The Sun. — London, England, 1863-01-26 00:00:00

The Navy of the French Empire. (From the Boston Commercial Bulletin.) PARIS, Nov. 30, 1862. Mr. Editor,—l promised you a full report on the state of the French navy, and having again visited their dockyards and arsenals, I am happy in being able to give it to you. Although I had the mini sterial permission to visit all the dockyards of the Empire, yet I found the greatest difficulty in obtain ing the permission of the admirals commanding the different stations, but at last I succeeded. APPROPRIATIONS. Ia the year 1855 a commission, composed of the most able men of each department of the French Navy, considered the organisation which it would be proper to give to the Imperial navy, and a report of the Minister of Marine, approved by the Em pror, contains a complete list of the ships com rsing the French Navy, with the strength of each ship in guns and horse power, and no doubt this report is in the hands of our Government. The same report gives also the number and strength in guns and horse power of the ships which are to be built from year to year till 1870. The credits necessary to carry out these plans were voted in 1857, and the plan fixed upon was then to be executed and accomplished in 1867, at which time the French Navy was tobe composed (besides a large number of ships of inferior classes) of Screw line-of-battle ships of first class .. 15 Ditto second class 25 Total .... . ............. 40 IMPROVEMENT S. Since then experience has pronounced in favour of iron-cased frigates, and it has been decided by the Imperial Government that the plan fixed upon in 1855 is to be carried out to the letter, with the difLrence of putting iron cased frigates instead of line•of-battle ships. This transformation of the French navy (it war should not accelerate the progress) will be com pleted in 1870, and the principal fighting parts (for aggressive purposes) of the French fleet will consist at that time in 40 iron-cased frigates of the first class, varying in armament from 36 to 52 guns (all rifled and breech loading), having a horse power of from 900 to 1,200, and all possessing a superior speed exceeding 12 knots per hour. Whatever improvements may be made in the meantime in naval architecture, the same plan will be carried out with such slight modifications as well stated and tested experience will show it to be de sirable and necessary to adopt, in order to always secure to France the rank of a first-class naval power. After all that I have seen, it is my firm convic tion that France is the first naval power on the globe, and further, that no other power will possess at the end of another year a fleet able to cope successfully with the French iron-cased fleet on the open sea. ESTIMATES OF EXPENSES. The estimates of the French navy expenses, for the year 1863, is as follows : SECTION 1. Fr. Central administration (personnel) (materials) ' 207.300 7, 79 -Council, general inspection and control .. 1,812,977 SECTION 2. Pay of officers and. crew ---. -- 27,035,806 „ marine troops Different adm . nistrations and agencies Pay of masters, leading men, watchmen Hospitals Victuals 13,748,090 60,111,911 . . SECTION 3, Pay of workmen in the yards General stores for the fleet 34,954,000 Hydraulic works and civil buildings Powder SECTION 4. 60,441,412 Maritime tribunals Naval schools and pursers of the navy Hydrographic and scientific service 400,000 Purchase of books and cost of printing Travelling and different expenses 2,277,660 Temporary expenses Convicts 128,000 3,752,620 SECTION S.—COLONIES. Civil and military service Materials (civil and military) 3,044,500 Penitentiary service (Guyane) 4,912,800 Local service 2,223,500 21,692,400 Total of estimated expenses for the navy and the colonies' These estimates have already been found to be not sufficient to cover the probable expenses of the navy in 1863, and therefore an additional grant has been made to cover the expenses. This grant is added to Section 3, and allows for Fr. General stores of the fleet Hydraulic works and civil buildings 17,000,00( In this additional grant are included for— Fr. The purchase of timber 1,500,000 iron For construction of ships in private establish- 000 ments ) ) The latter items give proof of two facts—That the French Government continues to give the prefer ence to wooden, and against iron ships, and there fore intends yet to increase its already immense stock of timber; and that the iron-cased ships are to be completed with greater rapidity than was originally contemplated. Therefore the large ad ditional grant for the purchase of iron. lam con firmed in this view by the order given a short time ago by the Minister of Marine to complete all the iron•cased ships on the stocks by the middle of next year. With the present relations existing between France and the United States, this fact is of high importance, and looks rather ominous. To return to the estimate, we find that all the grants for the navy for 1863, deducting those for the colonial service, amount to 143,418,020 f., being twenty millions of francs in excess of the naval budget for 1860. The sums allowed for the put chase of the princi pal materials for naval construction use will be found in the following table : Fr. Timber (transportation not included) ........ 6,450,000 Iron and metals of all kinds .. 10,821,000 Hemp, rope, sailcloth, oakum, &c. Pitch, tar, oil, tallow, soap, &c. Coal and combustibles (transportation not included) ... 3,100,000 Cloth, woven articles, &c. Different articles .. Total for purchase of materials 25,666,000 For purchase of steam engines and all kinds of ready-made stores (from private industry) for Fr. 10,215,000 naval construction use ........... .. ; Construction and repair of ships in private esta- 4,100,000 blishments Total cost of transportation of material to the _ naval arsenals The estimated enpenses of the material for the artillery of th e na v y amount to The large amounts granted for the purchsse of rough material, notwithstanding the immense amount of stores on hand, show the intention of the French Government to be prepared to meet the possible exigencies of suddenly increased arma• ments. STEAM NAVY OF FRANCE. The steam navy of France at the present moment —November, 1862—is composed as follows Class. Afloat. Building. Total. Line-of-battle ships 36 .... 1 .... 37 Iron.cased frigates Screw frigates 18 18 •••• •••• Paddle _ - Despatch boats (screw) - • • -- •• •• 1 •• .. 36 •• (paddle) .... 03 Iron-plated floating batteries l4 .... 7 •• 21 Gunboats .... 58 Transport 2 .... 43 Tot,tl ............ 325 .... 42 ....37 SAILING NAVY OF FRANCE. The sailing navy of France consists at present of— Class. illiout. Building. Total. Ships of the li ne .... .) 7 •••• ••• ~ • 7 ngates . 23 ... • .... 23 Corvettes .. 1? 1 • • •. • 13 Brigs . ......... '.• • • ** 2 .. , 21 Small vessels .................. 19 ••• • . orts .................. •• . 26 .... .... 2 6 Transp ........... 32 .... .• " 32 Total.„ 119 3 ....122 STOCK OF MATERIAL ON RAND. To make it possible for the French Government to carry out the plan for the transformation of the navy, notwithstanding a long war preventing the importation of all kinds of material necessary for the construction of ships, the stock of iron, timber, and coal has been increased by fully one-half over the amounts fixed by the navy regulations to he kept on hand. Thas the stock of timber on hand is sufficient for a 71 years' consumption; that of masts for a 30 years' ditto; that of small masts for a 10 years' ditto; that of iron for a five years' ditto; that of copper for a five years' ditto, and almost every other article in a similar proportion. It is to be borne in mind that a year's consump tion is assumed to be equal to the wants of the navy in the course of its regular development. The last official accounts of the stores on hand are dated Jan. 1, 1861. They are contained in the " Comte gene ral du materiel de la Marine," a work very difficult of access. Since that time the stock has been largely increased, but I will give you the correct amount at that date. Stock of materiel on hand in the French navy yards iu Jan., 1861 ; also comparison with the stock required to bo kept on hand by navy regulation ; oN lIAND JAN. 1, 1861. _ English Timber. Unit. E.egle- French. Mtasure, mentary. Measure. tons 440 ft. Oak of all kind *Stere. 