keogh's part. The witness was desired to write to Ireland to ask his friend's permission to communicate his name to the committee. The proceedings stand adjourned to Tuesday, at 12 o'clock. _ 72,187 15,477 We have stated the ratios roughly, without going into decimals ; but they are sufficiently accurate to show that in the one case four-fifths are male adults, and only one-fifth wome❑ and children, while in the other the three classes are in nearly equal proportions. The following will show the countries from which the immigrants have last come : England Scotland Ireland Other countries Australian colonies Assisted. Unassisted. Total. .. 5,319 ... 22,810 ... 28,159 .. 7,127 ... 4,687 ... 11,814 . 3,001 ... 1,476 ... 4,477 - ,--• • . 1,961 ... 1961 . 41,253 ... 48.253 15,477 ... 79,187 ... 94,664 Marriages.-These were as follows in 1852 :-Church of England, 1,070 ; Presbyterian Church, 281; Wes leyan Church, 79 ; Independent Church, 86 ; Baptist Church, 2 ; Church of Rome, 439 ; Jews' Synagogue, 1 ; Total, 1,958. Births.-The numbers registered were :-Males, 1,863 ; females, 1,888. Total, 3,756. Deaths.-The following were registered :-Males adults, 635 ; children, 601. Females-adults, 335 ; children, 534. Total, 2,105. Schools.--The total number of 'schools in the province was 115, at which attended 4,322 boys, 3,519 girls. Total, 7,841. Aid from Government, 7,7631. 35. 10d. ; amount paid from school fees, 5,7311. 16s. Bd. Total, 13,495/. Os. 6d. Churches, Chapels, &c.-The number of churches and chapels in the colony on the 31st of December, 1852, was 49, estimated to accommodate 16,060 persons, and attended generally by 14,520 persons. The churches and chapels belonged to the following bodies . -Church of England, 13 ; Presbyterians, 7 ; Wesleyans, 17 ; Inde pendents, 3 ; Baptists, 2 ; Roman Catholics, 6 ; Jews' Synagogue, 1. Postage.-The number of post-offices in the province was 46. The following passed through them :- Letters (ship), 482,326 ; inland, 489,850; newspapers (ship), 321,206 ; inland, 371,631 ; income, 12,4531. 12s. 9d. : expenditure, 25,312/. Os. Bd. Agriculture.-The number of acres in crop in the year ending 31st March, 1853, were-wheat, 16,823 ; maize, 1 ; barley, 4111 ; oats, 2,9471 ; potatoes, 1,9781 ; sown grasses, 14,1011 ; green food for cattle, 4014 acres. Total acres, 36,663 g. Produce, 498,7041 bushels wheat, 61 bushels maize, 9,431 bushels barley, 96,980 bushels oats, 4,512 tons potatoes, 21,2864 tons hay ; 401/ acres green food for cattle. Vineyards.-The number of acres planted with vines in the year ending 31st March, 1853, was 1974. The produce was 4,500 gallons of wine and 500 gallons of brandy. Live Stock.-The numbers in the colony on 31st De cember, 1852, were-horses, 34,021 ; horned cattle, 531,380 ; pigs, 8,995 ; sheep, 5,551,501 ; of which were within the settled districts, 18,138 horses, 97,527 horned cattle, 6,234 pigs, and 728,327 sheep. Tallow and Lard.-One boiling-down establishment, sheep slaughtered, 8,000 ; horned cattle, 600 ; produce, 2,000 cwts. of tallow. Imports and Exports in 1852.-The total imports for the year 1852 were-from Great Britain, 1,752,216/. from New Zeal a nd, 25,499/ . ; other British colonies, 2,102,2971. ; South Sea Islands, 2261. ; United States of America, 60,363/. ; foreign States, 129,101. Total, 4,069,742/. The total exports were as follows :-Pro duce or manufacture of Victoria, 7,337,9251. ; ditto, the United Kingdom, 54,8981. ; ditto, British posse ss i ons , 6,434/. ditto fo re i gn States, 52,2921. In all 7,451,5491. The exports were to the following places :-To Great Britain, 6,198,4331. ; New Zealand, 1,7751. ; other Bri tish colonies, 1,232,2351. ; to foreign States, 10,1051. Grain, &c.-The quantity and value of grain, &c., imported into Victoria during the year 1852 were as follows : - Wheat, 87,570 bushels ; maize, 81,182 bushels ; ; barley, oats, and peas, 254,803 bushels ; flour and bread, 23,101 tons ; rice, 960,9201bs ; potatoes, 3,475 tons; malt, 2,621 bushels. Total value, 564,8811. Quantity and value exported in 1852 :-Wheat, 25,249 bushels ; barley, oats, and peas, 627 bushels ; rice, 31,696 lbs. ; potatoes, 34 tons. Total value. 12,3041. Live Stock.-Imported, 3,841 horses, 824 sheep, 430 cattle ; total value, 31,3051. Exported, horses 29, horned cattle 4,645, sheep 24,876, pigs 10 ; total value, 36,1291. Hides and Leather.-Value imperted :-Manufs.c -55,„.„,, _ ss, ____, , uumal3 u....,,u, vu l eatuer , 6,469/. ; total value, 109,9581. Value exported :- Hides, 7,523/. ; manufactured leather, 2,256/. ; unmanu factured leather, 663/. ; total value, 10,4421. Wool.---Exported, quantity, 20,047,453 lbs. ; value, 1,062,787/. Tallow.-Exported, quantity, 1,995 tons 4 cwt. ; value, 60,2611. Gold.--Native gold exported in 1852-1,988,526 ounces 10 dwts. 13 grs. ; value, 6,135,728/. Oil.-Exported, Black, 160 gallons, 401. ; salad, 2,210 gallons, 5171. Total value, 5571. Vessels Built and Registered in 18 52.-Vessels built : -2 schooners, 182 tons ; 1 sloop, 21 tons. Vessels registered :-3 barques, 628 tons ; 10 brigs, 1,474 tons ; 9 brigantines, 1,171 tons ; 1 hermaphrodite, 139 tons ; 31 schooners, 2,360 tons ' • 7 sloops and cu tt ers, 17 2 tons ; 1 steam er , 44 tons. Totals-built, 3 vesse l s, 2 03 tons ; register e d, 62 vessels, 5,988 tons, 399 men. Land Sales.-Quantity of land sold in Victoria in 1852, 258,144 acres 1 rood 7 perches ; number of pur chasers, 3,134 • amount of purchase mo ne y rece i ved, 701,1721. 7 s . id. Mortgages on Land.-Number and amount registered in 1852 :-Town lands, 111, 90,4681. is. id. ; country lands, 166, 129,8941. Os. 6d. ; town and country lands, 5, 13,421/. Totals :-Number of mortgages, 281 ; am0unt,233,7831. Auction Duty in 1852.-Amount of duty, 6,8061 Bs. 4d. Amount of sales, 1,361,365/. Preferable Liens on Wool Registered in 1852.