The Sun. — London, England, 1863-09-25 00:00:00

...~- -- THE CONFEDERATE STATES. (Front. J .- the Special Correspondent of the Titnes.) RICHMOND, Aug. 29. The r.lecr:ching enervating heats of such an August as has be , n unsurpassed in caloric for 20 years, the natural fatigue and reaction which follow excess of effort suelh as on both sides was lavished during the three days of battle of Gettysburg, the dispersion in the emst of General Grant's victorious unit of an army along 1,000 miles of river and in 20 different posts which he has no choice but to garrison, the rene wed assumption by the. Confederate armies in ever y quarter of a generally defensive policy, the abs orbing interest with which in both sections the op, orations against Charleston are watched, have conspired for the last seven weeks to impose upon the, hosts which for 1,500 miles face each other in ha We array the necessity for maintaining what has men on both sides regarded as a masterly inactivity. ilut there are not wanting signs that the next few -weeks will witness a change of attitude. In Vir ginia, where it is always more than usually hazardous to try and read the future, there do not seem to be indications that General Lee, who is more than ever lord of the ascendant, contemplates an immediate advance, Nothing material would apparently be gained by his driving the Federals pell-mell into their works at Washington, and it is doubtful whether a fight other than from behind the Washington breastworks could be got out of General Meade, unless General Lee again crossed the Poto mac and entered Maryland. In the west there is promise of an early battle between the forces which near Chattreuooga and Knoxville obey Generals Bragg and. Buckner, and those which are marshalled against them under Generals Itosecrans and 33urnsid.e. The other Western Confederate army is at Morton, patiently undergoing reorganization at the hands of General Hardee, and has suffered par tial eclipse by reason of its recent reverse at Vicks burg, and of the interest which attaches at this moment to a Court of Inquiry now engaged at Atlanta in investigating the causes which led to the fall of Vicksburg, and likely, as it seems, to elicit some curious disclosures. In order to attend this court, Generals Johnstone, Pemberton, Loring, and others are for the moment detached from their several commands, and at present unconnected with the operations in the field of the western armies. As for the trans-Mississippi troops, the occasional re velations of their movements furnished by the mis tiest of telegrams resemble the transparent haze at sea through which the mariner sees false icebergs and imaginary headlands, and which is more dan gerous and misguiding than profoundest darkness itself. Little more is known than that Generals Kirby Smith and Price are active and enterprising; but such is the ignorance of Washington and Rich mond in regard to the true condition of affairs in Kansas, Arkansas, Texas, and 'Western Louisiana that the dim chronicles of Northern and Southern writers who profess to give information about these xeinote regions must be received with as many grains of salt as Niebuhr sprinkles over the funeral eulo gies and family narratives which are our principal guides to much of the history of the first few cen turies of Rome. CDA.IILESTON AND EASTERN TENNESSEE. The principal points of interest for the moment are Charleston and Eastern Tennessee. In the latter district the Federals have two large armies in the field—the first under General Rosecrans, who for eight months has shunned any renewal of the terrible engagement which at Murfreesborough inaugurated a celebration of Christmas sadly at variance with the doctrines of peace and good will inculcated by that festive season ; the second, under General Burnside, who, at the head, as is re ported, of 30,000 men, is descending from Southern Kentucky and threateniog General Buckner and the slender force with which he holds Knoxville and Tennessee. Modest and unassuming, as are all the best cfficers of the Confederacy, calm and sagacious, and well instructed in his trade of si - llcier and military engineer, much beloved and admired in his native State of Kentucky, tenacious and enduring, General Buckner will greatly dis appoint his many friends in the Confederacy if he does not prove himsolf fully equal to his oppor tunity, which sec MS at hand, and maintain the high reputation which he gained at Fort ;nelson, by ntholing to his pest and being taken prisoner whert associate Generals Raved themselves by a night retreat. It may be mentioned en passant that the statements with which Federal journals, especially in the West, have lately teemed, to the cffect that M. - figg's army is very weak, its morale bad, and its numbers thinned by desertion, are just the reverse of the truth. Officers of character and position who are fresh from the scene of action speak enthusias tically of the temper and condition of Gen. Bragg's army. - With some considerable experience of the Northern press and its antics during the progress of this war, I have never observed it more reckless and unscrupulous in its statements than during the last six weeks. Honourable exceptions are of course to be found among the multitudinous journals of this continent, and conspicuous among them is the New Yolk TVorld, which has secured respect even in the South by reason of its superior regard for veracity. But the assumption by most of the organs of Northern opinion, that the rebellion is staggering on its last legs, and that hope has