The Sun. — London, England, 1863-02-14 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT HOUSE Or LORDS—Last Evening. The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. STAFF APPOINTMENTS. The Earl of DERBY presented a petition from Captain Bacon, who held a staff appointment in India in 1857. He was in that country during part of the mutiny, and was eventually compelled to leave there on sick leave, and came home and passed his examination in 1861, hut found he was worse off than officers who had joined the regiment later in consequence of some regulation about officers accepting civil appointments which had been applied to him. He complained of su 'h regulations, and prayed for redress. ROADS IN SCOTLAND. The Earl of AIRLIE inquired whether the Government intended to introduce any measure for the better manage ment of roads in Scotland ? On the motion for going into committee, The Duke of ARGYLL said it was found impossible some two years ago to get a general measure on this subject through Parliament, and suggested that the best way would be for each particular district to deal with the subject, and apply fur a local act for the purpose. a Lord ELLENBOROUGH rose to present a petition from some Indian officers complaining of the loss of certain advantages they consider to have been guaranteed them by Parliament. The noble lord said he had some petitions to present from a number of Indian officers, all complaining of the non fulfilment of a pledge given by the Government that all advantages with respect to pay, pension, and privileges, should be duly preserved in the plan for the organisation of the Indian army. Economy, he considered, could have no voice where the question was one of justice, and he trusted that would be the view taken lea her Majesty's Government. One oefficer petitioned who was on the list of colonels. According to the old arrangement he would have been entitled to higher pay and allowance, but he was not entitled by the new conditions. There were several other complaints, but the real question which interested the whole army was that of promotion. By the rules of the Indian service an offer of promotion had been made to certain lieutenant colonels on the retirement of seniors, which bad not been fulfilled, but, however incumbent it might be that the promotions should take place, as promised, it was clearly a right to which the officers were entitled. Another cause of grievance was the conversion of old regiments into one or more new regiments. He was not prepared to say whether such an arrangement was legal or not, but what he proposed was, that a committee should be appointed to search the records of both armies for precedents for such conversions of old regiments into new ones. There were great grievances connected with the staff appointments, but the most galling of all and which the officers complained of most was that of superceesion by officers leav ing certain regiments as subalterns, and coming back sometimes to overleap the heads of those who were many years their seniors in the service. There was however, a difficulty in regard to officers not on the staff, but absent on special service, who had not the promotion they might expect on the staff. He thought one of the remedies ought to be a reduction of the number of promotions on the staff, which were much too lavish in proportion to the other departments of the army. Tha subject, he felt satis fied, was one of the greatest importance, and in dealing with men, especially soldiers, the only honourable course was that of strict justice, and it was also of the highest im portance that they should be convinced that they were not unjustly treated. The Duke of ARGYLL said the speech of the noble earl opposite had been a great relief to his mind, because he felt convinced that there was not the shadow of a pretence for saying that the act of Parliament referred to had been in any respects violated by any act of the Government. He believed that instead of being hardly dealt with, the Indian army, as regards promotion, had been treated with the greatest liberality. Officers had been allowed to retire, not on half pay but on full-pay, and he thought, if the illustrious duke on the cross benches were to ask the Chancellor of the Ex - chequer for funds to enable every officer of the army to re tire on full-pay and allowances, he would scarcely succeed. (Hear.) Previously to the mutiny, the army of Bengal consisted of 74 battalions, and at the end of the insurrec tion only 11 were found capable of being trusted with arms. The number of battalions were now reduced, he believed, to 52; and every man of the officers who wished to do so had been permitted to retire not on half-pay, but on full pay ; and not only so, but an estimated value had been given them for their prospect of promotion and full terms of allowances. As many as 270 officers had availed them selves of these advantages in retiring. They certainly were not entitled to compensation, and promotion had been enor mously accelerated by their retirement. Under the old system military officers were employed, not merely upon civil, but upon political duties—and that practice was found to have a very prejudicial effect upon the efficiency of the native regiments. One of the last accounts of Lord Dalhousie was to call the most serious attention of the Home Government to this matter; and under any circum stances it would have been necessary to establish a staff corps. It was, therefore, proposed by Sir H. Lawrence, with the assent of the noble earl himself, that a separate body should be formed, from which alone all civil and po litical appointments in India should ultimately be made. At first it was thought doubtful whether officers would join this corps, and it was consequently deemed advisable to make it as attractive as possible, but the parliamentary gua rantee was that no man's position should be made worse, not that no one's position should Le improved. The Govern ment had under the circumstances but two alternatives to follow. The one was that the officers joining the staff corps should be removed from the strength of their regiments. But what would have been the effect of that? In the 4th Bombay native regiment only four or five officers volun teered; but in the 6th, 14 or 15 did so. In the one case to remove them from their regiments would have had very little effect ; but in the other, a junior lieutenant of eight or nine years' standing would have had to be appointed major, and would thus have had precedence given him over officers who had been 14 or 15 years in the service. The other alter native which offered itself to the Government was to give up special promotions to the staff corps altogether ; but that was a question of general policy which was a grievance to no individual officer whatever. He did not see how the officers of the local regiments could expect under the Par liamentary guarantee the same chance of becoming lieu tenant• colonels after the reduction of the army that they had before. In the Queen's army, when a regiment was disbanded the officers were simply placed upon half-pay, but in this case a new regulation had been made, by which all lieutenant-colonels in the Indian service would become en titled after 12 years to the regimental allowance. He (the noble duke) had in his hand a summary of the actual effects which recent changes had produced in promotion. In January, 1861, the number of officers in the Indian army was 5,309, and the number that had joined the staff corps was 1,303. The Earl of ELLENBOROUGII—Of whom 19 were for the Queen's service. The Duke of ARGYLL—Exactly so. The number of promotions which had taken place was 980, out of a total of 3,683 officers remaining in the service, a very large pro portion in so short a time. It would be a matter of great regret to her Majesty's Government, if anything had oc curred of which the Indian army might justly complain ; for they must all feel that the country owed to the officers of that army some of the brightest pages in the records of our military glory. (Cheers.) The Earl of ELLENBOROUGH had heard with some alarm the noble duke's confirmation of his statement, that only 19 officers of the Queen 's service had joined the staff corps. If that were so, he did net see that there was much hope for the future as regarded the filling up of Indian ap pointments from that corps. Tho Duke of CAMBRIDGE said that the smallness of the number of officers who had joined the staff carps from the Queen's army was easily accounted for. The corps was at present a new one, and its regulations provided that all its members should know the native language. To acquire Shat would need a very considerable amount of study ; and officers of the Queen's army had not yet been able to qualify themselves ; whereas the officers of the local regiments were able at once to take the appointments ; in fact they had already been filling similar appointments in India, and they Were merely translated from the local army to the staff corps. A. S, however, the re g ul a tion s w ere now we ll kn o wn, officers in the Queen's army would no doubt qualify themselves in sufficient numbers. His