171,0,0 219,793 221,514 Pine and resin ous timber 74,000 66,692 61,023 Masts Number 15,000 15,298 Spars Hand masts 25,000 27,759 Elm Other kinds timber . „ 12 , 000 4,240 3,816 * A store is equal to a metre-cube, or about 36 cubic feet. ON HAND JAN. 21, 1861. Regle mentary. Metals. Unit. Cast iron Kilogram. Wrought iron Iron plates Steel If Sheet iron Copper ........... , Kilogram. Sheet copper French Measure. 23,010,692 10,800,000 23,706,582 4,000,000 5,260,873 - 769,869 300,000 137,104 3,479,500 540,327 Lead . • • 2,940,000 1,500,000 1,129,246 lf Tin Zinc 111,091 541,319 Hemp .. Oakum 286,161 Sailcloth 62,146 830,631 647,305 - 9 / 326,463 f f -. 83,867,928 Bunting .. Tar, rosin, pitch, &c.....Kilogratn. Oil of all kinds Candles, tallow, waste, and soap Coal for steamboats Burning wood, charcoal, &C 1) 9,546,695 The stock of timber, particularly oak, on hand in the French arsenals, is without doubt the finest ever selected. The arsenal of Toulon alone contains up• wards of 65,000 tons of the choicest oak timber, mostly procured from the Romagna, the Island of Sardinia, from Burgundy, and the South of France. About 20,000 to 25,000 tons of this quan tity are kept in salt water, mixed with fresh, and the remainder is kept in storehouses constructed of solid masonry, and which together have a length more than a mile and a half. Large as these are they are not sufficient for the wants of the navy, and the whole boundary of the establishment at the Mourillon is being encircled by one building of about a mile in length intended solely for the stor age of timber. This circumstance proves that in France, where the question of iron-cased ships has been very closely studied, the highest authorities of the naval service have come to the conclusion that for sea service the preference has to be given to wooden iron cased ships, and in general to wood built ships instead of iron ones. WOOD VERSUS IRON. Of the 16 iron-cased frigates which France pos. sesses afloat and in construction, only two, the Couronne (afloat) and the Heroine (on the stocks), are built of iron, and it is now regretted by the Government that they were not constructedof wood, for experience has already proved, and without any contradiction, tilat these vessels on account of their rapidly fouling bottom will not be capable of keep ing up in speed with the wooden built and cop pered frigates. The Warrior, of the English fleet, has lost from this cause two knots of her original speed, and it is generally conceded that these iron built men-of-war ships will have to be taken into dock at least every three months to clean their bot toms. The pirate ship Alabama—which by her superior speed defies the whole United States navy, and which actually keeps up a partial blockade of our Northern ports—is a striking example how the advantages of timber built ships for speed are even recognised in an iron country like England. Well knowing that her safety would lie in her superior speed on a long cruise, Mr. Laird, of Birkenhead, the iron- ship builder, has built this ship expressly of timber, with coppered bottom. I regret to have to state my firm conviction that we do not possess in our navy a single ship which is capable to cope with her in speed. This is the consequence of Govern ment never having trusted to private constructors, for the production of superior models for our navy. Vessels of high speed aro what we want, but which we never shall possess unless a different course is adopted by our navy department. The French at the present time have the follow ing iron-cased frigates afloat :—The Gloire, Invin cible, and Normandie, built of timber, and all from the same lines by Mr. Dupuy de Lome ; the Cou ronne, built of iron after plans of Mr. Audenet, and the two ram ships Magenta and Solferino, built of timber after plans of Mr. Dupuy de Lome. The thickness of the iron casing in all these ships, as in those on the stocks, is the same-4i inches near the load line and 41 above that. The first three named ships have been already thoroughly tried at sea, and they are a perfect success. They have at tained the superior speed of 131 knots, under steam alone, with men and armament on board. They roll easy and do not pitch more than is usual. I have been on board of the frigate Invincible, thoroughly e xamined her and found that she has not strained in the least (as was reported)—that she is perfectly tight, and her ventilation is the best I ever met with in any ship, the air being pure throughout. The captain assured me that the ship steers like a pilot boat, and that she never strained or leaked, and is an excellent sea vessel. All the appliances on board of these frigates, to make them real, efficient fight ing ships, are admirable and ingenious. The ten frigates on the stocks are similar to the Gloire in their general outlines, but they are of a far superior model, will have easier motions, be faster still and carry their battery 14 inches higher. I think their shape could yet be improved upon ; but, such as th e y are, I consider them to be the most effi cient men-of-war ships yet laid down by any nation. Their principal dimensions are :—Length, about 265 feet ; breadth, 56 feet ; mean draft 25 2 ' feet, and will render them alway s easily managed ships, obeying the rudder quickly ; and they possess ' in this respect, i m m e nse advantages over th e i r overlarge and over long English adversaries, which, on account of their ex aggerated dimensions, are almost unmanageable. I regret very much to see, from the late accounts received from the United States, that our Govern ment intends to construct a ntimber of iron -cased ships (cruisers) of 7 ,300 tons each. How such a plan could be adopted with the English experience of such large iron ships before our eyes, is more than I can understand. The comparatively small draught of water which these ships only ca n have, on account of the depth of our harbours, prevents a possi bility of giving any great speed to such immense structures, and their necessarily immense length will render them ices manageable yet than their English sister ships. Thus they will be at the mercy of a much smaller opponent, whose superior steering powers allows a choice in position. The construction of such vessels would be as great an exaggeration as was the construction of a whole fleet of Monitors, which, I know, will be ac knowledged are only fit for harbour defence, and which leave our navy of sea-going ehips just as it was before we com►rienced the construction of iron cased ships. SEA-GOING QUALITIES GF IRON-PLATED VESSELS. The fact of the safe arrival of the iron-cased fri gate Normandie at Vera Cruz has dispelled all doubts that were expressed with regard to the pos sibility of iron-cased ships crossing the Atlantic. She is wooden built and coppered, performed ad mirably, and proved to be an excellent sea vessel ; she rolled comparatively easy, and will, after lying four months at Vera Cruz, have preserved her origi nal speed of 1 3 1 knots, while an iron-cased ship (like the Couronne) would in the same time, from foul bottom, attain a speed of no more than 8 knots an hour. This was the reason that the Normandie was substituted for this expedition instead of th Couronne, which ship had already had orders to proceed to Vera Cruz. Toe Gloire and her sister E hips, and also the Couronne, have engines of 900- horse power, and are armed with 36 rifled 30-poun der guns throwing shot of 701 b. weight, but breech loading rifled 30-pounders are being substituted. THE SUN', LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 26, 1863. a good ventilation on account of the many water tight bulkheads necessarily used in their construc tion. 4. Their great unhealthiness, as proved n‘ready by the few cruises made by the Warrior and Defence.