-Num ber of liens, 42 ; sheep, 542,810. Amount, 49,766/ 6s. sd. Mortgages on Live Stock Registered in 1852.-Num ber, 70 • sheep, 245,102 ; catt l e, 11,228 ; horses, 80. Amount lent, 124,5821. Convictions in 1852.-At Melbourne, felonies, 300 ; misdemeanours, 92. At Geelong Circuit Court, felonies, 32 ; misdemeanours, 3. At Portland Circuit Court, felonies, 16 ; misdemeanours, 4. At Castlemaine, felo nies, 20 ; misdemeanours, 4. Total felonies, 368 ; total misdemeanours, 103. Total convictions, 471. Executions. -Tw o men for murder. They were Pro offtestaences.nts, and th e y were under sentence for previous Litigation in 185 2. -Cases tried at Melbourne, 75, of which 40 were defended, and 13 undefended, before juries of four, and 22 special, before juries of twelve. At Geelong the cases were 5, of which 3 were defended, and 1 undefended, before juries of four, and 1 special before a jury of twelve. Mills.-There were in the colony, in 1852, the follow ing mills for grinding and dressing grain, &c. :-City of Melbourne : 3 steam, 1 water, 5 saw. County of Bourke : 2 steam, 4 water. County of Grant : 1 steam, 1 water. Town of Geelong : 2 steam. Police district of Belfast : 1 steam, 1 water. Police District of Alber ton : 1 water. Police district of Kilmore : 2 steam. Police District of Geelong : 2 steam. Commissioners' District of the Murray : 1 water. Commissioners' Dis trict of Western Port : 3 steam, 3 water. Total mills, 33. Manufactories, Works, &c., in 1852.-In Melbourne, 10 breweries, 20 coach manufactories, 3 tanneries, 4 engineers establishments, 2 foundries, 2 ship-builders' establishments. County of Bourke : 1 boiling-down establishment. Town of Geelong : 2 breweries, 1 soda water manufactory, 1 boiling-down establishment. Po lice District of Portland : 1 tannery, 1 wool-washing establishment, 1 boiling -down do. Police District of Belfast: 2 tanneries, 1 boiling-down establishment. Police District of Buninyong : 1 boiling-down establish ment. Commissioners' District Western Port : 1 brew ery, 3 tanneries ; only 1 boiling-down establishment was at work. Quarries. -14 limestone, 1 freestone, 1 sandstone, 6 granitestone : total 22. Revenue in 1853 . -General revenue : customs, 319, OK/. 17s. 7d.; portand harbour dues, 11, 7861. 35. 3d.; rents (ex clusive of land), 3,0591. 75. 6d. ; assessment on stock, 14,3621. 7s. 9d. ; auction duty, 6,8061. Bs. 4d. ; licenses, 11,5641. 4s Bd. ; postage, 12,453/. 12s. 9d. ; fines and forfeitures, 17,4811. 13s. 3d. ; fees of office, 9,0621. ls. 2d. ; reimbursements in aid of expenses incurred by Government, 1,5831. 11s. ; sale of Government property, 1091. 7s. 6d. ; miscellaneous receipts, 681. 12s. 10d. ; proceeds of gold licenses, 3 98,1591. 12s. Bd. ; escort fees, 36,1021. 19s. 9d. ; treasury and cust o dy f ees , 4,582/. 17s. 7d. ; total general revenue and receipts, 846,2141. 17s. 7d. Territorial Revenue -Proceeds of the sale of land and town allotments, 7 0 3,855/. 13s. lid. ; leases and licenses to occupy Crown lands, 23,8151. is. 7d. ; licen ses to cut timber, & c ., on Crown lands, 1,719/.ilss. 6d. ; proceeds of the sale of Government property, 5131. 12s. 7d. ; supplies furnished to emigrant vessels, 449/. 7s. 9d.; stoppages and repayments for rations, 462/. 19s. Id. ; miscellaneous receipts, 1501. Os. id. Total territorial revenue and receipts, 730,9661. 10s. 6d. Total revenue and receipts, 1,577,181/. Bs. ld. Expenditure of the colony.-Civil establishment, 93,273/. ss. 7d. ; judicial establishment, 18,9901. 7s. 7d. ; police establishment, 51,726/. 13s. 4d. ; gaol and penal establishment, 24,782/. 12s. ; medical establishment, 4,3811. Bs.; ecclesiastical establishment, 4,219/. 16s. 7d. Miscellaneous -Charitable allowances, 7,9411. 10s. Bd. ; education, 7,5911. 7s. lid. ; public works and buildings, 9 6,977/. ss. 10d. ; military, 2,873/. 17s. 3d. ; gold workings, 146,3351. 3s. ld. ; all other miscellaneous dis bursement, 5,9221. 9s. 2d. Total charge on the general revenue, 49 5,015/. 17s. Charged on the territorial reve nue-Survey, 's a l e , an d management of Crown lands, 1 25,567/. is. 4d ; immigration, 222,6101. 15s. 10d. ; aborigines, 1,658/. 19s. sd. ; special grants from the ter ritorial revenue, 18,2241. 12s. 3d. ; miscellaneous pay. COMMUNICATION. What the North-Western Passage was to the early European adventurers in the Arctic regions, the line of railway communication between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans now is to cur practical friends in the United States. There is this difference, however, between the two, that the former—as the experience of two hundred and fifty years has shown—was a problem of most un certain and difficultsolution, whereas the latter is a dis tinct and intelligible plan, dependent only for its execu tion upon those details of construction which the re sources of existing science have placed within the reach of modern enterprise. The earliest project for establishing the desired route, and the most obvious one in relation merely to the ac tual distance between the two oceans, wag the transit across the Isthmus of Panama. Next came the line which included the ascent of the river San Juan de Ni caragua, the passage of the great lake of that name, and a canal or railway communication from La Palma, on the lake, to Port San Juan, on the Pacific. To this suc ceeded the proposed arrangement for crossing the conti nent of Central America by way of the Isthmus of Tehu antepec. And now a fourth plan is on the tapis, called "The Honduras Interoceanic Railway," which, so far as the initiatory proceedings enable us to judge, appears likely to be looked upon with greater favour by the people of the United States than any of the other routes. That chief obstacle that seemed to oppose itself to the construction of a railway across the State of Honduras was the lofty chain of the Cordilleras, the great