bid farewell to the breasts of men like President Davis and Gen. Lee (both of whom I have never seen in better spirits than during the present week), is a contri bution to history such as at the end of the last great war between England and France was furnished by a French publication entitled Tables du Temple de la Gloire, which consisted of a catalogue raisonne of all Frenchmen who thought they had distin guished themselves in the course of that war. It was obvious that in many instances the articles were contrib•ated by the persons who were the heroes of them, aid it is no less obvious that the corres- Pondenta of divers Northern journals, especially in the West, take their inspiration and gain their facts from the Generals with whom they are living, and of Whose hospitality they are perhaps permitted to Partake. If at the beginning of the last century fir Robert Walpole's famous apophthegm about the leeessary falseness of history could not be repressed , what would he have said in the present day, when the materials for his history are such as I have de scribed. The troth, as seen by those who reside in the heart of th e Confederacy, t is, in reality, as follows. Never, from b moment when the fall of Fort Sumter inaugurated, in April, 1861, this colossal civil war up tott present hour were the spirit and temper of Southern this rti . s resistance more keen and ex asperated than moment. There have been t imes during the p r otess of the struggle when, for ; appl v arious reason :ion has weighed heavily u pon the minds of the h i a n t t rebelliou's pilots. No one is DOW ignorant, ignorant, f or first six or eig ht mout hs et talie m, that during the conflict there was not enough gunpo wder a t a pp of to have supplied the demands or e Southern ports for three 4hours. At Present vi :f. a. single battery the case ? Without entering into minute particulars enough to state that there are threears, it will be dermills actively at work in the Confederacy, e P , I 7 that the daily supply of powder exact ed for the C onfederate armies in the field and for the seaports, which are defensively occupied, is fully furnished b y two of these mills whereas the third and 'Largest has b een for m ' many months past engaged in manufacturi ng d SUPeriltioUS p o vg er, which has now g rown into a large reserved stock, and is being daily and rapidly increased. Take another item. There have been mo ments whe n th e supply of small arms has bee n much less than the demand,-I supply the consequent inconveni ence has been greatreaders that in th e first h It will be remembered by y our at Vicksburg, Port uudtsilf of July prisoners of war :ti to ' and Gett y sbur g , were ca ptured by the Fed era l the extent of nearly 50,000 men. It is true that at a a s many Federals were capturedt Gettysburg at least by the Confederates as Confederate s b y th e Federals ; but, so far as the present argument is concerned, this fact is nihil ad rem. Trier° were lost to the Confederates in the first half of July no less than 50,000 muskets. reader will be s ur p rised to learn that fully this The amount of muskets has durin g the las t seven weeks been successfully introduced through the blockade, to say nothing of ca nnon and multitudino us other supplies of all kinds. It ma y be conceived what are are the chances of subduing a rebellion in a c ountry which not only possesses all the resources of the Confederacy but also sucks in supplies to any ex tent from beyond sea. Nor does the possibility of the fall of Charleston (which, though little beli eve d in at this moment at Richmond, is still a p oss ibili ty ) affect the question. In the first place, Wilmington, Mobile, Savannah, and Galveston, have still to be reduced ; and it is believed that two out of these four places will defy the utmost malice of the Fe deral& Secondly, along the whole southern coast, from the capes of the Chesapeake to the Rio Grande, there are altogether 189 ports and inlets, of which only an infinitesimal proportion has fallen into the hands of the Federals. What chance is there of such a oountry being effectually and altogether cut off from receiving the slender supplies which she requires to keep her alive, and supply all that is requisite for her resistance ? Let those who have misgivings about the future, in case Wilmington and Charleston should fall, attend one of the large auction sales of blockade goods which take place every morning in this city, and examine how much weaker for resistance the Confederate States would be if the supply of such goods were perma nently cut off. It is not for a moment denied that some communication with the exterior world is vitally necessary for the Confederacy ; but such communication need only be slender and infrequent, and from such communication it is impossible that Secession can be cut off. THE HARVEST. There is another element in the Confederate future so full of hope and promise that it is my duty to notice it. Many of your readers must now be aware that in a large portion of the Confederate States the harvest last year was unusually deficient, and consequently during the spring months of the present year there was, as I mentioned at the time, considerable anxiety about the supply of food. All such anxiety has now disappeared in presence of the bounti ful and redundant harvest with which, during this current year, the Confederate States have been blessed. I am assured that the abundance of cereals is such that it would supply the whole population for three years to come. Nor is the abundance confined to