—Yours truly, DONALD MCKAY. THE GAPE OF GOOD HOPE. PLYMO wr Er, Saturday. The Royal mail steamship Cambrian, Commander Wm. Strutt, from the Cape of Good Hope, Dec. 21; St. Helena, 29th; and Ascension, Jan. 2, arrived this morning, and having discharged GL , v, rnment invalids proceeded to South runt4on. Her cargo includes 48 packages of wine, 8:4 bales of sheep's wool, 44 bags of copper ore, 51 cases of aloes, 39 bags of bulbs, 11 bales of silk, 30 bales of grass cloth, a variety of other produce, and five packages of re mittances, value £550. The day before the Cambrian left Governor Wodehouse was employed with the Council in determining the course to be adopted regarding the construction of new railroads. The Cape Town and Wellington Railroad was to have been completed for £•i00,000; the capital was exhausted and £lOO,OOO borrowed, and the road is opened only as far as Bennetsvilie. Tho Crown agents in England had informed the Government that bona fide contractors declined to go to the expense of making preliminary surveys on the mere chance of obtaining the c .ntracts. The Government had struck out the clauses from bills allowing these expenses and hence the difficulty. The public expenditure for last year was expected to be -SlO,OOO more than the receipts. Tho inland portions of the Eastern Province and South African Republics continued to suffer from drought. Cattle were dying by thousands, and provisions were at famine prices. The prevalent distress had compelled the Zuloos to be peaceable. _ _ The works of Green Point Tramway were commenced. During fine weather the works connected with the break water in Table Bay were pushed forward with activity. The construction of the telegraph from Cape Town to Graham's Town was to be commenced forthwith. The ship William, 650 tons, Captain Hutton, foundered at sea near the St. John's River on the 22d of November, when on her passage from Singapore for London. Her crew consisted of 21 persons, of whom two only, boys, named -- Scotland and Remy C lyntl 004, ped. The boys sepa rated on landing, and wandered on the beach for several days. When found they were nearly famished, having had only a few shellfish to subsist on. The paddlewheel steam sloop Argus, 6, Commander L. J. Moore, from Plymouth and Madeira, arrived in Simon's Bay Nov. 14, and sailed Dec. 4 for China. The screw steam frigate Narcissus, 39, Capt. Joseph G. Pickford, flag of Rear •Admiral Sir Baldwin W. Walker, K. C. 8., left Simon's Bay Dec. 18 for Loando and the West Coast of Africa. The screw steam corvette Orestes, 21, Capt. Alan 11. Gardner, arrived.in Simon's Bay Nov. 13 from Mozambique. The royal mail steamship Dane, from Plymouth Nov. 6, arrived in Table Boy Dec. 13. The Queen of the South, 43 days from England, arrived Dec. 11, and left again on the 15th for the East Indies. The Lady Jocelyn, from Calcutta Oct. 18, arrived in Table Bay, Dec, 18. Her port piston broke the day after leaving Bombay, and she was compelled to come on under canvas. Vv The screw steam storeship Wye, Master Commander V. G. Roberts, from the West Coast of Africa, arrived at St. Helena Dec. 5. PORTI7GAL. SOUTHAMPTON, Saturday. The screw steamship Tartar,_ Captain W. Tally, from Lisbon the 20th inst., and Vigo the 21st, arrived in dock this afternoon, and left for London after landing passengers, &c., for this port. She brings mails from Lisbon, letter bags from the British fleet in the Tagus, and 12 packages of despatches for the Government. The Tartar has 12 chief cabin passengers, 15 second, and 45 third class, the latter being seamen of the Portuguese navy on their way to join a new frigate building in London. On freight she h a s £ 2,147 in specie, 970 bags of coffee, 90 casks of wine, 184 bo x e s o f eggs, 542 chest of oranges, 1,300 frails of figs, 924 bags and casks of nuts, 57 pipes of oil, 328 packages of general mer chandise, and 12 live bullocks. On the coast of Portugal the Tartar experienced light winds, with heavy rolling sea ; in the Bay of Biscay and in the Channel strong winds and heavy sea. According to Lisbon letters of the 20th, by the Tartar, the Louie Cabinet appeared strong in both houses since the nomination of the recent new batch of peers. Ministerialists had been elected to the standing committees in the House of Deputies, but no party or political debate had yet come on in either House. The ex.hanges this packet at three months were—Lon don, 54 ; Paris, 529 ; Hamburg, 28i ; Amsterdam, 42k Genoa, 52 to 472 ; Bank of 5 ; 3 per Cent. Stock, 4 7i Por tugal shares, 551 to 553; Oporto Bank shares, 256 to 258, The foreign vessels of war in the Tagus when the Tartar left were her Majesty's ships Revenge, Warrior, Defence, Black Prince, Resistance, and Trinculo, and the American corvette St. Louis. DEATH OF A YOUNG LADY BY FIRE.—A dread ful accident, which has resulted in the death of Miss Janet Agnes Eurchell, daughter of Mr. W. Burchell, solicitor, took place at that gentleman's residence, 42, Upper Harley -street, on Thursday night last. Intimation of the death having been for warded to Dr. Lankester, the Ow ner for Central Middlesex, he attended at Mr. Burchell's on Saturday evening, and held an inquest in one of the apartments there. From the evidence of Lucy Fames, housemaid in the establishment, it appeared that she was in the kitchen on Thursday night about 10 o'clock, when she heard screams from the direction of Miss Burcholl's bedroom which was on the third floor of the house. She at once ran upstairs, and, on reaching. the second floor, found the young lady in flames. She and some of the other servants threw two hearthrugs over Miss Burchell, and the flames were soon extinguished, but not before the deceased had been dreadfully burnt. Dr. Garrod and Mr. Erichson,the eminent surgeon, were sent for, but their services were of no avail. Miss Burchell died at 20 minutes after 5 o'clock on Friday morning. She told the witness that the accident had oc curred from a burning coal which fell from the firegrate and ignited a muslin dress which she was wearing. She was about to go to bed and had removed tho guard from the fire in her bedroom. The coroner said it had been stated in some of the papers that the accident took place at a ball, and while Miss Burchell was dancing. The witness replied that there was no truth in the statement. There was no ball at Mr. Burchell's on Thursday night, and Miss Burchell was alone and in her bedroom at the time of the unfortunate occur rence. Emma Morgan, lady's-maid to Mrs. William Burchell, jun., stated that she was in her mistress's bed room, on the second fl oor, last Thursda y ni g ht at a q uarter past ten o'clock. She heard screams from the third floor tseh,Hrestanding ani ßurchell's tdionvge room. rouh te ri .d e ODinnr.ao Garrod blaze.eanrrinogd in to see Miss Burchell at a b ou t a i a t n s d h rea foundn to t h s o s o r gc 3: e al f ulne l‘ rdde l s S t