and ap parently continuous elevation of which presented, it was supposed, insurmountable engineering difficulties. Unless a transverse pass existed in the Cordilleras, all hope of access to the Pacific by piercing that mountain range was shut out ; and so recently as down to the close of the year 1852, no certain infor ma ti on on thi s impor tant point had been obtained. The existence of such a pass was, however, conjectured by those who believed that an available route might be discovered between one of the ports on the northern coast of Honduras and the Bay of Fonseca, or Conchagua, on the Pacific. To survey this line and report on its practicability, the projectors in the early part of last year sent out two agents, Mr. E. G. Squier, a highly intelligent tra veller, and Lieut. Jeffers, of the United States navy. It is from the preliminary notes to a report on the proposed Honduras Interoceanic Railway, which have only very recently been published in New York by the first-named gentleman, that we have derived the information which we now proceed to lay before the public. The spot selected for the northern terminus of this projected railway is Puerto Caballos, in the Bay of Hon duras, not far from Omoa. In respect of capacity and security, it is stated to be the best post on the Atlantic between New York and Rio Janeiro ; it is easy of en trance and exit, and the locality is considered highly favourable for the establishment of a large city. The Bay of Fonseca, the southern extremity, is indisputably the largest, and in all respects the best, harbour on the Pacific coast of the American continent. The distance between the two ports is 150 miles, in a direc tion due north and south, and the proposed route, which nearly coincides with the meridan, and lies between the parallels of 87 and 88 deg. W.L., nowhere varies five miles from a right line. After traversing a portion of the department of Omoa, the route crosses the river Ulua at a short distance below its junction with the Humuya, which latter it skirts on its right or eastern bank to the city of Comayagua, the capital of Honduras, situated nearly midway between the two oceans. The line then ascends the valley of the Humuya till it reaches the Cordilleras (which here bear the name of the Lep iterique mountains), and may be conducted by two separate passes into the valley of the Goascoran, until it reaches the Pacific, either at the town of La Union, or the island of Sacate Grande, both in the Bay of Fon seca. The latter is considered the preferable point, as La Union is in the Republic of Salvador. "All the materials necessary for the construction of the road exist," says Mr. Squier, "on the line. There are inexhaustible quantities of the finest white and blue marble and sandstone, as also of th e b est p i ne, oak, and other varieties of useful timber. The country, with the exception perhaps of a narrow belt on the northern coast, is eminently cool and salubrious, and proper for the employment of extra-tropical labour. In the latter respect (that of labour) the proposed line is eminently favoured ; for whatever amount may be required may be obtained from the mahogany -cuttings on the coast." As the greatest apprehended difficulty was expect. ed in the Cordilleras, it was to the examination of that chain that Mr. Squier gave his first atten tion. Commencing his reconnoisance on the Pacific side, he ascended the valley of the Goascoran, which con ducted him to the pass of Raucho Chiquito, at an eleva tion of 2,800 feet above the level of the sea. This spot is a natural meadow, or savannah, upwards of "a mile wide, opening north a n d sou th , and skirted on the right bank and left by high mountains. Here are two streams, rising only 200 yards apart, and running in opposite di rections ; one of them is the source of the Goascoran, which falls into the Bay of Fonseca —the other that of the Humuya, which joins the Ulua and discharges itself 44t1 Puerto Ca hallos. Mr. Squier was of opinion that this surnm;s - to reach which the maximum grades would nowhere ex ceed 80 feet in the mile, and that only for short dis tances—was not unfavourable to the construction of the line, and this opinion was confirmed by the professional dictum of Lieutenant Jeffers ; but being inclined to think that a lower pass might be found, he sought one some where further to the westward, in the parallel valley of Cururu, or Guajoca, where, in a savannah like the first, the Atlantic and Pacific water ilowalso from twin sources, at an elevation of 100 feet less than the pass of Raucho Chiquito. " The relative advantages of thete two passes," observes Lieutenant Jeffers, "can only be established by a detailed survey. The pass of Rancho Cuiquito presents more favourable ground for the descent to the plain ; that of Guajoca, a better route from the valley of the Raucho Grande, with a less elevation." The dis tance by the pass of Guajoca is also described as being rather longer, and deviating more from a right line, than that by Racho Chiquito. But whichever route may be eventually decided upon, both are sufficiently direct. " The country is open and free of dense forests, thus avoiding, in a great degree, the expense of clearing and grubbing; there is an abundance of fine timber on the hills skirting the line ; the rock, where excavations are to be made in it, is a soft sandstone, which may be cut almost as readily as clay, with the advantage of ad mitting of vertical walls, and not requiring ballast for the road bed ; abundance of fine marble and other stone for abutments and mortar ; a country cool and entirely salubrious ; the magnificent Bay of Fonseca, where men, tools, and provisions may be sent by sea, for one base of operations, and the great and fertile plain of Comayagua, in the very centre of the work, for the other." The longer division of