noble friend had talked of the ineon. -malee which would arise from officers who had been in the staff corps rejoining their regiments with their higher rank; but in point of fact their regiments in the Bengal army no longer eaisted. The difficulty, therefore, could not arise, and he believed that the plan would be only gradually extended to the smaller presidencies. He did not think that Indian officers had any real grievance. In the Queen's army, if a number of regiments were reduced the officers would not be asked any questions at all, but they would be simply placed upon half-pay; whereas the Government had done its best to lessen the difficulties of the Indian service, He did not think that an y man had lost anything by the recent changes . On the contrary, he thought that the greatest liberality had been shown by the Government, ai lberality which he considered had been well .displayed, bearing in pcsitio t n in which so large a il % mind the very painful of gallant gentlemen, without thaenyqufeasutlitonofhtandebiresznbrobueg placed. He was very glad that forward, because it had elicited that clear c sa le t a is r fy sta th te e m o e i ng e o r f s th oe t f noble duke, which he trusted would the Indian army that there was every . wish . on the part of the Government to treat them with libei ality, and that where they thought they were aggrieved, real t.ind truly their grievances were not such as they represented. The Duke of ARGYLL said instructions had been sent from the Home Government that in no ca"e should the military authorities send back a staff officer to the command of a regiment to the supersession of the regular officers of the regiment. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS —Last Evening. Tho SPEAXER took the chair at four o'clock. CAMBRIDGE—NEW MEAIBER. Mr, POWELL took the oaths and his seat for Catubridge, PETITIONS. FISHERIES BILL (IRELAND). Mr. B A GWELL, from Clonmel, in favour of this bill. Colonel DUNNE to the same effect. FIRE INSURANCE. An HON. MEMBER in favour of a modification. Mr. COBDEN, from Rochdale, to the same effect. SUGAR DUTIES. Mr. ROEBUCK, from Sheffield, in favour of the equalization of these duties. Mr. W. S. FOSTER, from Bradford, to the like effect. Noxious VAPOURS. Col. W. PATTEN, numerously signed from South Lancashire, complaining of the effect of noxious vapours from manufactories, and praying that the remedy might be devised. EPPING FOREST. Mr. COX, from inhabitants of St. Luke's, Clerkenwell, and Camden-town, complaining of the attempted enclosure of the forest, and praying that it may be preserved intact. NOTICES OF MOTION. CHURCH. RATES. Mr. HOTWOOD,ti;COI; Monday he would ask her Majesty's Government whether it was their intention to introduce any bill this session for the repeal of church rates? CHINA -ENCROACHMENTS OF RUSSIA AND FRANCE. Col SYKES, that on Monday he would ask the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether any infor mation, official or otherwise, had reached the Fo reign-office to the effect that Russian authorities in China had made any arrangements with the Tartar authorities to cede certain islands ; whether barracks Were being erected to accommodate 2,000 Russian troops; and whether the French, under French officers, were form ing an army of Chinese troops ? POSTAGE-PANAMA. Mr. MAGUIRE, that on Monday he should ask the Under Secretary of the Colonies whether it was proposed to accelerate the colonial postal service by way of Panama, and if so, whether he had any objection to lay the parti culars before the house ? GAME. An HON. MEMBER, that on Monday he should move for a select committee on the game laws, and to report whether any, and what alteration was desirable, FEES IN PRIVATE BILLS. Mr, HODGSON, on Thursday, a reduction of certain fees now chargeable on private bills. COTTON. Mr. PALK, on a future day, an address to the Clown, with respect to the collection of particulars with regard to the supply of cotton. THE NAVY. Lord C. PAGET intimated, with reference to a motion on the paper, that he was prepared to produce the memo randum with respect to remuneration on promotions and retirement from the navy. TENURE OF LAND (IRELAND). Mr. MAGUIRE asked the Chief Secretary for Ireland, whether it was the intention of the Government to intro duce, during the present session, any measure with a view to amend and improve laws relating to the occupation and tenure of land in Ireland, and to ensure to the tenant an adequate protection for his outlay of capital in improve ments. Sir R. PEEL replied in the negative. The Government considered that the bill of 1860 had satisfactorily settled a long agitated question. COLLIERY ACCIDENTS. Mr. WYLD asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if in any future coroner's inquest which may be held upon the sufferers by colliery accidents, the Govern ment would authorisa the attendance of a legal officer to watch the proceedings upon the part of the Crown ? Sir G. GREY replied that it was not the intention of the Government to lay down any general rule. In all cases that appeared to require the intervention of the Government a legal officer would undoubtedly attend in quests. JUDGES' CIRCUITS. Mr. A. MILLS asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to take any steps in pursuance of the recom mendations of the Circuit Regulation Commission, or in any way to alter the existing divisions of the judges' circuits ? Sir G. GREY explained that some alteration would be made in the Northern Circuit. The necessary regulations were now under the consideration of the Lord Chancellor. PRIVATE BILLS COSTS. Mr. A. MILLS asked the President of the Board of Trade, whether the reference to the committee abut to be, appointed on private bill legislation, would include the question of the expediency or otherwise of empowering committees on private bills to award costs in certain cases ? Mr. M. GIBSON replied that if the house thought pro per to appoint such a committee the subject of considering costs would fairly come under its consideration. SUPPLY. EPPING AND HAINHAULT FORESTS. Mr. PEACOCKE moved that an humble address be pre sented to her Majesty praying that her Majesty would be graciously pleased to give directions that no sales to facili tate enclosures be made of Crown lands or Crown forestal rights within 15 miles of the metropolis. Mr. COX seconded the motion, Mr. F. PEEL replied that the Crown only enjoyed the right of supervision, or strictly speaking, forestal rights, over Epping Forest, and this only over 2,060 acres. The proposed address would therefore not answer its purpose. Sir G. GREY said all that had been done was in accord ance with the Enclosure Act. They could not draw a rigid rule in these matters. Mr. BUCK STONE considered that these forests should be maintained for the benefit of the public. Mr. LOCKE said if the Crown had done wrong in part ing with these lands, care should be taken that no damage was done to the public in the future. The gentleman should recollect the old legal maxim—nullum tempos occurrit regi. Mr. AYRTON supported the motion. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCIIEQUER opposed the motion. The discretion of holding or parting with these lands would be left entirely in the hands of the Crown. The laying down of a rigid rule would prove ini mical to the public. (Divide, divide.) Mr. HENLEY supported the motion. After a few words from Sir Henry Willoughby, Mr. Melina, and Lord Enfield, The house then divided on the motion for going into committee, when their appeared— Ayes 73 Noes Majority..., POST OFFICE SAVINGS BANKS. The house then went into committee, and The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER proposed the following resolution :—" That it is expedient to amend the laws relating to Post-office Savings Banks, and to grant power to the Government for the conversion of certain per petual Government annuities standing in the name of the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, an account of the Post-office Savings Banks, with certain other stocks and annuities." He said that the object of the present committee was to obtain a parliamentary resolution for the purpose of enabling him to bring in a bill relative to Post-office savings banks. It was a bill which touched, it was true, in one or two respects, the powers of other sav ings banks, but simply in relation to transactions that were between the two classes of savings banks. It had nothing whatever to do with the general management of the old savings banks, nor with the management of the funds held on behalf of the old savings banks, and for that reason he proposed to call it the Post-office Savings Banks Bill. The resolution which he would move, and which would be in conformity with the terms upon which the committee was appointed, would be a resolution of a general character, and did not refer to some portions of the bill ; but the bill was a very short and simple one, and he would state to the com mittee in two or three minutes what would be its principal provisions. At present there was no legal method of ena bling the old savings banks to wind up. A certain portion of them