h a e te g d o t t h a at h h ea e r w th a r s u quarter past ten o'clock on Thursday night. At that time some of her clothes were still burning. The injuries from the fire were general, and some of the flesh was much charred. Miss Burchell rallied somewhat from the shock; but from the first there was no hope of saving her life, and between 5 and 6 on Friday morning she sank under an affec tion of the larynx, caused by her having inhaled the flames from her burning garments. Dr. Lankester said he did not think it necessary to take any further evidence, The cause of death was proved ; and Miss Burchell herself had told one of the witnesses the way in which the melancholy accident had occurred. There was nothing in this case to show that the ignition of the unfortunate young lady's dress was owing to the existence of extended petti coats, which was the cause of so many deaths among our countrywomen. But there was this in evidence, that the muslin dress worn by Miss Burchell was iu flames when Emma Morgan found the deceased outside the door of her mistress's bedroom. It was greatly to be desired that ladies should require their laundresses to render muslin dresses uninflammable by the use of one of those chemical prepara tions which would render them so, without injuring their appearance, and at a cost so trifling that it was scarcely to be taken into account. A number of letters had b_en ad dressed to him on this subject. On that day he had re ceived several; and one of his correspondents had been good enough to forward him specimens of muslin which had been rendered incombustible, and of two preparations, either of which would make it so. One of these was sul phate of ammonia and the other tungstate of soda. Both were soluble, and the latter could be purchased at ls. a pound. A juror asked how much per dress would the use of one of these preparations cost. Dr. Garrod said a fraction of a farthing. They could be dissolved in warm water, and the dress might be put into the liquid ; or, perhaps, a more convenient mode of using them was to mix them with the starch. Dr. Lankester exhibited several of the speci mens of muslin that had been forwarded to him, showing by experiment that they would not blaze when applied to a lamp, while specimens of the same material which had not been subjected to the chemical process blazed like ordinary paper. He hoped this subject would not be lost sight of. It was one in which every man, as a husband, a father,or a bro - ther, was interested. Only the evening befog e the dresses of two of the young ladies performing iu the Princess's Theatre caught fire, and the poor girls were badly injured. He had just been to the Middlesex Hospital to inquire about them, and hefouud that one was so much burnt that she was not likely to recover. A juror asked whether these accidents were on the increase. Dr. Lankester said he regretted to think that they were. The jury , returned a verdict of accidental death. Mr. Burchell, jun., observed that on behalf of his afflicted uncle, the father of the deceased, he had to thank Dr. Lankester and the gentlemen who had served on the jury f o r the kind and considerate way in which they had carried on an investigation which, under any circumstances, and cia e jury li an d s expressed fam i i and her melancholyy,dealti must be a painful one in a h ouse o f mourn i ng . The coroner their si ncere s y m p a thy with Mr. Bur chell h iss ha ß s ur d c e h ep el l l y c 2 t e 7 d y a e l a l r h s e o i f raeglae: A letter from Narbonne states that 16 empty car riages, which were standing in the railway station of Len cate, were three days ago blown over by the violence of the wind, IRON RAMS. The two ram frigates Magenta (at Brest) and Solferino (at I.'Orient) are built on entirely if&rent principles. The how of these ships is admirable for the purpose designed. It their upper battery was re moved, and the lower one plated from stem to stern, in my opinion they would be the most formidable vessels in the world. Up to the first battery these ships are plated from stem to stern, but in the upper battery only 12, and in the lower battery only 13 guns are protected by iron casing. The four ro a s of iron casing are 41 inches thick; the upper ones, 41. Both ships are being built of timber, and I there fore consider it a bad plan to have left their ex tremities unprotected. Their bhape and interior arrangementa are almost perfect. Their engines are 1,000 horse-power; speed 331 to 14 knots; armament consists in fifty-two 30- pounder rifled guns, on two decks: The Magenta is now ready for sea. The Solferino was making her machinery trials when I was on board, and she will be ready for sea before the middle of Decem ber. IRON-CASED FRIGATES. The names of the 10 iron cased frigates on the stocks are Provence, Savoie, and Revanche, at Toulon; Guienne, at Rochefort ; Heroine (of iron) and Surveillant, at L'Orient; Gauloise, Magnanime and Valeureuse, at Brest ; Flandre, at Cherbourg. These ships are all built from the same lines, and after the same plans. They are -built exceedingly strong, and the materials used in their construction, as well as the workmanship, cannot be surpassed. Their engines (almost finished) will be of 1,000 horse power, and they are expected to realise a speed of 14 knots. Their armament will consist of 38 breach-loading rifled 30-pounder steel guns, throw ing shot of 180Ibs. weight, with which the stoutest armour plates have been penetrated at 600 metres or 660 yards distance. A considerable stock of these guns is on hand at L'Orient. Work was progressing rapidly on the Provence, Flandre, Guienne, Heroine, and Surveillant. The Provence will be launched in December. The other four ships can be completed before April next. All their beams were in, and they were ceiled and partly planked. The ribs and beams of the Heroine were in place, and the four lower streaks of plates were rivetted on. The remaining five frigates on the stocks all stood in frame, and with their beams in and partly ceiled, and can be completed if neces sary before next June. Thus France will have afloat by middle of nest summer 16 iron-cased frigates superior in shape, speed, and steering powers to those of any other nation. OTHER VESSELS. Besides the iron-cased frigates I found in Toulon on the stocks the Tamil, a large three-decked steam transport frigate of 500 horse power; also four second class screw gun }mats on an improved design —six feet draught of water, At Cherbourg and Rochefort, two other large steam transport frigates ure building. At Brest, two 22 gun frigates. At L'Orient, a gunboat. All these vessels are built of timber. PRIVATE ESTABLISHMENTS WORKING FOR GOVERN MENT. The private establishments are executing many orders for the Government. Mr. Arman, in Bor deaux, is building four light drLught iron-caged floating batteries from plans of Mr. Lemoine in L'Orient. They will be plated with 6-inch iron throughout, and their armament is to consist of eight 180-pounder steel guns, and they will have two engines each 50 horse power, and be propelled by two screws under the counter. To obtain an exceedingly light draught these batteries are con structed of iron. They are named the Embruscade, Impregnable, Protective, and Refuge. At the establishment of Mr. Gouin, at Nantes, three other iron-cased floating batteries are build ing, named the Arrogante, Implacable, and Opinia tre ; are of iron and light draught; engines are of 150 horse power, and these batteries will be armed with 10 of the heaviest guns, of which nine can be used on either side, also three could be used in a chase, or three in retreat. The speed of these bat teries will be 61 knots, which