the line, from Puerto Caballos to Comayagua, offers numerous facilities for the construc tion of a railway. " Quite fifty- miles will be over a level plain, or an ascent so gentle as hardly to be perceived, and on that portion of the line which lies on the bank of the Humuya the alternation of cut and fill is highly favourable." Another great advantage in forming the northern section of the road is the navigability of the river Ulua and Humuya, which may be ascended by vessels drawing seven feet of water, for half the year, as high as the mouth of the Rio Blanco, which is called half-way from Comayagua to the coast. For fight steamers the Humuya is navigable to the mouth of the Sulaco, some distance higher up. The terms upon which the Honduras Interoceanic Railway Company have obtained the concession of the line from the Government of Honduras are more liberal and comprehensive than have yet been granted in that part of the world for a similar purpose. " The property of the company in the proposed road," says Mr. Squier, "is perpetual, but the charter is limited to seventy years from the date of thee completion and open ing of the road, for which we are allowed eight years in any event—or more, if any unforeseen obstacle, such as epidemics or war, should interpose to delay the work. The Tehuantepec (Garay) grant is for sixty years, the Panama for forty-nine; and in both c ases th e road reverts to the State. We do not possess so large a concession of land as Garay, but we get enough. We have, in the first place, a strip four hundred yards wide from sea to sea, covering alike both public and private lands ; next, an unconditional grant of upwards of eight hundred square miles, in a part of the State the richest in soil and precious woods ; and, finally, we have the right of locating and b uying 900 square miles more, at the maximum price of 15 cents per acre, payable in the stocks of the company at par. In addi tion to this, the State grants to each man who comes to work on the road, if single, 50 acres, if married, 75 acres of land. * * Our ports on both sides are to be made free ports in perpetuity ; no passports are ever to be re quired from passengers over the road; and all goods and property in transitu are to pass free of all kinds of duties, and exempt from inspection and detention of every kind. * * * All emigrants coming out under the auspices of the company, or settling on its land, are exempt for ten years from all taxes and from all civil or military service, as are also all persons in the employ of the company, be they native or foreign. We are r ?quir g e h d fr to eig p h ay w t , he State no money until the work is finished, an d then only one dollar for each through ipnasgstehnrgoeur, with a nominal sum for re gisterin g or mar k- The advantages which this proposed line of communi cation will afford to those who travel by it are stated to be the avoidance of the expense and trouble caused by the numerous transhipments, whether by Panama, Nica ragua, or Tehuantepec ; and the saving of distance between the Atlantic ports of the United States and California, Oregon, the Sandwich Islands, and the centres of Oriental trade, by not less than 1,250 miles over Panama, 800 to 900 over Nicaragua, and from 60 to 100 over Tehuantepec, following the line which the company, holding the charter for a road over the latter isthmus are obliged to follow. We may add that the port of Puerto Caballos, which has been selected as the northern terminus for the pro posed Honduras, Interoceanic Railway, is in close proxi mity to the British possessions on the coast of Yuca tan, of which Belize is the capital, and to the islands of Ruatan, Bonacca, and Utile, known by the name of the Bay of Islands. ARRIVALS OP BULLION.—The arrivals of bullio❑ dur. ing the week, including the gold by the Sydney, have amounted to about 460,000/., of which about 60,0001. was silver. Tha exports are estimated at about the same sum, almont entirely in gold to the Continent. (Front the Manchester Guardian of Saturday.) MANCHESTER, March 23.—We have still to report a progressive depression in the state of our market —more marked day . M e ant i me , this wee k w t i h t a l hn diminishingast d , to-ay contracts a c any ts previou s in la n d spinners and manufacturers are becoming more anxious to sell. In these descriptions of cloths, the fall of prices s therefore much greater than in fabrics suitable for the East, or than in most other kinds. In yarns, the decline is very slow and gradual, not perhaps exceeding id. per lb. during the week in mule and water for exportation. Throughout the market, however, the downward tend ency is increasingly manifest, and is still, as has long been the case, more decided in yarns and goods for home use, than in such as are prepared for shipment. Under these circumstances, and with the raw material relatively very dear, a disposition to resort to short-time is showing itself among the trade. BRADFORD, MARCH, 23.—W00l : The inactivity still continues in our market, as for several weeks past, and prices are almost nominal. NOTTINGHAM, March 2 3.—There is not any improve ment in the condition of either the hosiery or lace trades, each remaining in pretty much the same condi tion we have reported them for many weeks past. LEICESTER, March 23.—Except for the demand for cotton goods for the shipping season, our market has not been so flat for two years past as at present. Worsted spinners are doing as little as possible ; a fur ther reduction of a half-penny per lb. has taken place this week. THE WOOLLEN TRADE. ----- (From, the Leeds Mercury of Saturday. ) LEEDS, March 25.