had expressed a desire to wind up, and, so far as depended upon the trustees and managers, had acted upon that desire to wind up. Now, he did not think that provi sions for enabling the old savings banks to be wound up were likely to be very extensively acted upon. They had now had some experience upon the subject, and though a considerable number of the old savings banks had done what in them lay to wind up their transactions and band over their deposits to the Postroffice savings banks, yet, when they looked at the amount and degree of develop ment which these savings banks had reached, the aggregate was comparatively trifling. There were about COO savings banks in the country, and out of those he thought about 30 or something more, between 30 and 40, that had desired to wind up their establishments. But the committee would be able to judge of the comparatively small scale of the great bulk of those savings banks, when he told them that th e average of deposits in those banks which had been desirous to wind up was only about £7,000; whereas the average amount of the deposits in the remaining savings banks, nearly 600 in number, was more nearly £70,000, though not quite so much. Therefore, what they had to provide for was not the likelihood of any general sweeping or rapid change from the one class of savings banks to the other, but the desire which had been, he thought naturally and reasonably, expressed by the managers of a certain portion of the banks, where this sphere of action had not been a very extended one, to divest themselves of the liability and responsibility of those concerns, and hand over the whole cash and assets to the Post-office savings banks as to the Commissioners for the Reduction of the National Debt, subject of course to all claims of the depositors upon that cash and assets. That was the principal legislative object of the bill he should pro. pose to introduce, if the resolution should be accepted by the committee. There was another legislative enactment which he had in view. He should not at present attempt to posits sthe l) general se in irgpseoansvtei savings e w gs explain the d eta i ls of it, which were rather complicated, but s a t r s ba t nnh banks s s s 00 nn It behalf' h h e e N l v a i W t ohf h a a r ad minors,w, v al e r o y at j nh u de s t d l e y t d r i i es pecially of minors under seven years of age ; and in some case s, where the Legislature had not by any direct enact ment taken that course, yet the bye laws which had been framed from time io time by the managers of different savings banks, and which had received the assent and approval of the Commissioners for Reduction of the National Debt, and had thereby acquires the force of law, had placed th e accounts .'~: rim SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 14, 1863. of minors under seven years of age in such a position that the transfer of tb eir moneys to the Post-office savings banks could not, under any condition, be effected. Now, however desir able and wise it might be to propose stringent limitations on the withdrawal of their moneys, or, in fact, dealing with their cash, while they were of that tender age, yet it was obvious that some means, however guarded, ought to be provided for allowing the transfer of their accounts to be by a transfer certificate to the Post-office savings banks. A great 'number of applications from different parties, from trustees and guardians of children, and persons interested in them, had been made to them (the Government) signi fying a great desire that those powers should be given; and in fact he though the object was obviously reasonable in its principle, and though the mode of proceeding ought to be carefully considered, he could not anticipate any difference of opinion on the subject. He had had a number of letters and applications that had been made to them. In many cases, for example, the parents of a child applied to have the account transferred from one savings bank to another, but could not have that effected. He proposed that power for that purpose should be given, and also, that reciprocal powers should be given for transferring in a like manner the accounts of minors from Post-office savings banks to the old savings banks, or wherever it might be desired. So far as his experience had gone, there appeared to him to be on the part of members of that house, and likewise on the part of the public, a very general desire to give a further extension to a principle long ago introduced into our law, and the working of which, so far as it went, had been emi nently salutary. He meant the principle and the practice of converting the perpetual annuities, of which the national debt mainly consisted, into terminable annuities, either for lives or for terms of years. And there again, though he re ferred to a subject of great importance, it was one on which there would be no difference of opinion. Tae extent to which they were at present able to operate on that principle was as follows. There were certain annuities existing which would terminate in 1867 ; a large annuity payable to the Bank of England ; and there were certain other annui ties, principally those mated by the Secretary at War, during the course of the late war with Russia. To those annuities so created by the Secretary at War, had been joined, during the last two or three years, the annuities created on account of fortifications, and there was likewise a small amount of public annuity new in the market on account of the Red Sea Telegraph, which, however, was a very small amount indeed. Besides these particular an nui►ies, which were all public annuities expiring at certain fixed dates, there was in operation from day to day a system —mainly through the National Debt Office, partially and to a limited extent through a portion of the savings banks of the country—under which annuities might be purchased on given terms by individuals, either for their own lives, for the lives of certain other persons, or for terms of years ; and the extent to which that system was carried, quite apart from the other annuities of which he had spoken, ter minating, so to speak, in the lump on certain dates, might be said to amount roughly to the conversion of a million of stock per annum. That was not a very large amount, and it was constantly asked why they did not operate more largely in the reduction of the National Debt by the conversion of perpetual into terminable annuities than they did operate by the law as it now stood. The answer to that was, that annuities were a commodity which could be sold favourably in the market under certain circumstances and to a certain extent, but they were a commodity of which the general market entirely refused to receive more than a limited quantity, except upon terms that would be so disadvanta geous to the public that neither the Government would re commend nor Parliament be disposed to sanction. But it appeared that there Ras a mode, comparatively safe and simple, by which they could obtain an extension of that valuable principle of converting perpetual interminable an nuities, and that was by operating on funds which came into their hands in respect of Post Office savings banks. But in dealing with those funds, they must bear in mind that though he thought the contingency was one most un likely to occur, yet they might be compelled, in order to meet the claims of the depositors, to go largely into the market as sellers of stock. It followed, therefore, that they should preserve in their own hands quantities of stock ample for the purpose of meeting such possible, though not probable, demands. Therefore, he should not venture, small comparatively as were the funds now held on acecunt of the Post Office savings banks, and certain as was the progressive influx and not effiux el money—he should not venture to ask the house to take a general power of converting the whole of that property into annuity. What he proposed to do was this —to convert the annuities which they now held, and which were perpetual, into perpetual annuities of a lower denomination, but to take the difference between the new denomination and the old, and convert it into a terminable annuity. He would suppose, for example, that it was a case of £lOO,OOO, of 3i per cent. stock. He proposed to take power to convert that £lOO,OOO of 31 per cent. into £lOO,OOO of 21 per cent. stock. The consequence of that would be that they would always have'a marketable commodity on hand, and the 2! per cent. stock, partly in consequence of its very low denomination, had usually commanded a good price in the market. The difference between the £2los. and the £3los. he proposed to take power to convert into a terminable an nuity. The funds lodged in the Post-office savings banks, though very considerable with reference to the time those banks had existed, were at present very small, amounting he should say, to something between £1,500,000 and £2,000,000. Anything, therefore, that could be done at the present moment, must be done upon a small scale, but at the same time it was quite possible, and even, he should say, it was not unlikely, that the deposits in those banks might come to be large, and