cereals. The crop of vegetables is such as would amaze any Englishman of the poorer classes. Above all, the supply of potatoes (Irish potatoes, as they are called here, to distinguish them from the sweet) will be sufficient to admit of rations of that esculent being served out next winter to the army in conjunction with meat and flour. With gunpowder in excess of the utmost demands of the next two or three years, with an abundance of food such as defies the avarice of speculators, with armies in the field which are by some believed to be numerically not inferior to those of the Federals, and which at the lowest estimate are, as compared, with the Federal numbers, in the ratio of three to four, with the old spirit and invincible re solution of Anglo-Saxon freemen struggli ng f or indepen dence more than ever in the ascendant, wh o i s th ere that dares to talk of subjugation as a possibility ? Faint-hearted men and women of course there are here and there; how is it possible that among 6,000,000 o f C onfederates such units should fail to be found ? But if the Federals persuade them selves, because a few d eserters recommend themselves to their new masters by spreading tales of Confederate disaf fection, that the heart of the South is slanged or unstable, they will find before the year is out that they are reckoninc , without thei r h ost, and that sooner or later President b Davis'a words will find realis ition, in which he asserted with not unbecoming pride that " these Confederate States have demonstrated that no superiority of numbers or avail able resources can overcome the resistance offered by such valour in combat, such constancy under suffering, and such cheerful endurance of privation, as have been conspicuously displayed by this people in the defence of their rights and 1 iber ties." THE FORTY DAYS SIEGE OF CHARLESTON. The record of the 40 days of siege which Charleston has undergone since the Federals first effected a lodgment upon Morris Island is certainly not such as to be discouraging to the Confederates. It would be idle to deny that consider able disappointment has been felt in high quarters here in regard to the surprise and capture of the Confederate works at the foot of Morris Island. The prevailing impression seems to be that a more vigilant supervision of Folly Island should have been maintained by the Confederates on Morris Island ; that the timber on Folly Island should have been cut down, and the erection of masked batteries by the Federals, under cover of which they surprised and took the Confederate work at the southern end of Morris Island, should thus have been rendered impossible. With the southern half of Morris Island in possession the Fede rals had no difficulty in there establishing the batteries of 200-pounder and 300-pounder Parrott guns, which have since done such damage to Fort Sumter, against which up to the 26th inst. they had launched upwards of 7,000 shots. But pari passu with the vigour of the assault has grown the energy of the resistance. Specially has this been the case since General Gillmer, once the head of the department of Military Engineers in Richmond, but now promoted to a Major-Generalship and detailed for special service at Charleston, has taken his place by the side of that other ac complidaed engineer, General Beauregard. There is every reason to think that the great Chancery suit of Gillmer v. Gilmore, now awaiting solution on the islands around Charleston Harbour, and likely, according to all appear ances, to rival in tediousness the case of Jarudyce v. Jarn dyce, will elevate the present siege of Charleston to high rank among the great sieges of history, The first great lesson which has been taught hitherto is furnished by Battery Wagner, which, as it seems, has solved the great problem, how best to resist the tremendous projectiles of modern science. Into the banks of sand which Battery Wagner offers in resistance, all the projectiles of the Fede rals have hitherto been fired in vain. The endeavours to carry the work by assault, conducted by mixed bodies of white and black Federal soldiers, have hitherto been re pulsed with heavy loss. It is my impression that when the equinoctial gales prevail, and the monitors are driven off the coast and prevented from enfilading the position now held by the Federals, General Gilmore will be likely to find himself more interfered with than has hitherto been the case. But anyhow the difficulties of reducing Charleston would but commence with the capture of Morris Island and the fall of Fort Sumter. Your readers must not imagine that I have any reason to apprehend that either Fort Sumter or Battery 'Wagner is, as some people imagine, already doomed, Great as has been the damage inflicted upon Fort Sumter by the colossal missiles of the Federals, it is under stood that General Gillmer does not despair of building, out of the ruins of the fort, assisted by any amount of sandbags, a new work from which his future resistance can be main tained. A few days ago an appeal was addressed to the ladies of Columbia, the capital city of South Carolina, and in a few hours several hundred sandbags were forwarded to Charleston and conveyed to Fort Sumter, where they were filled and turned to account. Such is the spirit which anie mates the resistance of a haughty and dominate race, ex asperated to fever heat by what they regard as the fiendish attempt of their adversaries wantonly to set in flames their beloved city of Charleston, by throwing incendiary shells into its midst, and scattering midnight terror among de fenceless