is considered perfectly sufficient. They are entirely different in shape from anything that has been constructed, and are what our Government should have had to take and to hold our Southern ports. The batteries in Nantes are only to be plated near the load line with 4 inch iron, and above that - with 41. All these batteries will be completed by next summer. Several trans port frigates, gunboats, and despatch boats are being built in the private establishments of Bor deaux, Ciotat, and Havre. ENLARGEMENT OF NAVAL ARSENALS, DOCKYARDS, AND WORKSHOPS. Works for the enlargement of the five naval ar senals are hi progress. The dry dock accommodation is also being increased in all the yards. Ia Toulon two are completed and the third is excavated, and all are of enormous size. In L'Orient one has been lengthened sufficiently to admit two ships of the largest class at a time. In Brest three are being cut out of the solid rock, and one of them is far enough advanced to begin the mason work. The workshops for the construction and repair" of steam machinery in Toulon (at Castigneau) and at Brest are without any parallel for size and excellent arrangement• Steam saw mills for cutting plank, curved and bevelled timber, have been erected in Toulon, Brest, and Cherbourg, and are nearly finished at L'Orient and Rochefort, on the most extensive scale, show ing again that the French naval authorities have come to the conclusion that man-of-war ships have to be built in future as before, of wood in preference to iron. The whole dockyard organisation in France is of the most perfect description, and allows the Government to carry out its plans with the utmost rapidity. Thus arrangements have lately been made at Toulon and Cherbourg enabling them to put pro visions and stores for an army of 60,000 men on board of a fleet in less than half a day's time, and the purport of this can be easily guessed. The plans for new vessels are not made exclusively at the Ministry of Marine, as formerly, but a programme of the works to be undertaken is communicated to all the dockyards—and all the naval construc►ors, of whom there are 122 in the service, are allowed to submit their plans to a commission, and the plan offering the most advantages, though perhaps com lug from the lowest in rank, is adopted. To this ex cellent system, worthy of a free country, the pre sent high standard of French naval construction is indebted. WHAT THE UNITED STATES NAVY OUGHT TO BE. In comparison with the power of the navies of France or England I must confess ours is not worthy the name of a navy. In conclusion, I may be allowed to say, in order that we may be respected by all the European naval Powers, we ought to corn- mence without delay the construction of at least 12 iron-cased frigates of from 36 to 52 guns, each of not more than 25 feet mean draught of water. These will form the nucleus of our real fighting ships at se a. We ought further to have an equal number of corvettes of high speed, and of about 14 to 16 guns each, and about twenty of 30 to 50 gun fri gates, and an E qual number of screw steam sloops of war of about 20 guns each, both latter classes of the highest speed obtainable, so as to allow them to evade their iron-cased opponents. The latter ves sels will always prove of excellent use in case of a ships ought to foreignA lAll the s w e a s rh i n harassing commerce. b t e he bui e i n t e o m f y ti 's niber, ana in the most substantial manner. Not until this hasin crerespaseeotasa bneaetnion a ccom plished shall we c omm and . Iron ships ought not to be adopted in our sea going fl ee t, f or th e f o llowing reasons: -1• The fouling of their bottoms (against which no remedy has been found yet), and consequent loss of speed. 2. The weakness of their bottoms, and consequent liability of soon breaking up whenever they touch. 3. The impossibility to give them a good ventila tion, all the artificial means having failed to produce SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. SATURDAY REVIEW.—The pleasure of astonish ing somebody appears to be a necessary condition of Lord Russell's political vitality. At a.l times of the year, and especially during the period of the Parliamentary recess, he delights to look on the British public in the light of an old grandmother, and to exhibit himself in the character of a game some darling just home from school ; and he is per petually making the poor old lady's life a burden to her by reason of the combined hardihood and ingenuity of his pranks. Sometimes it is a letter to a friendly Bishop, lighting up the flame of religious discord from one end of the island to the other. Sometimes it is a sudden resignation, secretly con ceived and executed for the purism of tripping up a body of too-confiding colleagues. Sometimes it is an a'arming announcemeat that we have broken with a " trusty and loyal ally." During the pre sent recess he has been peculiarly successful in the conception and execution of these startling per formances. There has been something more than usually audacious and elfish in his antics; and he has nearly frightened his aged relative out of her wits. He has forestalled the decision of the House of Commons by proposing to make away with an important national possession during its proroga tion; and he has picked a gratuitous quarrel with . the native country of our future Queen. These, how ever, are minor gambols. The great summersault which has fairly set the household screaming has only just been executed. Those who were most fami liar with his wonderful capacity for turning head over heels were not prepared for the supple agility of the feat which, in the late French despatches, has been exhibited to the world. How little could the pious nurse who listened so joyfully to the first lusty cry of his infant Protestantism twelve years ago, have foreseen that the author of the Durham Letter Mould live to invite the Pope himself to take up his residence in a palace, st e , in the character eithe, of a Sovereign or a Bishop, upon the territory of England ! The dilemma is embarrassing enough. If it was as a temporal Sovereign that the Pope was invited to take up his residence in an English palace, Lord Russell is not only hostile to the conjunction of tcinporal and spiritual authority, but he is will ing to be the means of perpetuating it under the protection of the British flag. This hypothesis is clearly out of the question. It would be impossible that England, which has suffered more than one friendly sovereign to escape to the asylum of her shores in secrecy and disguise, and to subsist there upon private bounty, should assign the British fleet as convoy, and a palace maintained by British taxes as a residence, to the one Sovereign with whom she has never been on the terms of ordinary diplomatic cosartesy;and whose existing temporal prerogatives our Government is striving to overthrow. It cannot be that we shall show to the hostile Sovereign of Rome a favour which 15 years ago we refused to the allied Sovereign of France. Why is he to be preferred to the petty princes of Tuscany, Parma, and Modena, whom we have suffered to fly from their dominions with no suggestion of a passage in a British man-of war, or of a hospitable reception in a Maltese palace ? It is in some greater eharac ' ter than that of the petty ruler of a strip of land on the western slope of the Apennines, that all this un wonted courtesy has been showered upon him. But the other horn of the dilemma meets us with diffi culties scarcely less embarrassing. There is no doubt that it is to the Pcpe, in his ecclesiastical capacity as spiritual head of one half of Christen dom, that the hospitality of the English