—We have no change to report in the state of the woollen cloth market since our last week's notice. There has been an average business done in the Cloth-halls, and during the week several deliveries, as usual, direct to the warehouses. The present aspect of affairs induces the greatest caution on the part of buyers visiting this market, although they purchase sparingly and apparently nothing beyond their present require ments, yet there oontinues to be a fair steady trade done in the warehouses. HUDDERSFIELD, March 21.—There has not been much doing in the Cloth-hall, but that must by no means be taken as an indication that business generally is at a very low ebb. At present there is a good deal doing to order ; stocks are ligh . L, and considering the State of political affairs just now, trade is fully better than could be expected under the circumstances. ROCHDALE, March 21.—We have not had so dull a market this year as to-day. There is little inquiry for goods, and but few pieces have been sold. The wool market is at a stand almost ; prices are lower, except in very low-priced English wools, which continue extremely scarce. LAW LNTELLi'VENCE.—March 25. INSOLTENT L►EBTORS' COURT. BETTING-OFFICES; IN THE -MATTER OF HENRY AUGUSTUS NEWOOMBE. This insolvent, described abs a bill broker, and occa sionally a " betting agent," applied to be discharged from prison. Mr. Sargood supported. There was no opposition. Mr. Commissioner ,Phillips asked the insolvent whe ther betting offices wer, , zt all done up ? Insolvent---I believe so, Sir. Mr. Commissioner Phillips—So much the better for you and the public too. The insolvent owed 8301. and upwards, of whioh 3401. were without considerkkion.. Mr. Commissioner Phillipst told him he was in great luck in not being opposed, Mr. Sargood—He is. _ Mr. Commissioner Phillips intt.)rmed him that had any of his creditors opposed, the debts with out consideration would have been a bar to his discha.rge. As the credi tors had not thought proper to oppooe, he should not oppose him. The insolvent acknowledged the absence of his cre ditors. His Honour added that he was certainly in great luck, for he could assure him that if he had been opposed, it would have been his duty to have remanded him for some time. The insolvent was then ordered to be discharged [We are requested by Mr. Thomas Newcome, late of the Imperial Club, in Wellington-street, to state that he is not the party whose case is given above. Though their Christian names are quite distinct, he has been by many mistaken fur the insolvent.] OOMMITTIE ON STATISTICS OF THE COLONY OF VICTORIA' IN 1852. (From the Melbourne Argus of December 15.) Returning to the statistics of the colony for the year 1852, recently published by the Government, we find many other items of interest. Immigration.—This is a return of immigrants who arrived in Victoria in 1852, distinguishing those who arrived at the public expense from those who arrived at their own expense. Of the former there is a very elabo rate account, divided under the heads—sex and age, condition, occupation, education, religion, country. Of the latter, the only particulars given ar e th e sex and period of life, and the country from which they last emi grated. The totals are—Assisted immigrants, 45,477 ; unassisted immigrants, 79,187. Grand total, 94,664. We notice a very remarkable contrast, in regard to sex and age, between the two classes, w hi c h w ill b e best shown by the following comparison : Unassisted immigrants. Immigrants assisted. Ratio per cent. Ratio per cent. No. of the whole. No of the whole. Male adults .... 62,906 ... 80 Female adults. 9,072 ... 11 Children 7,209 ... 9 ...... 5,125 ... 34 ASSIZE INTELLIGENCE. Mr. Cooper, for the prosecution, said that he did not know who had instituted the prosecution ; but those by whom he had been instructed did not wish, after the re marks his lordship had made, to proceed with the case, if the jury were of opinion that it hal not been estab lished by the evidence adduced. Chief Baron—l cannot help thinking that there has been some very improper misconduct in this affair. A. pretended•sacrifice to justice has been made, for the pro tection of the public from the danger arising from the want of due care and caution on the part of railway officers, and this offering has been made by puttin g for ward persons who are th e wrong peop l e to try. I don't know what opinion the jury may entertain of the case. The jury turned round for a momedt or so, and re turned a verdict of Not Guilty against both of the de fendants. A similar verdict was taken in the other cases. The results elicited considerable applause in the court, which was with difficulty suppressed. BARBAROUS MURDER AND ROBBERY—SENTENCE OF DEATH. William Thompson, aged 21, was indicted for the wilful murder of Lorenz Beha, an Italian, a travelling jeweller, and stealing from his person two 51. notes, and divers other monies, of the value of 151. The murder was one of a most atrocious character. The deceased resided in Norwich, where he kept a watchmakers' and jewellers' shop. He was in the habit of travelling the country with a box of watches, trinkets, &c., &c. On Monday, the 14th of November, he left Norwich, on one of his monthly journeys. The last time he was seen alive was on Friday, the 18th of No vember, about half-past twelve, when he called upon a person at Wellingham. A little after three that same afternoon, a person passing along the road from Welling ham to Tittleshall, observed a pool of blood. He fol lowed the track to a place in the fence by the side of the road, where something appeared to have been dragged through. He went over the fence, and on the other side found the dead body of Beha. Near the body he found an axe, which had blood upon it and a very small portion of hair. The body was examined, and a deep wound was noticed on the back of the head, as if inflicted by an axe, and which was sufficient to account for death. On the body being turned over, three similar wounds were seen in the face, any of which would