women and children. The second month of the siege of Charleston,as conducted by the Monitors and from Morris Island, draws to a close. Fort Sumter is in ruins, but those ruins are stronger than the fort in its integrity. "Le Rol est mort. Frye le Rol". Furious bombardments of Fort Sumter, Fort Moultrie, and Battery Wagner, protracted through several whole nights, have done trifling injury to the occupants of those works, while there is abundant evidence that the energy and hope fulness of the assailants are on the decrease. If anything were wanted to stimulate the desperation of the resistance, it would be found in the announcement that when General Gilmore and Admiral Dahlgren have done their work the turn of General Benjamin Butler will come. It is un necessary to state that, if the work of General Gilmore and Admiral Dahlgren could ever be successfully accomplished, there would be nothing left for General Butler to do, unless he elects to perish upon the ruins of Charleston and to sow its site with salt. It is not believed that, with President Davis's proclamation (denouncing General Butler as a felon and murderer, and condemning him, if taken, to death) still unrepealed, he would be apt to venture far from the seacoast. But the indications are that Gene ral Gilmore and Admiral Dahlgren have still plenty of work to do. In my last letter I stated that it was believed that heavy Parrott guns could not be fired repeatedly at a high elevation without rapidly wearing out. Already it is apparent that the siege, as hitherto conducted by the Fede rals, will exact the ceaseless substitution of new 200- pounder and 300-pounder Parrott guns, and the supply of such guns cannot but be limited. For the last 10 or 12 days no more shells have been thrown into the town ; one explanation of this fact being that a .709-pounder Parrott gun, from which the incendiary shells were thrown, had burst close to the muzzle. Alogether, as I write, the feel ing here with regard to the ability of the Confederates to hold Charleston is one of cheerfulness and confidence. The long delay has given the defenders opportunities of develop ing to the utmost their available resources, and the engi neering genius of Generals Beauregard and Gillmer is find ing full scope. One of the immense Blakely guns, lately i mported from England, is already in position, and every Z in is holdi ng his breath to catch the echo of its first report. shall av have e Movements are promised, whenever the equi noc ti a l ga l es driven the Monitors under shelter, which will possibly exercise a powerful influence upon the siege. It is a curious commentary upon the inhumanity of the act of which the Federals, in attempting to bombard Charleston, have been guilty, to read Mr. Cobden's diatribe launched against the Turks, in a recent debate in the House of Com mons. Mr. Cobden is reported to have said :—" It appears that a Turkish Pasha, having command of a fortress in Belgrade, took it into his head, ; .4 a moment of panic, to —an outrage that would not be tolerated even bombard that city. It was an outrage repudiated, of course, a city even to carry out a strate gical everybody war; g at warrior, the Duke of Wellington, laid it down as a rule that you would not because we all know that a re y." Confederacy intense onas b g e ic j al us m tifi ov ed em in en b t om in ba t r h d of Charleston by th e e in f g ace of yhoouurtentehme has the subject beenthne of the throughout Federals, the act itself has excited no surprise. wh at should excite surprise would be ito learn that an outrage hid which is "repudiated by everybody"_ when perpe- THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 25, 1863. trated by the Pederals, elicited from Mr. Cobden the same public reprehension which he has justly lavished upon a not dissimilar enormity- perpetrated elsewhere. EAST TENNESSEE. The menacing 'attitude of the four antagonistic armies which occupy East Tennessee—the Switzerland, as it is called, of the Confederacy—is still maintained, and nothing more is known than that General Buckner has withdrawn his forces westward, and occupied a position nearer to General Bragg, whereby he has left Knoxville open to the Federals. Whether the Federals have availed themselves of the opening thus offered to them at Knoxville I am not in a position positively to state, but the impression here is that such a movement would not be to their advantage. The difficulties of General Rosecrans, operating as he now is at a distance of 100 miles from his base, and in mountains which greatly resemble the Jura range, must necessarily be excessive. With the eyes of the Confederacy steadfastly fixed, as they are at this moment upon Eastern Tennessee, it is not believed there is danger in that quarter. Vague threats of danger to Mobile from a portion of General Grant's army are heard at intervals ; but Mobile can cer tainly, if justice is done to it, take care of itself. Mean while, along the Mississippi, upon both banks, active em ployment for General Grant will not be wanting. Rumours of considerable activity on the part of General Price in Arkansas, of the organisation of endless guerilla light bat teries on both sides of the great river, of revived hopefulness in the State of Mississippi, of an unabated spirit of resist ance in every corner of the south-west, might well shake the confidence of a mightier power than is wielded by the Federals, if reason or judgment had any influence upon their unitise's. Nor, putting aside the stubborn resistance of Charleston, have the Federals had