Govern ment has been offered. But is it really possible that the author of the Durham Letter was also the author of this pressing invitation ? Is it possible that the ardent Protestant whose indignatiota burned with so intense and yet pure a flame because a few obscure bishops were sent to look after their Roma❑ Catholic flocks in England, should now ba inviting the Bishop of Bishops, who claims jurisdiction over the whole world,to take up his abode, surrounded by all the am bitious pageantry of his office, in a palace on British ground. kis a pity the Pope did not take advantage of the offer. It would have been edifying to the Protestant world to study the variety of anomalous consequences which would have arisen under the auspices of the great Protestant leader of 1851. The . Pope would not, of course, retire to Malta unat- tended, nor would he be inactive during his stay. Whatever might become of his temporal govern ment, his spiritual attributes would still remain to him. The spiritual allegiance of the whole Catholic world would still be rendered to him, and its govern ment would still be in his hands. All the adminis trative machinery through which that government is ordinarily exercised would follow him to Malta. The Court. of Cardinals, and the Roman Chancery, and the Holy Inquisition, and the Propaganda, and ill the countless establishments by which the mis s'onary work in heathen and heretical countries is carried on, would, of course, follow their great Head into the second captivity of the Papacy. LONDON REVlEW.—Sheridan, at the close of whose speech the house adjourned in order to have time to recover their dispassionate powers of judg ment, was counted out on the question of the Abo lition of Slavery. Burke, with his fancy and enthu siasm, was more than once coughed down. Fox, who delighted his hearers with his argument, is said on in illy occasions to have wearied them by its iteration. Pitt, Fox, and Burke agreed to give the palm of an cient and modern eloquence to the speech of Sheridan just mentioned; and yet some doubts as to the jus tice of the verdict cannot but suggest themselves, when we hear a speech of Lord Radnor, a few years later, spoken of by both Windham and Canning as the best they had ever heard. Either the degene racy of orators bad taken place very rapidly, or such judgments must be taken with a little reservation. Lord Brougham, only 30 years ago, besought the peers, "on bended knees," not to reject the Reform Bill. Traces of the prominent personal element are to be found in every great speech of the time. It takes sometimes the form of attacks against oppo nents to which Parliament is now a stranger ; sometimes that of such painful scenes as the quarrel between Fax and Burke; but it is most common in the form of what may almost be called egotism. Pitt once told the House of Commons of the remi niscences of his childhood. Fox declared, at the:be ginning of one of his best speeches—that on the Westminster election—that he did not expect to meet with bare justice in the house. The words created some disturbance; Fox dwelt on them, re peated them, and overawed his enemies, as the story goes, when he had pronounced them four times over. How irresistibly the elle breaks out in Grattan's celebrated invective in the Irish Parliament against Flood, by no means a contemptible foe ! The speaker begins by supposing an imaginary character, whom he invests with all the faults of his opponent, and in whom he traces his history. His evident inten tion is to keep up the transparent mask to the end of the speech, and then annihilate his rival by a word—much in the same way as Brougham, forty years later, directed a memorable attack on Can ning. But in the middle of the speech the orator can restrain himself no longer; the direct hostility which inspires the assault is too powerful to allow the flimsy pretext of an imaginary character, and Grattan bursts into one of those fiery onsets which no man ever led with such effect. " The merchant may say to you—the constitutionalist may say to you—the American may say to you—aed I, I now ay, land say to your beard, sir—you are not an honest man !" The artificial character of most of he great speeches on record is another feature which cannot but be remarked. Nearly all exhibit ,t designed, often a complicated, arrangement of the matter. There is no reason to think that speeches were prepared with more labour than at present ; some doubtless were committed to memory then as now, some depended on the inspiration of the mo ment. Cicero himself cannot have elaborated his Speeches with more care than Lord Macaulay. The impression which the speeches of the latter on the Reform Bill left on the minds of the audience was, that the speaker was an extraordinary clever man, who did not seem to care much about the debate, provided that his sentences turned out right. He quotes in his speeches from his history, and in his history from his speeches. But in arrangement of the matter, Macaulay no more resembles Pitt than a simple equation resembles a problem in the Lunar Theorem. The only modern debater who has taken pains in this respect is Mr. Gladstone ; and it is for this reason, probably, that so curious a resemblance will be foiand between all his budget speeches, con sidered simply as rhetorical exercises. This is not the only respect in which Mr. Gladstone hears some likeness to the" heaven-born minister." Unlike him in manner, he is like him in clear roundness of enun ciation, and like him in persuasivess of tone. Such parallels are often interesting to trace, even when perfect exactness is unattainable. Thus, in his modes of thought and choice of words, Mr. Disraeli ap proaches more nearly than any modern speaker to Canning, though he, again, is very different from him in manner ; and as far as regards vigour, readiness, and beautiful clearness of style, Lord Derby is the nearest copy of Fox which we can pro . - duce. Burke has no close parallel among us now, nor has Grattan; unless we can conceive Mr. Roe b ick in his best moments, to bring back in some faint degree, the " drawling but fiery" sentences of the great Irishman. It need hardly be added that he in no degree resembles him in the exquisite music of cadence, in which Grattan stands among all ora tors supreme. EXAMINER—In the " Wreck Ashore," when Magog the beadle is prostrate on the stage in:help less drunkenness, his friend urges him to get up, upon which Magog hiccups out, " It is all very easy to say get up, but the question is, how do you do it ?" And in this will be Sambo's question upon the President's exhortation to him to rise and take his liberty. The problem is made the more per plexing by the injunction to abstain from violence. So in the French illustration of barren gifts ; the father makes his little son a pre sent of a drum, saying, "Go and amuse yourself with your toy, but only mind to make no noise." But there is an important qualification to the in junction against violence, and it is the permission to resort to it in self-defence, a case that must arise whenever the slave, in assertion of his freedom, re fuses obedience to his master's command, and is threatened with punishment for his rebellion. And here we come to the object of the Proclamation, an object, however, which does not seem a jot promoted by it. For if slavery be the bitter condition we believe it to be, the slave with power to break his bonds will not wait for a permission. If he feels his wrong he will seize his rights, when he has the force to do so, without leave or licence. He did so in St. Do mingo in a way that horrified the world. But in St. Domingo the black population immensely out numbered