as they increased the scale on which that principle might be applied would become more ex tended. He hoped the committee understood what the effect would be. The principle of the resolution he proposed was that a limited power should be taken to convert perpetual into terminable annuities. That might be done, either by converting a portion of them entirely into terminable annui ties, by converting the whole, or by converting any part of annuities into perpetual annuities of a lower denomination, and at the same time converting the difference between the lower and higher denomination into a terminable annuity. The effect of that would be that without encountering the inconvenience of the sale of these terminable annuities in the general market, which is not adapted to receive them, they would be able to act, to a greater extent than now, on the salutary principle of adding to the charge they now bore with a view to the gradual reduction of the national debt. Then the only .other point he had to observe on was this—that these annuities would, in point of fact, be very convenient to hold for the Commissioners for the National Debt on the part of the Post-office savings banks. They would be eminently desirable security for them, though not desirable to carry into the general market, because the effect would be that the money would return rapidly into the hands of the Government, and would so far enable them to meet any calls that would be likely to arise on the part of the depositors. That, he thought, was all the explanation which was necessary in proposing a resolution of that gene ral character. Perhaps it would be desirable for the commit tee to see the resolution in print as early as possible, and he should be ready to lay it on the table the day after the com mittee reported. The right hon. gentleman then placed the resolution in the hands of the chairman. In reply to Sir S. NORTHCOTE, The CHANCELLOR •f the EXCHEQUER said that at present all he did was to ask the house to consent to the principle of conversion in some form of perpetual annuities into terminable annuities. Sir H. WILLOUGHBY complained that due notice had not been given, and that the nature of the proposal was not clearly indicated. It might, or might not be desirable to wind up the old savings banks; but he should like to have known that that was the idea in the right hon. gentleman's mind. It seemed to be, in another form, a favourite of the right hon. gentleman to get 3 per cent. for a2i per cent. stock—(laughter)—which, on a former occasion, was not very favourably received. One great obstacle to the pro posal in respect of annuities was the hardship with which the income tax would be found to bear upon that class of security. Mr. AYRTON said, if ho nndorstood the proposition aright it was this—Xloo of 3 per cent. stock would be con verted into £lOO 26 per cent. stock, and a certain amount of terminable annuity which would cease at a fixed date, when only the 21 per cent. stock would be left. When the terminable annuity ceased would not the capital of the Post office savings banks be diminished to that extent? llow was the capital of the Post-office savings banks to be kept intact ? The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the hon. gentleman did not seem to have clearly apprehended the proposal. They had entirely cleared from the Post-office savings bank scheme those ambiguities which attached to the relations of different parties concerned in the old savings banks. The Post office savings banks were simply bankers, giving a certain fixed rate of interest for the deposits of the public, and the public understood that the credit and the property of the country were their security for the due pay ment of that interest. This being the case, the public neither knew nor cared what was done with the money while it remained i n th e h an d s o f t h e G overnmen t ; f or if use d profitably nothing. they gained nothing, and if used otherwise they lost banks were As te paying,the questionh eshould not enter the into Post-office it, a savings s the materials for coming to a conclusion were not before the house. But, while not prepared to assert anything posi tively on the subject, he believed —and the very diligent and intelligent public officers who had been engaged in develop ing the system fully believed —that those banks would not cost the country a single shilling. (Hear, hear.) Supposing the case as put by the hon. gentleman, there was a conver sion into a stock of a lower denomination, which, as the hon. gentleman justly observed, was of lees value in the market, and the difference came to be this, that instead, of receiving a fixed sum from year to year, they would receive two things, one a fixed sum in perpetuity of a lower amount and therefore representing a smaller capital; and the other a circulating system, which from year to year brought back portions of the capital along with the annual interest. These with other deposit money would bo for mutual re investment. That was the mode in which the system would work. The question whether the Post-office savings banks were self-supporting was, as he had said, very important, and would be the subject of a searching inquiry in due time. In reply to Mr. WEGVELIN, The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the process would be this :—Take a perpetual annuity of £3 per cent. We should cancel that annuity and create in lieu of it a perpetual annuity of 50s. per cent., converting the other 10s. into an annuity terminable at a fixed period, say, per haps, 1885. With regard to the fortification and other an nuities, the Government had been in the habit of consulting the financial officers attached to the Government, and also the Governor and Deputy-Governor of the Bank of England, and there never was any difficulty as to the rate of interest, which was always made rather favourable to the purchaser than otherwise, and would be therefore favourable to the buyer of the annuity in this case, which would be the Post Office Savings Bank account which would obtain a certain amount of advantage in the conversion of a perpetual into a terminable annuity. Mr. HENLEY said be would not express any opinion on the scheme at present, but it seemed to him like paying the interest in two different ways, which was an odd method of reducing a debt. The motion was then agreed to, and the house resumed. CUSTOMS ACT (TOBACCO DUTIES). On the motion for going into committee, Col. DICKSON asked the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he would allow a drawback to those merchants who have already paid the duty on their stock on hand. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER replied, that the course adopted during the last 19 years would be followed in thin instance, and no drawback would be al lowed, as it would interfere with the established practice, and cause the greatest inconvenience. The houee then went into committee. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved :- 1. That in lieu of the duties of Customs now charged upon the several kinds of manufactured tobacco undermentioned, the following duties should be charged and paid thereon upon importation into Great Britain and Ireland on and after the day of 1863 : s. d. Cigars Snuff 3 9 „ Other manufactured tobacco 4 0 „ 2. That, on and after the day of 1863, unmanu factured tobacco warehoused in any warehouse approved for security of duties of Customs may, in such warehouse, be manufactured or converted into the articles denominated cavendish or negrohead tobacco ; and upon every pound thereof produced by such manufacture or conversion there should be charged and paid on the delivery thereof for home consumption the Customs duty of 3s. Bd. The right hon. gentleman said that he had plaood the rust et these motions on the paper as a matter of convenience and for the infor mation of the house, and not because it was necessrry to do so as a matter of form. The resolution was not one which would take immediate effect, for it was a matter in which it was desirable that full time should be given to the house and to the trade for the consideration of it. At present there was a monopoly for the home manufacturer (with the ex ception of certain articles of luxury which could afford to pay high duty) which was such as to amount to a total ex clusion of foreign competition. The duties, therefore, upon tobacco might be considered the only remaining relic of a system which once was the regulating principle of our tariff. It might seem strange that these duties should have so long escaped revision, and that the manufacturtrs of tobacco should not have been placed on a footing with other manufacturers; that was to say, that they should be suojected to competition with other nations. The difficul ties arising in connexion with the revenue had at length met a solution. The plan proposed would involve the manufac turer of cavendish or negrohead tobacco in bond ; but at present all he asked was the assent of the house to the general principle that the present prohibitory duty could not be maintained. Cavendish or negrohead was now ex tensively smuggled. There was, practically, a