much lately to encou rage them elsewhere. In Western Virginia a warm en gagement in the neighbourhood of the White Sulphur Springs, between a force of 2,000 to 3,000 Confederates under General Sam Jones, and a not dissimilar force of Federals under General Averill, resulted on August 26 dnd 27 in the unmistakable defeat of the latter. The details of the capture by Captain Wood of two Federal steam -vessels engaged in blockading the mouth of the Rappahannock. River must have long ago been reported in England. But after the fall of Charleston, the war, according to General Halleek, is to take a fresh start. The presence during the last 10 or 12 days of General Leo in Richmond, the long conferences between him and the President, the sundry other symptoms, upon which it is unnecessary to dilate, lead to a suspicion that the fresh impulse which is about to be given to the war will be imparted not by the Fede rals but by the Confederates, and in a quarter where at present the Federals are supposed to be having it all their own way. SOUTHERN FINANCE. The length of this letter forbids my touching upon the question of Southern finance, which has latterly attracted a good deal of uneasy attention, and concerning which I will hereafter lay full particulars before your readers. It is sufficient for the present to state that it is altogether a mis take to measure in a blockaded country the value of the currency by the standard of gold and silver which, as Mr. Memminger has well pointed out, become as much articles of commerce, when their outgoing and incoming are im peded, as tin and platina. The true measure of deprecia tion to which the currency has undergone may be gauged by the price of real estate, and of such articles as wheat, Indian corn, and bacon. Throughout the Confederacy real estate may, at this moment, anywhere be bought with Confederate currency at the rate of two dollars for that which formerly cost one ; in other words, that which cost 50,000 dollars before the war can now be bought for 100,000 dollars. The price of wheat, corn, and bacon, as compared with old prices, is in the ratio of 5 to 2, or, at most, of 3to 1. Nevertheless, under the influence of artificial panic and interested inflation, it required, two or three weeks ago, 16 dole. in Confederate currency to purchase one dollar in gold. A conviction, however, that when Congress meets next December, the further issue of Treasury notes for circulation will be checked, the serious determination to cope with this, the blackest cloud on the Confederate horizon, and the return of greater confidence to the unthinking messes, have again lowered the price of gold in Richmond, which can this day be purchased at the price of 10 dole. in currency for one in metal. RICHMOND, Sqt. 7 (Evening). P.S.—The intelligence, by no means unexpected, has just been received that General Bea uregard deemed it advisable to abandon Mcrris Island, or, in other words, Batteries Wagner and Gregg, last night, upon the close of the 59th day of the siege. It had been my impression that, if the equinoctial gales had favoured such an enterprize and driven the monitors off the coast, an attack would have been made upon the Federal works upon Morris Island by such a force of Confederates as would have infal libly commanded success. But in view of the delay in the equinoctial gales, it has appeared to Gen. Beauregard un desirable to sacrifice many lives to attain an object which is considered, after all, of little moment. The 59 days of siege have made Morris Island into little more than the outer crust of the defences of Charleston, and there remains in Fort Sumter and Fort Ridley, and in the batteries upon Sullivan's and James Islands, and last of all in the battery or sea wall of Charleston itself, a system of defences which all the military engineers in the Confederacy pronounce to be impregnable. It is true that, from Morris Island, shells will perhaps be thrown into the city of Charleston, but persons who have seen Vicksburg after months and months of shelling will entertain little apprehension in regard to the dan - lage which, from a distance of more than four miles, can be done to Charleston. It seems to me that the disadvantages wising to the Confederates from the loss of Morris Island will be twofold. In the first place, of the two chancels which lead into Charleston Harbour, one will be rendered irnpass .ble for incoming vessels by the Federal batteries upon Morris Island, and all the attention of the blockading vessels will be concentrated upon the other channel. Se condly, the possession of Morris Island will enable the Federals to make a large camp there, into which they will throw any number of men, and thus threaten to beat down resistance at Charleston by weight of numbers. This danger can only be met by a step which is as easy to the Confederates as is the withdrawal of troops from Washing ton to the Federals. In other words, the number of defen ders must increase pari passe with that of the assailants. There is such disgust in this city at the depreciation of the currency, towards which the introduction of goods through Charleston has powerfully contributed, thet I doubt whether the capture of that city by the Federals would not, on the whole, be acceptable to a majority. I ought not to forget to mention that General Beauregaid brought all his guns off from Batteries Gregg and Wagner. The siege of Charleston is just commenced. The only other notable incident of this day has been the opening of the session of the Virginia State Legislature in Richmond. The