tho white. In the Southern States the case is reversed, and the white population almost as three to one to the black, and superior even more by the habit of domination than physical force. What, then, does the Proclamation for the slave ? It gives him no assistance, no sanction for seizing his liberty, for he wants no sanction if he believes himself as a human being entitled to his own body. To borrow a French metaphor, it forces an open door. Where there are the disposition and power to rebel they would have their course without the President's instigation; and where those things are not the Proclamation will not create them. No slave will feel himself a jot the better for the Pre sident's Proclamation of his freedom, which to him is a practical lie. " Thank you for nothing" will be his sentiment ; but, on the other hand, how bitter must be the feeling of the blacks in the loyal States whose bondage is rivetted expressly to reward their taskmasters. These are the people to whom lessons against resort to violence should be addressed, for they must need them, unless their patience and endurance exceed those of the fabled Uncle Tom. The philanthropic Mr. Sumner's view of the purpose of the Proclamation is doubt less the true one —" to light a fire in the rear." So some years ago, in Ireland, rapacious savages would put a woman on the red-hot grate to extort the secret of her hiding-place for valuables. And though the Proclamation may not serve to in stigate an insurrection, for which the blacks are not strong enough, it may serve here and there to incite to domestic treachery and occasional rape, robbery, and murder, which will shake the security of the Confederates, oblige them to look at home, and dis pose them to distrust of their negroes, and propor tionate severity in the treatment of the suspected. Whatever there may be bad in the feelings and dis positions of masters and slaves will be rendered worse by that malignant document. It will fall far short of its aim, but not without much revolting mischief. LAW TIMES.—It has been long ago ascertained that crimes vary with the seasons, not only in num ber, but in character. Thus there is a greater amount of crime in the winter quarters and a greater number of apprehensions in the summer quarters; the absence of light tempts to offences by the faci lity for escape. But we learn that, although 1 in 134 of the whole population is a known criminal, in only a trifle more tha❑ half the crimes committed is the criminal caught. In each of the winter quar ters the proportion of crimes to detection were 52 per cent,; in the summer quarters 56 and 53 per cent. respectively. This, too, is only the propor tion of apprehensions to crimes; the convictions are fewer still, as will be seen hereafter. It must be borne in mind that the crimes now under conside ration are only those graver ones that are indict able ; all that large class disposed of summarily by magistrates are excluded, and will be the subjects of separate review in a future article. Now turn we to the localities of crime. The murders in 1861 were 106, being 7 more than in 1860. Of these 10 were in the metropolitan police district ; in Lanca shire, 11; in Staffordshire, 9; in Gloueesterehire, 7 ; in Devon, Warwickshire, and the West Riding of Yorkshire, 5 each; in Somerset and Southampton, 4 each ; in Cheshire, Durham, Kent, and Lincoln, 3 each ; in Cambridgeshire, Northumberland, Suf folk, Surrey, and Westmoreland, 2 each ; 15 cowl. ties had but one ; there were 9 in the whole of Wales; and 14 counties were free from the crime. For these 106 murders 128 persons were appre hended, and 90 committed for trial. The conceal. ment of births were 151, of which 97 were reported by the county police, 34 by the borough police, 20 in the metropolis. The number for the preceding year had been 147, the number in the metropolis having been precisely the same as in 1861. Bur glary is increasing. In 1860 the police reported 2,221 cases, in 1861 they numbered 2,791 ; of these 48 per cent. were in the counties and 51 per cent. in the boroughs. The number of vessels which entered the port of Monaco during the year 1862 was 918, and that of the visitors to the town during the same period 16,092. The Salut Public of Lyons, in speaking of the approaching arrival of Mme. la Marechale Canro bert in that city, states that the Hotel Varissan, in which the Marshal resides, is considerably out of repair, "It has, however," observes that journal, "a fine garden and noble trees. The famous Blanchet painted the ceilings, particu larly that of the dining room, on which was the following motto, 'Ni regret du passe, ni pour de l'avenir I' After the death of the last of the Varissans, which took place some years before the Revolution, the hotel was appropriated suc cessively to various public services; it was inhabited by the Prefects of the Rhone up to the period when the offices and the apartments of the Prefecture were removed to the Cloitre des Jacobins, In 1822 the city purchased the building and r appropriated it to the residence of the general commanding the military division. On that occasion internal changes and repairs were commenced, which have been continued down to the present time. Nothing now remains of the paintings of Blanchet, which were sold by auction, Mme. Canrobert will have a deal to do to impart elegant life to that terrace of the Rue de Bourbon, on which the Count de Castellano was accustomed to walk up and down alone, with all the regularity of a sentinel on duty. Varissan, the ori ginal proprietor of the hotel, was grandson of a notary, who acted for the Chapter of Lyons, who at the period of the occupation of the city by the Baron des Adrets in 1562, concealed in a well in the Rue de Bceuf the titles and some relics of the Prituatial Church. The Chapter, among other marks of its gratitude, conceded to the Varissans the privi lege of having the great bell of St. Jean tolled at the death of any member of his family. By a coincidence worthy of remark, the successive occupants of the hotel of the Rue Boissat have generally enjoyed a similar right in virtue of their high functions. The great bell, which rang out for the last Varissans, was also tolled for Marshal de Castellano. [ADvERTIsEm - ENT.]—H olloway's Ointment and Pills.— Paralysis, deep-seat , d rheumatism, and stiff contracted joints may always be cured by these medicines, if they have a fair trial. But such diseases are not cured in a single day. The patient must have a little perseverance and determination, and then with these powerful medicines he cannot fail to conquer his disease, however obstinate it may be. The Ointment should be briskly rubbed into the parts affected, after they have been fomented with luke warm water. The Pills, by their action on the blood, and the humours of the body, are an admirab:e auxiliary to the Ointment, and improve and invigorate the whole system, Directions for the use of these medicines accompany each pot and box, METROPOLITAN BOARD OF WORKS. Oa Friday the ordinary weekly rneeting:of the Metropolitan Board of Works was held at the ( ffices, Spring gardens ; Mr. John Thwaites in the chair. The cash statement of the Finance Committee presented the following cash balances in the hands of the treasurer :—Current accounts, £119,875 Gs. ; deposit accounts, £6,500; New Three per Cent. Annuities, £75,151 Os. 7d.; and the sums to be set aside for the repayment of mortgage debts, received in respect of Metropolitan Commission of Sewers, £438, THE WESTERN DRAINAGE AND THE THAMES EM- BAN KM EN T. Mr. TITE, M.P.,introdnced a deputation from the vestry at Chelsea, who presented a memorial,which stated that in 1856 the