Drove fatal. The pockets of the deceased had been turned out and were empty. His box of jewellery was lying by his side, but it had not been broken open. It would appear that the murder had been committed between half-past twelve and half past three on the Friday afternoon. Inquiries were then instituted, and it was ascertained that the prisoner, who is a labouring man, living with his father at Tittles hall, was seen near the spot between twelve and one, and that he had an axe under his arm. He was again seen about half-past one coming from the road where the murder was committed ; he appeared hot, as 'if he had been walking fast, and he had no axe under his arm. Later in the day he paid two sums of money, and he was noticed to be dressed different to what he was in the morning. That same night he was apprehended, and by his bedside were found a pair of trowsers, which were spotted with blood f rom t h e knee to the bottom of the legs. The slop (smock frock) he wore was stained with blood, as also the trowsers' pocket. On the following morning a watch was found in an old oven in the cottage where the prisoner lived, and the deceased's purse under the roof of an outhouse. In the purse were found two watches, two 51. notes, and about 51. in gold and silver. It was learned that the deceased had recently given change for two 51. notes, which were proved to be those in the purse. Much circumstantial and con firmatory evidence was adduced as to the prisoner's excited demeanour at the period of the murder, and the axe found near the body was said to resemble one which belonged to his father, and a few days after he had been committed to Norwich Castle he sent for Mr. Peirson, the governor, and made a long rambling statement, to the effect, that as he was walking along he saw a large pool of blood by the side of the road, and observed the track of it to the fence, where something had been dragged through. He looked over into the ditch, and saw a man standing over the body. He was the same man he had seen in a plantation just before. His hands were wet and covered with blood. He said he would go and tell somebody, and the man caught hold of his trousers and daubed his legs, and swore he would chop him down if he said anything about it. He told him he would not. The man then took out the deceased's purse and gave it to him, and told him to go. The man was blind with one eye, and wore a Tom and Jerry hat, and said his name was Walter Edding. The jury found the prisoner guilty. His lordship then put on the black cap, and in the usual terms left the convict for execution. TI3E PRESTON STRIKE. PRESTON, March 25.—The arrest and committal of the delegates is the all-absorbing topic of conversation here. The town, however, is remarkably quiet, the excitement which existed among the unemployed up to Thursday evening having now wholly subsided. Immediately after the result of the magisterial inquiry was known, a number of tradesmen and others met together, and it was unanimously resolved that a "Delegatea' Defence Fund" be forthwith organised. A treasurer was ap pointed, and considerable sums have been collected, pub lic sympathy being aroused on behalf of the committed delegates. A special levy of 2d. is to be made at Black burn in aid of the object in view, and this example is being followed by other towns in the district. The iaiportation of hands is still going forward on an extensive scale, about 400 having been brought in dur ing the week. It is stated, however, that little more than half of these are likely to be available as workers. 25 hands, imported by the associated masters, have re cently been sent back again, in consequence of their being dissatisfied with the prices offered them. In a circular issued by the committee of the Masters' Defence Association, it is said :—" The number of operatives re turning to work is daily On the increase, notwithstanding the efforts which are put forth to prevent it. The ar rangements which, in previous announcements, the com mittee have stated as being in progress for the removal of operatives from other localities have been attended with perfect success ; and, in addition to the hands who have already arrived, large numbers are now ready to be removed as soon as the necessary preliminaries for their reception can be completed." This afternoon a meeting of the unemployed was held in a field on the Lancaster-road, about a mile and a half from the town. Four of the committed delegates, viz., Messrs. Cowell, Grimshaw, Waddington, and Lang presented themselves before the assembly and were warmly cheered. It was, however, deemed prudent that they should not address the meeting. The speakers were Messrs. Rhodes, of Stockport ; Brown, of Blackburn ; Beever, of Brooksbottom ; Smith, of Oldham ; and Lawless, of Warrington. The chief topic descanted upon was the apprehension of the delegates. One of the speakers re mar k e d, th a t th e a pproaching trial at Livetpool would show whether there was one law for the rich and another for the poor. If the men who had b een comm it te d thi s wee k were guilt con spiracy, the n were th e manu f acturers a yof hundredfold more guilty—an ill us t ra ti on o f w hi c h was found in the intimidatio n a ll ege d t o h ave b een prac tised by the asso ciation towards Mr. John Swainson, in requiring him either to forfeit 5,0001. or lock out his hands again, after lie had arranged with them upon satisfactory terms. According to custom, the proceedings closed with a round of cheering. To-morrow there is to be a ten-per-cent. camp meeting in Qs neighbourhood of liwiliogdon. , NORFOLK CIRCUIT.