message of Governor Letcher has at tracted much attention, and, it must be added, hearty ap probation. subjects seem to occupy the most prominent places. Pro fessor Archer, the active local secretary of the meeting, and the head of the Edinburgh Industrial Museum, contributes a paper on " the Industrial Features of Edinburgh." The recent progress and present condition of trades and manu factures of various districts of Scotland form the subjects of numerous papers likely to be of considerable interest, In the other division of this department discussions are likely to arise on various points of international law, the importance of which is being daily demonstrated by the course of public events. We may mention a paper by Mr. James Anderson, Q.C., likely to deal with several of these points; and also one by Mr. R. D. Chalmers on the capture during war of private property at sea. An interna tional patent law, an international decimal system, and an international congress and tribunal for the prevention of war, form the subjects of papers which have been contri buted to this department. CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT—Sept. 24. OLD COURT. Helen Hannah Margaret Englohart, convicted of an as sault upon her child, Constance Augusta, barely five years old, was brought up for judgment. Mr. Justice Bytes addressing the prisoner, said—You were pat upon your trial yesterday for the manslaughter of an unprotected infant, of which you were the mother, and whatever may have been the real facts of the case there was not sufficient evidence to satisfy the minds of the jury, and they acquitted you of that offence, You were afterwards tried for an assault upon the child, and of that you were found guilty. It is plain that there was a succession of bar barous and inhuman acts on your part which I do not say caused the child's death, but which undoubtedly led to and accelerated it. It is impossible to pass over an offence of so grievous a nature. I can well conceive the sufferings you have endured since the commission of this offence, and I know that you have been treated by the authorities with a humanity which you failed to show towards the infant whose death you have unquestionably hastened. The sen tence which I feel it my duty to pronounce on you is that you be imprisoned for 18 calendar months. Earlier in the day Mr. Sleigh and Mr. Eibton, the pri soner's counsel, made an earnest appeal to the judge to re spite the sentence until after her confinement, she being now pregnant. They had been induced, they said, to make that application in order to save her the unspeakable distress of mind consequent upon giving birth to a child in a gaol, and to prevent the stigma that would attach to the infant itself from that circumstance during life. Mr. Orridge, counsel for the prosecution, said he had been instructed by the parish authorities from a sense of duty, and he left the latter entirely in his lordship's hands, having no desire to press unduly on the prisoner. Mr. Justice Byles said he had consulted the principal offi cers of the court, and had not found there was any prece • dent for such a course as had been suggested. Further than that, he had spoken to the surgeon of the gaol, and knew when her accouchement might be expected to take place. SECOND COURT. (Before the Recorder.) Wm. Pottage, 20, clerk, pleaded guilty to indictments charging him with feloniously forging upon a certain bill of exchange, for the payment of money, the acceptance of one Wm. Bew, with intent to defraud, and also with felo niously forging upon two bills of exchange the endorsement of John Henry Weston and Edward Weston, with intent to defraud. Mr. Poland, who appeared for the prosecution, said the charge against the prisoner s as that of having forged bills of exchange, and the circumstances were these :—The pri soner went some time in the present year to a loan office kept by a Mr. Welfare and gave a bill for £5O, which pur ported to have been drawn by Mr. Henry Weston and en dorsed by himself. That bill was discounted by Mr. Wel fare. When it became due the prisoner went to Mr. Wel fare and asked him to allow it to stand over. This as refused, and they the prisoner brought another bill, drawn by himself, and purporting to be accepted by Mr. Bew, and with the proceeds of the second bill he paid oS the £5O upon the first. He was asked to get the second bill endorsed by it was ascertained that both Mr. Weston also, H e took i t away , b roug ht it back with the name of Mr. W es t on en d orse d un d er that of Mr. Bow, and upon subsequentinquiry these signatures w ere f orger i es. Th e fi rs t bill, in fact, was forged as well as th e secon d . Th oug h this was the serious nature of the prison er ' s o ff ence, ye t Mr. Welfare, who had been acquainted with him for some years, was anxious, as far as he could, to reco mmen d ham to the merciful conside ration of the Court, Mr. Sleigh, who was engaged for the defence, expressed his belief that the case was one entitled to merciful =side. ration. The unhappy young man at the bar was a person of respectability who at one time held a good position in society. He unfortunately became a partner with a gentle man ; that partnership was dissolved ; he was unable t o obtain a settlement, and he was reduced in consequence to the very verge of destitution. Under his (the learned counsel's) instructions ho had very reluctantly pleaded guilty, because he alleged that he had no intention to d e _ fraud at the time he negotiated the bill transactions with Mr. Welfare. Those