Government resolved to con stitute a road for the embankment of the river from Vauxhall-bridge to Battersea-bridge, and the Par liament then voted £145,753 for the construction of the work ; that the embankment and road had been completed by Mr. Page, the engineer, to the ex tremity of the buildings of Chelsea Hospital, and there stopped, leaving 500 yards of the road use less, it ending in a cul-de sac; that a large portion of that vote remained unexpended, and Vaat it only required about 1,500 yards to complete the embank ment and road ; that they respectfully suggested that the sewer from Fulham might be combined with this valuable improvement in the same man ner, as the sewer would be conveyed behind the embankment from Westminster-bridge to Black friars-bridge. Mr. FINCH respectfully pressed these important facts to the attention and consideration of the Board in a very able address. Mr. TITE, M.P., explained to the Board that this memorial was consistent with the statement he had made last week. He gave full explanations, and moved a reference of the memorial to the Main Drain age Committee to examine and report thereon. Mr. LAMMIN seconded the motion, and said he thought that so great au improvement would re ceive the support and encouragement of the Board. The question of what the parish of Chelsea ought to contribute would be, he thought, an after conside ration. Mr. H. L. TAYLOR said he should certainly sup port the motion, and he thought the extension of the road of embankment ought to be considered only as a matter of detail. After some further discussion the motion was put and carried unanimously. Mr. FREEMAN, pursuant to notice, moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee, to report what proportion of the expenses incident to the execution of the Thames embankment works ought to be charged to the Thames embankment fund. Mr. D'IFFANGER moved as an amendment that it be taken into consideration at some future day. After some remarks from Mr. Newton, The amendment was put and lost by a minority of one. The original motion was then put and carried. The Clerk (Mr. Pollard) read a letter from Mr. Slight, Secretary of the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway Company, assenting to the requirement of the payment by the company of an excess above £1,600 of cost of drainage works at Denmark-hill station. It was ordered to be put on the minutes of the Board. After the transaction of the routine unimportant business the Board adjourned. COITNTRY MARKETS. YORK- SATURDAY. At to-day's corn market the supply of farmers' wheat was moderate. Buyers operated to a lair extent at fully is per qr reduction. Barley scarce, and prices about the same as last week. Wheat, red 44s to 48s Oat 5.... White do .50s to 56s Beaus 40, to 420 Barley .28s to 368 Peas ....—s to —g Malt, 64s to 66s per qr. ; rye, 34s per qr ; flour, 36s to 38s per sack. LEICESTER-SATUImAT. At to-day's corn market the show of farmers' wheat was tolerable, with an average attendance. There was a slow demand, and prices must be noted is per qr under late terms. —Old white wheat, 58s to 60s ; new, 48s to 54s per 36 stone. Old red, 64s to 56s per 36 stone. Barley, malting, new, 34s to 38s per qr.; grinding, 28s to 30s; old oats, 27s to 30s; new oats, 20s to 24s per 24 stone. Beans, new, —s to —s ; old, 41s to 43s per 38 stone. NORTHAMPTON-SATURDAY. New wheat, 46s to 51s; old, 50s to 565. Barley, 28s to 42s per qr. New oats quoted at 20s to 27s ; old, 28s to 35s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 39s to 425; new, 32s to 365. Peas, 34s to 44s per qr. NORWICH-SATURDAY. The supply of wheat at to•day's market was fair, but the condition was very moderate. The sales made were is per qr lower than last week's rates. There was a limited supply of barley, and in many instances is per qr more money was given for the best malting sorts. In beans, oats, and peas little business passing. White wheat. 48s to 51 , I Red wheat 43s to 48s Malting barley ...37s to 39s Chevalier barley-35a to 36s Distilling do 32s to 34s I Oats.. 24Q to 23a Flour, 34s Od to —s Od per sack from the miller. NOTTINGHAM-SATURDAY. There was a tolerable supply of wheat at this corn market to-day, but many of the samples were in bad condition, owing to the damp weather of the past week. For all fine sorts late prices were paid, and inferior is lower. There was not much barley shown, and prices were firm. Oats meta quiet sale. _ Whiie wheat, from 45s to 645; red wheat, 45s to 565. Barley—malting, 34s to 43s ; grinding, 28s to 30s. Oats old, at 25s to 31s Od ; new, 23s to 265. Beans sold at 32s to 45s per qr, Flour, 33s to 438. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. Feb. 18. via Marseilles Feb. 12. Small and Cape Verds, by British packet. Feb. 3. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Feb. 1. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Feb. 1. via Marseilles Jan. 27. Falkland 151and5...... Gibraltar, via Southampton Jan. 24 .. . India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Feb. 1. India (Bombay), via Southampton Marseilles Jan. 25. via Marseilles Feb. 5. Portugal.... Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Jan. 25 via Marseilles Jan, 27. Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet.... Jan. 29. by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packet. Jan. —. W.C. of Africa, M- adeira, and Teneritfe F e b. 10. Bahamas, via New York Feb. 12. Mexico ....Jan. 28. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, Jan. 28. California, and British Columbia.. The Echo of lionfleur states that the seamen of that port are busily engaged in effecting the salvage of casks of oil proceeding from the late wreck of the Bonne- Mere. Not fewer than 108 casks of palm oil have been thrown ashore at Trouvillo ; about 50 broken casks have been found on the rocks at Hennequeville, and 80 full of oil on the beach at Villerville. Births. BERENS —On the 22d inst., at Kevington, Kent, the wife of Richard B. Berens, Esq., of a son and heir. CLARKSON.—On the 23d inst., at 4, Conholt-place, Lough borough-road, Brixton, the wife of George Henry Clark son, of a daughter. HALL.—On the 20th inst., at Boothdale, near Ashton under-Lyne, the wife of Henry Hall, jun., Esq., solici tor, of a son. Marriages. PARKEN—BAEIER.—On the 22d inst., at Sudbury, Suffolk, Augustus Henry Parken, Esq., of Bournemouth, to Ellen Jane, eldest daughter of the late Win. Baker, Esq. STRIDE—KEATLEY.—On the 22d inst., at Millbrook parish church, near Southampton, William Archer, only son of Wm. Stride, Esq., Redbridge, to Augusta Sophia, the youngest surviving daughter of John Savell Keatley, Captain, R.N., Mil'brook, Deaths. COTTON.—On the 22d inst., at Plymouth, William Cotten, Esq., aged 69. GABRIEL.—On the 2?d inst., at Pimlico, Francis Henry Gabriel, Esq., aged 53. GRAHAM. --On the 23d inst., at Castlenau House, Mort lake, Robert Cunningham° C. Graham, Esq., of Gart more, aged 63. HOPEWELL.—On the 21st inst., at Barnet, J. Hopewell, Esq., aged 83. LENTZ.—On the 24th inst., at 29, Walton-street, Oving ton-square Brompton, Mr. J o h n F re d er i c k L entz, l ate of the Invalid Office, aged 76. POWER.—On the 23d inst., at Shanklin, Isle of Wight, 1 General Sir William G . P ower, K.C.8., aged S 2. STORY.—On the 19th inat at Enington, county Tyrone, Colonel Story, RA., aged 71 . T R T I r M i lK na E m ß e — r , t - O ag n ed th 7 e 7 2 . lst inst., at Brentford, Miss Catherine - - - - London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREWS. of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE Sum Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the County of Middleux.-219ficlaY, Jamul 20, 1803. f~