—NORWICH, MARCH 24. (Before the Lord Chief Baron.) THE FATAL CATASTROPHE IN THE LATE SNOW STORM ON THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY—TRIAL OF MICSSRS. ASHCROFT AND LATHAM. Mr. Pete; Ashcroft, the superintendent of the perma nent way, or resident engineer of the Eastern Counties Railway, and John. Latham, one of the inspectors, were charged with the manslaughter of Thomas Ellison, who, with the Rev. Joseph Belt and four others, were killed by :a collision on the above line during the heavy fall of snow in January last. Mr.'Serjeant Ryles submitted that there was no case to go to the jury. Chief Baron—l do not understand how there has been, what certainly appears to me, as nearly as m a y b e , a mockery of justic e . Id o no t know who is responsible for it, and I should very much like to know. leertainly think that somebody is deeply responsible for this pre tence of prosecuting for the death of these men, and not fixing the blame where it appears to me to attach. It is quite clear that Howard travelled on the wrong line, and at a greater speed than four miles an hour, and with out having man with a signal before him, and without having left an order in writing at the station. It is Howard that is responsible for these deaths, though it might have been a question for the jury to say to what extent other persons might have been responsible with him. We are pleased to n otioe that Mr. Macgrego w, in ire- tiring from the office of managing director, " assuPeo the shareholders of his unabated desire to pron tote the best interests of the eoLnpany."—Morning Vd. LONDON AND SOUTH-WESTERA We have been requester, t to publish the follow i ng corm respondence " London and South-Western Rails ray, Secretary's Office, Fork-road, March 24, 1854. " Sir,—Your letter of the 1 lth inst. was laid be. fore the court of directors at their meet, in... yesterday. " In reply to the various que% lions put by you I de sired to give the following explane.tion "On the arrival of the excursiom 'Bt3 in the docks, was represented to some of the directory of the company, 1 who were present on the occasion, that it Would be a great e 'on venience and accommodation to the party, but partied* rly to those who were members of the Hon'se of Commons ,if they could return to London at an earlier hour than • the one originally advertised. "It being understood that this was the general wish of the whole party, with the exception of a few, who pre ferr ed remaining later, and whose tickets were =irked 94 th% sir request permitting them to return by any train during tJ he evening, the earlier return of the train was ,arrang‘ad Lc cord ingly. "I am desired to express, on the part of the three )rit s their great regret that through any cause this alteTatioa iin the arrangement should not have been niade knows , to 3 on, or the otherparties to whom you refer, and that you shot ild have experienced any inconvenience in consequence: "I am to add that no danger could arise to the excnrsi on train in consequence of the change of the hour, the us' (al notice of the special train having been sent to all intern ie• diate stations of the altered hour of starting it. " I am, Sir, your obedient servant, " J. S. Pakin g t on , E sq., 10, " E L. Czomniz, Secretary. aton-terrace." " 10, Eaton-terrace, March 25, 1854. " Sir,—l beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letl ,er of yesterday's date, written on behalf of the directors of the London and South-Western Railway Company, in. I ►n swer to mine of the 11th inst., and to express my sens. s of the courteous terms in which their explanation is e ,on• voyed. "I have the honour to remain, Sir, " Very faithfully yours, "J. SLANEY YABINGTO IL "L. Crombie, Esq.," &c. SHIPPING INTELLIGENC Ir. CUSTOM HOUSE, MARCH 25. ENTERED INWARDS.—The Carl Richard, from - Wok% st Wilbelmine, Stettin ; Jane and Mary, do. ; Ferdinand, Helsingborg ; Antoinette, Hamburgh ; Maria, Brenton t ; Ha.abet, Dram ; Hermanos, Christiania ; Echo, Dram ; Clio, Christiania ; Minerva, Nykjobing ; Betsy, Teri a Nova ; Atalante, Aarhuus ; Trine, do. ; Hildegard • Schwarterjer, 4 Stralsund ; Hed w i g , B ogense ; Wilh e l m i ns Hamburgh ; Hernia Sudwesthorn ; Aberdonian, Arob -- angel ; Proven, Aalborg ; Experance, Loken ; Tre Brodea Stromstad ; Otilia, Krageroe ; Soerideren, Gothenburg. ENTERED OUTWARDS FOR LOADING.—The Furldoverei for Copenhagen ; Andes Minde, do. ; Anne Margaret' u 4 do. ; Spencer, Antwerp ; Engelina, Hamburgh ; 'Tu./ v 4 Launceston ; Ivanhoe, Bombay ; Secret, Malta ; Math i. is Catherine, Gothenburgh ; Id a Ch ar l o tt a, Stockhol'tx ; Rangoon, Madras ; City of the Sultan, Constantinople. CLEARED OUTWARDS WITH CARGO.— The Chanticl der, for Newfoundland ; Cole, St. Malo ; Hilding, Marstr and and Gothenburg ; llnion , Altona ; Cornelia, Holland and Amsterdam ; Supply, Leghorn ; Osprey, Messina and Palermo. LIVERPOOL, March 25.—The Dreadnought (steam-i lu has arrived f rom W exford with wrecked goods ex / fia g) gara, from Liverpool io New York, wrecked on Bla water. COUNTRY MARKETS. HADDINGTON—MARau 24. ---- --- The supplies of all kinds of grain was smaller than in last market. Sales dull. Wheat, top is down. 'Data t the top is 6d down. Barley on the top price 4s 6d door a. Beans on the top 2s down. The following are the prices of grain at our n "ark. t to-day : WIISAT. BARLEY. OATS. IMO 111.. First Bls Od 43s 6d 39s Od 504 Od Second 713 9d i 40s 9d 32 s 5d 445. fal Third s3s Od I 36s 6d 28s Od 395: 6d Total quantity of wheat in market, 128 qrs., 114 a kid PP Pl barley „ 381 qrs., 323 a ild SP PP SP oats 403 qrs., 348 a ) 1d PP SP PP beans 121 qrs., 121 a old Average of wheat .£3 11 9 0-12ths Ditto of Barley -12ths Ditto of Oats Ditto of Beans . ........... ..... ... 2 4 6 2-12 the DALKE ITH GRAIN MARKET—Maxim 24. Wheat on the top same as last market, current price 4e down, and the lowest lOs down. Oats on the top 18 4a. down, current price 2s down, and the lowest is 8d down_ Barley on the top 6d down, current price is up, and the lowest is Od up. Peas and beans on the top 2s down, cur rent price 6d down, and the lowest 3d up. Qrs. Best. Current. Inferior 173 Wheat 80s Od 223 Barley 43s 6d 3Bs 6d 56 Peas & beans 50s Od 4Bs 9d Average of wheat, 3/. 