who had known him for years w ou l d bear testimony that he had always been an honourabley oung . man. Still, there was no doubt that in ibis instance h e h ad violated the law, but, after atl, his offence did not come under the category of a commercial forgery. Witnesses to character having been examined, o h i e nx be f l h ie e ved ; the il ls .. were The circumstancesltecorder pas o s passed o s e e o n f t e e d n sentence. lie observed that which th induced d t o h c e o r d e him not to inflict a harsh punishment, although th e f orging of bills in a great commercial country like England was de servingt iee o f t the prisoner to be imprisoned and calendar e case for the penal servitude. met s y i s t months. John Smith, 24, sawyer, and Joseph kept to hard labo p ur em fo b r er l t : men, were indicted for stealing one cask andso gallons of turpentine, the property of Sir Charles Price and others, sentencing to have tilled and the e • and d iJosephofedfor receiving Charles t l l l i e a rr s i o s m o n o , , woilman,en knowingQu e en h therei the, was ila been stolen. h t of of c T o i pro b s l o r o . o G ti i o ff o ar ; d m a r n . d s M or - • lA Lewis de fendedand Mr. Ribton defended Harrison; r g . eao Sta t r p li a n r g ry co o n o d d u m cte r. d .p th i. S mith- Pem berthy was undefended. d e nltee appearedvt the case fro -dine last a quantity others a cask of French tu • of goods, among turpentine, was ordered to be conveyed from the premises of Sir Ralph Charles Price, at Blackfriars-bridge, in one of the Steam Navigation Company's vessel down the river. The cask was lowered with the other goods into a lighter, It weighed 4 cwt., and as it appeared to be . lying safe i n the lighter it was not considered ne cessary that it should be watched. On the 25th of June it had disappeared. ji. -. was stolen on the night of the 24th or early on the Morning of the 25th. Shortly after the r obbery was !ffeet e d the prisoners Smith and Pemberthy were found it. de a l ing ing it and receiving DicneY for They were seen lurking about in the neighbourhood of the wharf where the lighter was moored. The case against Harrison differed entirely the other two prisoners . from that against oilers. His offence con sisted in receiving the property with a knowledge that it had been stolen. H e carried on business as an oil and colour man in Q uee nhithe, somewh ere opposite the residence of the Lord Mayor. His concern was not very extensive, as was proved by the circumstance that he only employed a boy in his office. In consequence of information received by the police the officers visited hi s prem i ses an d f oun d t h e his cask of turpentin e in s cellar. Persons passing along the street could see the end of the cask for several days after it was received, when another cask containing petroleum was placed over it; but it was c ontended that this visibility did not tell in favour of the Prisoner, inasmuch as the identifi cation of the cask from the footpath was a matter of utter impossibility. It was alleged by the learned counsel, but the statement was not afterwards borne out in evidence, that Harrison said he bad in the first instance given £l6 for the cask, and afterwards that he had paid only £l2 10s. for it, the real value being £25 ; and the question of his guilt turned mainly upon th e question as to the parties from he had purchased it. whom The counsel for the prosecu tion relied upon the fact that he was alleged to have bought it from the other two Prisoners, who were known to be acting as labourers about the docks, and for a sum of money amounting to only about half its actual value, for proof that he must have Purchased it with a knowledge that it had been dishonestly obtained. At the close of the case for Mr. Ribton addressed the jury on the part of Smith, submitting that there was nothing approaching to evidence, certainly not sufficient to warrant them in finding him guilty. , H e then called witnesses to character. Mr. Sergeant Parry submitted that no evidence what ever had been add a dduced in support of the charge against Harrison. The Recorder, having carefully looked over his notes, agreed in opinion with the learned serjoaut. On the con trary, he said that the opening statement of the learned counsel for the prosecution was unsupported by the testi• mony of the witnesses, because it now appeared that the prisoner never had made any declaration to the effect that ho purchased th e cask either for £l6 or for £l2 10s. Mr. Sergeant P arry observed that there were several per sons in court wh o had known Harrison all his life, and who were willing to b ear testimony that he had sustained through out a moat irreproachable character. The Lord Mayor, for instance, was ready to come forward and give evidence to that effect. The Recorder--If it had been proved that he knew the exact position in life of the other two prisoners, from whom he is said to have made the purchase, it would have made a great difference in the case. Mr. Sergeant Parry—But there is no evidence that he knew anythin,s; whatever about them. The Reco rder—Undoubtedly there is not. Unde r 1 ::ne direction of the Court a verdict 'f Not Guilty is the case of Harrison was here taken, and the prisoner left 'e court with his friends. The other two prisoners were found Guilty of the rob bery, and several previous convictions were proved against Pemberthy. The Recorder sentenced Pemberthy to six, and Smith to five years' penal servitude. Claude Cole, 16, a oervanti WAS indicted for feloniously setting fire to a rick