monopoly to the foreign producer, because the production of this sweetened cavendish or negrohead tobacco was forbidden to the manufacturer at home, but considerable quantities of it found its way into consumption, and of this smuggling they would attempt to get rid by means of a fair rate of duty, and permission to the home manufacturer to enter into a competition which he did not at present enjoy. There were two means by which this might be done, by allowing the free use of duty-paid materials, or by allowing the manufac ture in bond. The first-named plan would be attended by serious danger to an important branch of the revenue, and they therefore proposed the system of manufacture in bond. With regard to cigars and the other descriptions of tobacco, the manufacture would go on as at present. The reasons which induced him to take this course were threefold. In the first place it would extend the principle of free competi • tion which had been found so salutary when applied to all other manufactures ; second, it would tend to diminish smuggling, and in that way he expected a considerable in crease of the fair trade, and consequently an increase of re venue. That led to the third point, if not the main object of the measure. He could not at that moment submit any particular estimate of the increase which it would cause to the revenue ; but he had no doubt it would be consider able, and that the measure would at the same time be bene ficial to the public. He trusted he had said sufficient to re commend the measure in its general outline to the com mittee, from which he, however, asked only a provisional and preliminary assent. • He begged that it might be well understood that the resolution would not affect the present rate of duty. When the house was in committee on the bill that would be the time to settle what the duty should be, and when the change should take place. He should hold himself at liberty, if good cause were shown, to make modi fications in the proposal. He had not had an opportunity of consulting the trade, but intended to communicate with them before he proceeded further with the measure. (Hear, hear.) Sir G. BOWYER said the tobacco trade did not object to free and unrestricted competition, but what they claimed was that they should be put on the same footing as the foreign manufacturers. The home trade had to pay duty on the tobacco in a damp state, when it consequently weighed heavy, and also upon the stalks, which were of no use at all. The foreign manufacturer only paid duty upon the leaf he used,'and the home manufacturer was thus placed at a con siderable disadvantage. He wished to ask whether cigars would not be allowed to be made in bond as well as cavendish and negrohead. If so, he believed that would satisfy the trade. Mr. CRAWFORD was glad that a full opportunity would be given to the trade to consider the measure and to protect their interests. Ile hoped also that time would be given to work off the present stocks. ➢ir. AYRTON said he had the misfortune to represent some thousand people who were engaged in the manufacture of tobacco and cigars. He said misfortune, because the plan of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if carried out, would bring many of them to great distress, if not ruin. It might be said that this cry had been raised before by other trades when changes were introduced, to which he would reply, it had not always been raised without good grounds, and justified by experience. He regretted that those engaged in the trade had not bad the opportunity of seeing the right hon. gentleman before he introduced his plan. They were quite satisfied that he had been completely misinformed and misled by those to whom he had listened on the subject. As to free and unrestricted competition in the tobacco trade, it was idle to use such langaage, when the growth of tobacco itself was forbidden in this country, and foreign tobacco was only allowed to enter under such regulations as would enable the Chancellor of the Exchequer to abstract the largest sum of money he could out of the pockets of the consumers. (Hear, hear.) He hoped, under the circum stances, that as the right hou. gentleman only asked for a provisional assent to the resolutions, that the house would suspend its judgment, at all events, until they had the bill before them. In the meantime he expected that the infor mation which the right hon. gentleman would receive from the trade would materially alter his present views and in. tentione. Mr. W. WILLIAMS was always happy to hear of any reduction of taxation; but he thought there were many articles on which a reduction would be preferable to tobacco. Even, however, if that was not the case, he could not ap prove of the proposal of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, which proposed to reduce the duty on cigars from Os. to 55., and left untouched the duty of 3s. 2d. on unmanufactured tobacco. The duty on cigars, consumed mainly by the wealthy classes, was at present only about 35 per cent., while that on the tobacco consumed by the industrious classes was no less than 500 per cent. (Hear.) Mr. J. LOCKE entirely concurred with his hon. friend as to the injustice of selecting the article consumed by the rich for a reduction, and leaving that used by the working classes subject to the old duty. To the rich tobacco was a luxury—to the working men it was in many cases an abso lute necessary. The heavy duty imposed on the raw material caused the manufacturer to impor tit dry and light. He paid the duty upon it in that state, and in the working it up mixed water, sugar, and other ingredients, which often made it very nasty, but increased the weight and his profits. In order to give the plan of the right hon. gentleman a chance of passing, it should be extended so as to embrace the com munity at large, and the expected increase of revenue would then follow. Mr. ROEBUCK said the Chancellor of the Exchequer must feel himself in a dilemma. One hon. gentleman told him that tobacco was imported heavy; another, that it was imported light. For his own part, he had no consideration for either. He wished there were no tobacco in the world. Sir S. NORTHCOTE expressed his apprehension that the public revenue would suffer if the trade was allowed to remain for any lengthened period in a state of uncertainty as to when the change of duty would take place. He could not understand why the right hon. gentleman did not give the same privileges to the manufacturers of cigars as to the makers of cavendish and negrohead. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said the points which had been raised would call for only a very few observations from him. With respect to the statement of the hon, member for the Tower Hamlets, that there was already free competition between the tobacco manufacturers in this country, he would only say that when the monopoly in corn was attacked they were told that there was free competition between the growers and sellers of corn, but that did not prevent the adoption of the principle of unrestricted com petition. The hon. and learned member for Southwark said a reduction of duty on unmanufactured tobacco would be followed by an increase of revenue. But reduction of duty and increase of revenue did not invariably go together, and from all the inquiries he had made on the subject he was convinced that any material reduction of the duty on ua manufactured tobacco would lead to a very large reduction of the revenue. Practically the question, then, for the house to decide would be, whether they would select that article in preferecce to others for a reduction. The articles se lected would, he believed, yield additional revenue, place the fair trader in a better position, and prevent smuggling to a large extent, all of them desirable objects. With respect to the possible loss of duty, from no time being named for the change of duty, he apprehended that the loss, if any, would be small. A week more or less would not materially affect the amount of duty on the articles selected for reduction, With regard to manufacturers, he merely desired to give them such time as might be necessary to enable them to bring their views before the Government and the house. He should himself think that a very short time would suffice for that purpose. If the house went into committee in a fortnight, within that period they might very well dispose of all the questions that might be raised. Then there was the practical question put by his hon. friend as to the manufac ture of cigars in bond. It must be borne in mind that manafacturing in bond was, at best, a very defective, clumsy and costly expedient. It was however batter to permit such manufacture than to prohibit the trade altogether; but this privilege given to manufacturers was attended by various drawbacks. Tho enjoyment of it was absolutely limited to a very few spots where the Customs had considerable esta blishments, which enabled them to conduct the necessary supervision. The opinion of the Government was, that there was not sufficient reason for granting powers to manufacture cigars in bond ; but when he was asked whether that was an irrevocable