8s 9jd. ABERDEEN —MA nc H 24. The prices of grain are—Old oats, 28s Qd to 28s 6d ;; 401bs per Lushel; new oats, 00s Od to 00s Od, 401bs per. bushel ; bere, 35s 6d to 36s 6d, 531bs per bushel ; barley,. 35s Od to 35a 6d, 531bs per bushel ; wheat, red, 60s Od 62s Od, 621bs per bushel ; wheat, white, 70s Od to 721 Od,. 621bs per bushel ; oatmeal, 23s Od. to 24s Od per boll ; flour, 58s Od to 59s Od per sack. Provisions—Beef, per lb„ 6(1 to 7d ; mutton, ditto, Gd to 7d ; veal, ditto, 5d to 7d ; ; pork, per lb, Os 5d to Os 7d ; salmon, per lb, 24 Od to Os Od ;- rabbits, each, Od to Od ; tallow, per stone, 5s 9(1 to Os Od • potatoes, per peck, 12d to Os Od; butter, per lb, 10d to lld eggs, per doz, O s 61 t o Os 8(1 ; hens, per pair, 2s 6(1 to. 3s 0(1; chickens, ditto, 2s at to 2s 6d ; ducks, ditto, 2s 6d. to 3s 0 1 ; ducklings, ditto, 2s Gd to Os Od ; turkeys, each, 3s 61 to 4s Od ; geese, ditto, 3s Od to 4a Od ; butter for exportation (present cure), per cwt, 82s to 841 Od ; ditto (summer cured), 00s to 00s Od ; eggs, wholesale price , per dozen, 6d to Od ; 41b loaf, 8d ; 21b loaf, 4d ; pork 4 fine small, Os Od to Os Od ; pork, large, Os Od to Os Od ; lamb, per qr ., 10 s Od t o Od ; cheese, per imperial :don , 5s 6d to 7s. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCT. SOUTH-EASTERN. We published in our impression of Saturda the fact that the recent vote of the shareholders at' the half yearly meeting had resulted in the remova 1 of Mr. Macgregor from the office of chairman of )znpany, and that he had resigned his duties as t nanaging director. The very skilful policy which has ch aractei !Timed Mr. Macgregor's conduct in the various Parliamentary con tests, in whicq the best interests have beon so seriously and frequently jeopardised, is admitted by all 'rho have paid attention to the progress of our raa,lwa; r system, and the ability he has displayed in his man agi "neat of the financial affairs of the undertaking and tl lel traffic of the line is equally unquestionable. Few Oath, er rail way companies have had to contend against suc 1t is nfluen tial oppositions as have assailed the South-Eas tes la pro prietors ; and we believe we are correct in sayil ig that there is scarcely any railway man in the kingdo who could have so energetically met and so succ‘n ;dully overcome them as did Mr. Macgregor. But f. or years past Mr. Macgregor has been obnoxious to a s .ection of the shareholders, who felt themselves aggri Jed at what they deemed his dictatorial treatment, n ,o t only of their own friends at the board; but, as they e leclared, of every member of the direction. The oppot ;Rion of m any of this section has been of the most pers( Ina' and p er ,•eering character, and although it has, o a many occas.. cms. been sing u l ar l y unsuccessful in its results, yet the new directors w h o were voted in at the late half-yearly. meeting, may be fairly said to ova - e, in a great measure, thoir seats to the long-continued • and witupe rative opposhtion waged ag a i nst Mr. Macgri Tor ray the section of shar k Molders allud e d t o, and amen& *.st u thorn, could find severa l ra il way h 'env .irs-on we believe, we whose railway a mtecedents are no t associated v' ith a t very' large amount of disinterestedness. At the s.l me time, we beg to observe .that we do not, i n th e ren cote st de gree, impute any connection between the new dire .store and the section of ell areholders to whom we have al luded. DUBLIN_ MARCH 24. In every article to-day business was confined to present. wants. Holders were not disposed to meet the views of buyers, and quotations scarcely more than nominal. In dian corn only saleable in retail, though offered at a reduc. Lion of 3s to 4s. White wheat, 40s O 1 to 43s Od ; red ditto, 39s to 41s Odi barley, Itis Od to 188 Od ; oats, 13s Od to 168 Od; rapesee cl nOs Od to 00s Od per brl ; oatmeal, 153 Ed to 17s Od ; bake7B' flour, 23s Od to 27s Od per cwt; ludiau corn, 438 Od to 458 Od per 4801bs. BIRTHS. OF A SON. On the 26th i ns t., a t Camd.em-place, Peckham, M. Albert Massey. On the 22d in s t., a t Dunstable, the wife o f Charles. S. Banning, Esq., solicitor. OF A DAUGHTER. On the 23d inst., at Leamington, the W i fe of the Rev_ William B. Philpot. On the 23d inst., at Brussels, Mrs. Douglas Pitt Gamble. MARRIED. Ch On the David 25th inst. St. Matthew's Church, I s li ng t on, arlos Butt, so at n of Mr. Butt. of Sherbonae-street I s li ng ton, to Mary Eliza, eld es t (laughter of Mr. Roberts , , of Cross-street, Islington. in eldestst, St. Mich ae l' s, B ur l e i gh-street, Strand,On at on of G eorge Mi nter, of Frith street, Soho-square, t o S arah Margaret, only daughter of William Knight, of 357 , Strand. the Edwin, 2st h DIED. On the 22d inst., at Aberystwith, Cardiganshire, aged 86, William Cobb Gilbertson, of Cefugwyn, in the same county. On the 23c1 inst., at Kensington, aged 81, Catherine Peche, relict of the late Rev. John Peche. On the 24th inst., at Torquay, Pulteney Mein, Esq., eldest son of the late Pulteney Mein, Esq., formerly of 11.111. 74th Regiment. On the 24th inst., at Broomfields, St. Paul, Deptford, Kent, aged 85, John David Rolt, Esq., late of the Navy office, a chief clerk and accountant for stores. LONDON: Printed and Published by MURDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the county of Monday. Marc% 27,,18H, MIMI • ~ti., t .effc 1e eac: Met Aril faua star bola Etu-, unpr upon • empl Inon coun but a consi the 1 Wi have zealo for a tr? ,ng oft aj and the 1 with her Pal Scheel nor: 40,1 y Ev send 1 War( by a bourn Terfo: let of out Wi Statio verha Le /Iv( Arriv Leav Arrih ON '1 IN Just riagc origi twee Debi rrin ings, cond Fre Br( Me by der