opinion, and waa an essential part of the proposition, most certainly he thought that all such matters were open to discussion. The con siderations by which they were guided were consider ations in which all took a common interest, namely, the desire to reconcile, as well as they could, the several inte rests of the consumer, the manufacturer, and the revenue, Therefore he held himself entirely open to examine further the extension of the bonding privilege to other places— but he was bound to say that, as far as his investigations had hitherto gone, he was not aware of any sufficient rea sons why it should be so extended. After a few words from Mr. AYRTON in explanation, The resolutions were agreed to, the house resumed, and the committee was fixed for Monday next. DRAINAGE (IRELAND) BILL. A resolution on this subject was agreed to in committee. The house again resumed. LIABILITY OF INNKEEPERS. Mr. WYKE HAM MARTIN, in asking for leave to bring in a bill to amend the law respecting the liability of innkeepers, and to prevent certain frauds upon them, said that the object of the bill was to deal with a serious and growing fraud. As he understood that no opposition would be given to the measure, he would not detain the house further, but would merely ask leave to bring in the bill. Leave was then given, and the bill was read a first time. _____r~. MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS. Mr. AUGUSTUS SMITH obtained leave to bring in a bill to amend the mode of taking votes at municipal elec tions, which was read a first time. The house then adjourned, at ten minutes past seven o'clock. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. DAILY NEWS.—The whole aspect of Continental politics has been totally changed within the space of a fortnight. Never was there a fairer prospect of tranquillity than that which shone forth in January, 1863; so strong was the tendency to quiet, that no provocation seemed likely to destroy it. The King of Prussia's outrage upon the Con stitution, the French pressure upon Italy, the Sul tan's autocratic freak—events which would have been serious under some circumstances, caused not more than a ripple in the current of 1863. But all this has been completely changed by the duration and gravity of the Polish insurrection. Previous to that event the " parties of movement" in every country had been forced to admit that the present was no season for action. There prevails annually, we know, through the unsettled portion of Europe, a belief that something great and wonderful is to take place in spring. It is always given out that discontented populations are to rise at that season ; and, seldom as the prophecy is fulfilled, there are whole populations who live in expectation of it. For the present year such announcements were too absurd to gain credit. When suddenly a spark, which Russian tyranny most wantonly struck forth, has caused an explosion in Poland which threatens to set fire to the combustible matter heaped plentifully in every country and every race around. The effect in Germany has been electric. The Duke of Saxe Coburg, who had at first been gladdened by the prospect of leaving the scene of German politics during the syncope of Prussia, felt at once that no German, much less a liberal Prince, could abandon the fortunes of his Fatherland. The King of Prussia took the alarm, and, true to the retrograde policy on which he has embarked, went to consult, not his Chambers and his people, in such a catastrophe, but the Russian autho rities. There has been, indeed, and still might be under other circumstances, antagonism between the Slavonic and Teutonic races on the Oder and Vistula. But both are now indignant with their despotic Monarch, who threatens nothing less than prolonged servitude. Patriotic Germans will never be brought to join a war-shout for maintaining the partition of Poland. And those who are for nation ality at home must commence by recognising it abroad. The King has other sentiments, and will no doubt, in obedience to them, concentrate his army in the Eastern Provinces. All this opens a wide field for the contingent and unforeseen, and at the same time entails on the leaders of the Ger man Union duties which they cannot ignore. Meantime Austria has assumed an attitude by no means hostile to the Polish revolution. Whatever Lord Palmerston may say, Austria, even the Austria of Metternich, by no means showed itself the foe of Polish regeneration. Living under the shadow and the menace of Russia, Austria, under any Go vernment or Minister, must welcome so salutary a re-establishment of the balance of power in the east of Europe as the restoration and reunion of Poland can alone effect. The Court of Vienna might not, indeed, be prepared to cede Galicia without a ter ritorial indemnity, which was far more easy to point out and promise in 1831 than it is now. But a resuscitated Poland, which would at once relieve Austria from the pressure of Russia, and deprive the Czar for ever of the pretension of being chief of the Slavonic, and which would at the same time separate Russia from Prussia, and leave the latter power dwindled, disgraced, and unpopular, would augment Austrian preponderance in a degree which would more than counterbalance even the loss of Galicia. The effect of a Polish revolution upon France would, however, be far more serious than any effects which it might have even on Austria and Prussia. The sympathies of the French people for Poland are far greater than any which existed towards Italy. And to maintain the Russian alliance, on condition of frowning upon the efforts of the Poles, would beget an amount of unpopularity in France, which we may be certain the Emperor will not face. The ends for which France first sought the Russian alliance have been attained. The attitude of the Court of St. Peters burg end of its army certainly aided Napoleon in his Italian campaign. But Russia, crippled as she is and must be, could never, at least not for a life time, render any efficient support to French schemes of ambition whether upon the Rhine or in the Levant. Such schemes, moreover, there is every reason to believe, are for the present abandoned. There is but one power with which France could take counsel in so weighty an affair, and that is Engand. Downing-street, to be sure, can be neither adventurous nor lavish. But its adhesion to any great act of European policy is a tower of strength. The opinion and something more than the opinion of France and England united might, for example, prevent the Court of Berlin from rushing headlong into a contest which may involve it, too, in serious difficulties. And Austria might receive from the same quarter encouragement to persevere in the neutral attitude which it has ta ken up. At all events the conditions of the Trea t y of Vienna ought to be invoked for Poland, and Russia called upon in the name of Europe to g ive up its system of oppression and extirpation. HERALD. Lord Ravensworth made out a very clear case on Thursday night for the construction of refuge harbours on the exposed parts of the coas t ; and the Duke of Somerset will do well to expunge the contradictions from his speech when the proof of it is furnished to him from the office of the Messrs. Hansard. The Duke of Somerset is in favour of refuge harbours, and thinks it wou ld b e w i se economy to construct them rapidly, but is of opinion that private efforts should only be assisted by the Go vernment, and that refuge harbours would, after all, fail in saving any considerable amount of life and pro perty. Lord Ravensworth knows his subject well. He reminds the House of Lords that it is 10 years since the question of refuge harbours was brought before Parliament ; that inquiry, both by committee and commission, has been exhausted, and that be yond promoting one minor recommendati on— namely, that of faeilitating the improvement of ex isting harbours by loans from the public loan com missioners, nothing whatever has been done by the Government. The House of Lords is then furnished with a lucid statement of the case. The annual loss of property on the coast on an average of six years is £1,500,000, and the annual average loss of life for the same period is 800 human beings. Within 12 years 7,640 lives have been lost on the coast ; and during the last six years 16,119 lives have been saved on the coast by the lifeboats and other appli ances of the National Lifeboat Institution. These facts, Lord Ravensworth says, prove incontestably that something more than the efforts of private benevolence are required ; and what in his opinion, and in the opinion of the select committee of the House of Commons and the Roy al Commissioners, remains to be done, is the construction of refuge harbours. His lordship then notices the objections which have all along been urged to the construcrion of these harbours, and it is impossible to follow him without being persuaded that Parliament in this matter has a great and urgent duty to discharge. Some have thought these harbours useless and un serviceable, that they would speedily silt up, and that they would afford no substantial protection to our shipping. Against these opinions Lord Ravens worth pats those of the Royal Commissioners. Another objection is, he says, the apathy of the shipowners. The shipowners fear that their ships might seek refuge when they ought to keep the sea, and that thereby time and money would be wasted. This objection, he admits, is not without force ; but he asks, are 800 lives, and property to the value of £1,500,000 annually, a proper and becoming set-off to any inconvenience the ship owners might has eto suffer ? Last of all, ho says it is objected that shipowners send unworthy ships to sea after protecting themselves by insurance policies, and that by so doing much of this waste of life and property is occasioned. Here again he grants there is some truth; but how, he adds, are losses like that of the steamer Lifeguard to be accounted for but on the supposition that when disabled there is nothing but an iron-bound coast to bear up to, and that ship and every soul on board therefore perish ? Lord Ravensworth then points to our convict prisons swarming with well fed, idle convicts, and suggests that as these con victs are fed for doing nothing, they might be as well employed constructing refuge harbours. So we think ; so, no doubt, thinks the country ; and so, we believe, ought to think Parliament. Employ these men in the construction of refuge harbours, and instead of these harbours costing the £4,000,000 or £5,000,000 stated by the Duke of Somerset, it is capable of demonstration that a few thousand pounds expended on spades and wheelbarrows, if the Secretary of War cannot spare enough of these, and on the fitting of hulks, are nearly all that is required. These convicts will eat no more at work than when idle, and there is nothing that has to enter into the construction of refuge harbours but solid rock and labour. Construct refuge harbours by convict labour, and these harbours will be a sub stantial return for the food, clothing, and supervi sion of the convicts, and the only possible new out lay will be the tools of labour, the piles and plank required for barrow walks and cofferdams, and fit receptacles for confinement over night. Sir Joshua Jebb will no doubt remind us of the " hells" the convict hulks were some years ago; but in turn we must tell him that the reclamation of convicts to virtue and honest industry is in the main impossible. Socie y is not, therefore, bound to maintain many thousands of its outcasts in idleness and with all the advantages incident to the separate system. But, perhaps, movable iron convict prisons might be substituted for the hulks, although the expense of such prisons would be great. However, with these questions of detail the Royal Commissioners at present inquiring into the subject will no doubt deal. Lord Ravensworth, in pointing to the con victs, shows that refuge harbours may be constructed for almost nothing, and the necessity for these har bours he has not left in any doubt when he tells us that so much property and so many lives are lost annually on the coast. LONDON GAZE T TE—Yesterday. WAR-OFFICE, PALL-MALL, FEB. 13. 4th Regiment of Dragoon Guards—John Sidney Bates, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice David George Sandeman, transferred to the 16th Lancers. 4th Hussars—William Birkett, Gent , to be Cornet, by pur chase, vice James William Kelly, appointed Quarter master. sth Lancers—Alexander Ewing, Gent., to be Cornet, by purchase, vice James George Hubert Fox, promoted. 6th Regiment of Foot—Lieut. Aubrey Wm. 0. Saunders to be Captain, by purchase, vice St. Andrew Beauchamp St. John, who retires ; Ensign James Bannatyne Blair to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Saunders. 7th Foot—Captain Richard Cormick Clifford, from the 48th Foot, to be Captain, vice William Langmead Lewes, who exchanges. Bth Foot—Captain George Sinclair, from half-pay Un attached, to be Captain, vice Daniel Beere, placed upon half-pay from Ist January, 1863 ; Lieutenant Ashley George Westby to be Captain, by purchase, vice Sin clair, who retires ; Ensign John Dawson to be Lieu- tenant, by purchase, vice Westby ; Walter Cowan, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Dawson. 23d Foot—Lieut. Thomas Nepean Edward Kenny, from the 73d Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Edmund Broughton Knowles Lacon, who exchanges. 29th Foot—Lieut. Robert Berkeley to be Captain, by pur chase, vice Alfred Godfrey Black, who retires; Ensign Robert John Watson to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Berkeley; Jacob Henry Pitfield, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Watson. 48th Foot—Captain William L. Lewes, from the 7th Foot, to be Captain, vice Richard Cormick Clifford, who ex- changes. 61st Foot—Lieutenant Herbert Lee Hall, from the 103 d Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice William Sydney Nugent, who exchanges. 73d Foot—Lieutenant Edmund Broughton Knowles La con, from the 23d Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Thomas Nepean Edward Kenny, who exchanges. 77th Foot—Ensign George Augustus While to be Lieute nant, by purchase, vice Charles B. Knowles, promoted to an Unattached Company, by purchase. 86th Foot—Staff-Surgeon Henry Higgins Jones, M. I) ~ from half-pay, to be Surgeon, vice Joseph Sawyers, M.D., deceased. 90th Foot—Staff Surgeon Francis Oliver Barker, M.D , to be Surgeon, vice William Lapsley, appointed to the Staff. 1001 h Foot—Ensign William Palmer Clarke, to be Lieu tenant, by purchase, vice Louis Charles Augustus Lefe bre de Bellefeuille, who retires; David Stanley Drum mond Johnstone, Gent., to be Ensign, by purchase, vice Clarke. 101st Foot—The Christian name of Quartermaster Farrant is Edwin. 102 d Foot—The Christian name of Quartermaster Moore is Thomas. 103 d Foot—Lieut. William Sydney Nugent, from 61st Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Herbert Lee 11 11, who ex changes. UNATTACHED.—Lieutenant Charles R. Knowles, from the 77th Foot, to be Captain, by purchase. MEDICAL LEPARTMENT.—To be Staff Surgeons : Sur geon William Lapsley, from th e 90th Foot, vice Francis Oliver Barker, M.D., appointed to the 90th Foot; Staff Assistant-Surgeon Frederick Oakes, vice William Skeen, appointed to the 4th West India Regiment; Staff Assistant- Surgeon James William Crow, vice Augustus Morphew, appointed to the Ist West India Regiment. To be Staff Assistant: Assistant-Surgeon Arthur Edwin Temple Longhurst, M.D., from 13th Foot, vice Thomas Stephen son Teevan, placed upon half-pay. BREVET. Lieut.-Colonel and Brevet-Colonel Mark Kerr Atherley, 92d Foot, to have the temporary rank of Brigadier-General while in command of a Brigade. Tv Lieut.-Colonel Poulett George Henry Somerset, C. 8., 7th Foot, having completed five years' qualifying service as Lieut.-Colonel, under the provisions of the Royal War rant of 14th October, 1858, to be Colonel. Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Poole Hepburn, Scots Fusilier Guards, having completed five years qualify ing service, to be Colonel, under the Bth clause of the Royal Warrant of the 14th October, 1858. Captain John Yate Holland, of the Royal Marines, to be Major. . . Captain Henry Butler Stoney, Paymaster of the 40th Foot, to have the honorary rank of Major. The following promotions to take place consequent on the promotion of Colonel Henry Pester, Royal Artillery, to be Major-General, in succession to General W. G. Power, K.C.8., deceased : Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Edmond Knox, C. 8., of a Depot Battalion, to be Colonel. Captain and Brevet Major Henry Collette, upon half pay, late 67th Feet, to be Lieutenant-Colonel. , Captain William Henry Queade, 12th Foot, to be Major. The following promotions to take place consequent on the decease of Lieut.-General William Fludyer, on the 28th January, 1863: Major-General George Macdonald, Colonel 96th Foot, to be Lieutenant-General. Brevet-Col. the Right Hon. and Hon. G. C. W. Forester, Lieutenant-Colonel, on half-pay Unattached, to be Major- General, Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Michael Goold Adams, Cap tain, half-pay Unattached, to be Colonel. Captain and Brevet-Major George Hyde Page, 41st Foot, to be Lieutenant-Colonel. Captain Charles Stuart Baker, 59th Foot, to be Major. The following promotions to take place consequent on the decease of Major-General Arthur 13 ill Trevor, on the 29th January, 1863 ;—Brevet-Colonel Edward Cooper Hodge, C. 8., Lieutenant-Colonel on half.pay Unattached, serving on the Staff, at Aldershot, as a Brigadier-General, to be Major-General. Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel George Freeman Murray, y 65th Foot, to be C o l one l. half - pa Captain and Brev e t-M a j or M a tthew Cassano - Unattached, Staff -Officer of Pensioners, to be Lieutenant- Colonel. Captain Charle s Ri c h ar d Ogden Evans, Royal Artillery, to be Major. ADMIRALTY, FEB. 12. The following promotions, dated the 6th inst., consequent upon the death, on the sth inst., of Vice -Admiral of the White Alexander Thomas Emeric Vidal, have this day tak , n place : Vice-Admiral of the Blue the Hon. Sir F 'redk. William Grey, K.C.8., to be Vice-Admiral of the Rear-Admiral of the Red Thomas Wren Carter, C 8,, to be Vice-Admiral of the Blue. Rear Admiral of the White Frederick Bullock to be Rear- Admiral of the Red. Rear Admiral of the Blue Thomas Leeke Illassio to be Rear-Admiral of the White. Captain Edward Joseph Bird to be Rear-Admiral eta the Reserved List. Captain John Adams to be Rear-Admiral of the Blue. With reference to the Gazette of the 6th inst., Retired Captains Edward Iggulden Parrey and Charles Keele have been advanced to be Rear-Admirals from the 30th ult. BANKRUPTCIES ANNULLED. Thomas T. Blake, farmer, Dyrnchurch, Kent Edward Solloway, provision dealer, Stafford BANKRUPTS. The following- are the only bankrupts of any importance in the Gazette of last evening : Peter Scotland, tea dealer, City. Henry Foulkes, cab proprietor, Broad - court, Bow - stre et Charles Kerr Crouch, ship broker, City Richard Bartlett, licensed victualler, Liverpool Richard Sellers, butcher, Blackburn John Stewart, joiner, Liverpool James Lupton, builder, Euston.square John Osler, jeweller, City •road Alfred Heath, painter, Grosvenor-square James B. H. Henderson, baker, Oxford street Wm. Kitchen, oil warehouseman, Paddington Joseph R. Lidbetter, builder, Plurnstead Thomas Jeffries, publican, Harrow-weald Greatrex Naden, veterinary surgeon, Newbury George Ilford, baker, Great Ilford Extraordinary and Mysterious Death at Tottenham. An incriiry was held by the deputy coroner, at Tottenham, on Thursday, relative to the death of Mr. Benjamin Baker, aged' 70, of Whitehall-street, Tottenham, and carrying on business as a boot maker in Basinghall-street, City. Owing to the rumours that were afloat, the court was crowded to excess, and the greatest interest was manifested in the proceedings. The first witness examined was Miss Amelia Spurgeon—She said that she was the sister of deceased's third wife, who died a few months back. With the exception of a cold de ceased was quite well up to last Tuesday morning. About 8 o'clock on that morning witness went into his room, as was her usual habit, and he said, " Miliy, I feel very ill. Take the will out of the cupboard.," It was understood that deceased had intended to alter his will. He began to vomit vio lently. He appeared to be in great pain. He said he had pains in his chest and arms. Witness sent for medical assistance, but deceased continued to vomit, and died before the doctor arrived. Wit ness made a poultice and put it on his chest, but he died almost directly. The daughter of deceased told witness that deceased had been poisoned. Deceased was perfectly welt on the pre vious evening when his friends came. The parties who came on the previous evening were his sister in-law, two nieces, and others, who were his rela tions. He took supper and retired to rest, about half-past 9 o'clock. He was well off. He was in business at No. 80, Bisinghall-street, and his life was insured for £6OO. He had made three wills. He was in doubt as to how he should leave his pro perty. He had a child six months old by his last wife, who died four months ago at the age of 43. Witness knew he was about to alter his last will. Deceased was in the habit of taking a tonic called mandrake from a bottle produced. He took it night and morning, and kept the bottle in his bedroom. Every one was aware of it. After deceased's death a relative called and said that he wanted to take the will to a lawyer, and witness gave up the three wills to him. Witness was certain the de ceased's daughter said that he had been poisoned. Deceased was perfectly sensible, and spoke quite rationally up to the moment of his death. Mr. John Pennefather, M.R.C.S., said he was sent tor last Tuesday morning, and on his arrival found deceased dead. Deceased had not previously complained of any illness, and witness could not a ccount for his death. An attack of brain fever would have caused vomiting, but in such case de ceased would have been insensible, and could not have spoken coherently, as he was shown to have done. Mandrake had no sediment. There was a sediment in the bottle produced. Witness could not account for it. The Coroner ordered the bottle of mandrake in question to be sealed up and forwarded to Dr. Letheby for analysation. He also eirected Mr. Pennefather to make a most careful post-mortem examination of the body of the deceased. The alle gation was so serious, some of the circumstances were so singularly suspicious, and the case had created such a sensation in the district, that a most searching investigation would be necessary; but the jury would of course keep their minds free from all prejudice in the matter, as at present nothing was conclusive. vv The proceedings, which appeared to have created extraordinary interest, were then adjourned. COUNTRY MARKETS. --► LIVERPOOL—FEB. 13. At this day's market there was a limited attendance of the town and country trade, and wheat met a slow demand. Flour met little inquiry, and prices remain as last quoted. Oats and oatmeal steady, and realised fully former rates. Barley, beans, and peas rather cheaper. Indian corn still neglected. WAKEFIELD-FEB. 13. The wheat trade rules steady to-day, and prices must be quoted same as last week. Ordinary runs of English are still neglected. In other articles there was no material alteration. Averages for'the week : Wheat 696 qrs., at 47s 10d 8ar1ey......... 691 Rye — —3 Od Beans — —s —d EXETER-FEB. 13. Wheat, white.. Gs 3d to 6s 4d I Barley.. 4s 3d to 4s 6d Ditto red .6s Od to 6s 3d Oats 9d to 3s Od Flour, fine, 36s to 37s ; seconds, 34s to 35s per sack. CATTLE. ---.—. We bad a moderate supply of all descriptions of stock, with a good demand. . 1 Fat beef, p sc., 10s0d to 10s9d Ewes, per lb .... Sid to 6 1 1 Pork carcases, 7s Gd to 8s 6d Wethers, d 0...., 6ld to 7d Lamb, p 1b.......—d to d Fat calves, d0...62d to '7 • Rough fat, 3d per lb. STAMFORD-FEB. 13. New wheat, 50s to 52s—red, 44s to 48s per 36 stone. Barley, malting, 38s to 41s ; grinding, 32s to 34s per qr• Oats, 208, to 27s per 24 stone. Beans, old, 458 to —a per qr. ; new, 388 t o4os. BRISTOL SUGAR-FEB. 13. The market has become very quiet, and little business is being done in raw sugars. Prices remain firm. The de mand for crushed and pieces is fair at late rates. No sales in rum this week, and prices nominal. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. iw,.ralia and Isl auritius, via Southampton ..Feb. 18. via Marseilles ... Feb. 12. ..irazii and Cape Terds , by British p acket. . Mar. 6. ('ape of Good hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. Mar. 3. Chi na , Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. Feb. 18. via Marseilles ...Feb. 12. Falkland Islands ... Gibraltar, via Southampton India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Feb. 18. -- via Marseilles Feb. 12. India (Bombay), via Southampton Feb. 10. via Marseilles Feb. 20. Portugal Mar. 6. ,%.alta, },gypt, and Aden, via Southampton via Marseilles Feb. 10. Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, Ly Brit. packet.... Feb. 12. by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packet. Feb. 13. W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and Teneride .. Feb. 10. Bahamas, via New York Feb. 12, Mexico... ... All parts of West Indies, including Chili, P e ru, California, and British Columbia.. .... IFeb. 13. Births. BRINTON.—On the 13th inst., at 24, Brook-street, Gros venor square, the wife of William Brinton, M.D., of a MM. LEYLAND.—On the 12th inst., at Hyde-Park House, Albert-gate, the wife of T. Naylor Ley'AEA, Esq., of a daughter. WOLLASTON.—On the 11th inst., at Shenton Hall, the wife of Major Wollaston, of a daughter. Marriages. Jerman, daugh er of Francis HowEs —FLA.DGA.Tn.—On thewsh inst., at All Saints', Prince's-gate, Frederick Augus Howes, Lieut. Royal Engineers, to Emily Ann Fladgate, Esq., barrister -at-law. PRIOR—SODEN.—On the 121 h inst., at Woodeett, Holland Prior, youngest son of John Gawler Prior, Esq., of Th Folly, t. Sun derland, to Clarissa Harrieet, youngest daughter of J. E. Soden, Esq., R.N., Deaths. BERKELEY. —On the 12th inst., at York-terrac e , Regent's par:;, General S ackville Ha milton Berkeley, olonel 16th _ B2 on the 12th inst., at the Glebe House, the Charles Wm. Bol'seas, M.A., incumbent of esuo 13 °R Ch eLv a A :e Bll l , gTesd. Forty-hill,Enfield. FAF:ANCE.—On the 13th inst., George John Farrance, Esq., F.T.A JUDKINS.—On the 12th inst., Eimer Adams Judkins, Esq., of Church Villa, Brixton-rise, aged 69. STEEL.—On the 12th inst., Mr. Thomas Steel, of Holborn, aged 70. WOODBRIDGE.—On the 11th inst., Edwd. C. Woodbridge, Esq., at 6, Porchester-square, Hyde-park, aged 68. - London : Printed and Published by WILLLA.Ig of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Ofilee, 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the COI" 01 Middlesex.—Saturday, February lf, 1863. .---------- ~_~.~__ Pi Th, held 1 Th, Th ( to th, E.C. 1" Inc nips' press De went Titre, John strE Thou lien Thoni Iti. seven pos el: voice C. 1 Greg Jan Thi Ist. as th, 1I a adjoi: 2d. Carri Oh Ca 'I " Cent peen] and c obviv value Lond Th in toi Warr Th Priva Ap and c Bang giver Pr obta Ilrok Tot] Ge (or NO 11 and tviin sum they Com of A S' men Exel knot give shal will such writ Iron for t Milt the I roll( 2. Ban