of stubble, the property of Wm. Gid dings, of Smith Minnie. At the time of the fire the prisoner was discovered at about 20 yards' distance from the rick. At first he denied that he was the incendiary, and endeavoured to throw the blame upon a man with a straw hat who was seen to cross the fields, but subsequently he acknowledged the offence, and said he had been driven by the force of the pangs of hunger to consume the property. When apprehended he requested the officer not to let his father know anything about his being Concerned in so disgraceful a transaction. The jury returned a verdict of Guilty. The Recorder asked in what capacity as a servant the prisoner had hitherto acted? Prisoner—As a gentleman's page. The Recorder thought the case a strange one, and inti mated that some inquiries would be made into the prisoner's circumstances and family connections before sentence was pronounced. He then respited the judgment until next ses sions. THIRD COURT. (Before the Common Sergeant.) William Smith and Thomas Allum surrendered to take their trial on an indictment charging them with violently assaulting and inflicting personal injuries upon William Thomas and Benjamin Woodnutt. Mr. Le Breton prosecuted ; and the defendants were re presented by Mr. Sleigh, with whom was Mr. Orridge. The inquiry into this case occupied the attention of the Court and jury for a considerable time, but the facts may be briefly narrated. On the part of the prosecution it was alleged that the prosecutors, who are barge builders residing iu Rotherhithe, and in the same employ, after leaving their work on the night of Saturday, the 25th of July, went to their homes and remained there until about 10 o'clock, when they proceeded to the residence of the prosecutor Woodnutt's mother, in Millpond-street, where they partook of supper and one glass of beer each. They were returning home when the two defendants, who were on duty in plain clothes, came up to them, and, as alleged, using most coarse language, said that they had been long on the watch for them, and that they would lock them up. The men Thomas and Woodautt at once denied that they were the characters the defendants had imputed to them, and eventually Thomas was knocked down by the defendant Smith, and Woodnutt by Allum. The prosecutors were followed to the residence of Thomas, but not by the defendants, who, on alarm being given by the prosecutors, ran away. The prosecutors were, however, followed to the residence of the mother of Thomas, and there taken into custody by a policeman named Lamb, on the charge of being drunk, disorderly, and having assaulted the police. The prosecutors were locked up on the charges, but subsequently bailed out, and on the case being heard by Mr. Trail], at the Greenwich Police court, the charge was dismissed after a long investigation. The allegation on the part of the prosecution was that both the prosecutors had been seriously injured by the defend ants ; and this was the point at issue. Mr. Sleigh, for the defendants, said he was in a condition to negative the assertion that his clients had been guilty of the violence imputed to them. The defendants had been long in the service, and by good conduct had been raised to the position of detective officers. It would be shown that a row had taken place in Dockhead, Rotherhithe, at which it was supposed the prosecutors had taken part, and were con sequently watched and eventually taken into custody on the charge of riotous conduct and assaulting the pol ce-officers. They were charged in proper form, and then never insinu ated that they had been assaulted by the present defendants On behalf of the defendants a host of witnesses were called, all members of the same division of p: lice, with a view to show that the prosecutors were intoxicated, and that they had been concerned in a row at Dockhead, which was negatived by the witnesses for the prosecution. Inspector Moore deposed that he was on duty at the sta tion-house when the prosecutors were charged, and that they were then both intoxicated, and made no mention of having been assaulted by the defendants. The Common-Sergeant, in summing up, said that this was one of the most remarkable cases he had ever had to try. The question involved was one of a very important character, and he warned the jury to be cautious, as there was evi dently strong partizanship, and it was perfectly clear that one party tr the other had committed perjury. The jury, after a very brief deliberation, returned a ver dict of guilty, but at the same time coupled their verdict with a recommendation to mercy on the ground of the good character they had received ; and the jury also expressed an opinion that they thought the defendants had mistaken th e prosecutors for other persons who had been concerned in a disturbance or riot at Dockhead. The Common Sergeant asked the police whether they had heard anything about the row at Dockhead, and they said there had been nothing of the kind ; and then turning to the jury, the learned Judge asked them whether they remained of the came opinion as to the defendants being mistaken as to the prosecutors being concerned in the riot. The foreman of the jury said, after the evidence they had heard, they should alter their verdict, and simply find the defendants guilty. The Common Sergeant, in passing sentence, said the de- fendants had been guilty of a very serious cifence, and in proportion as power was given to the police, the Court was bound to pass a sentence commensurate upon any officer who abused the power placed in him. The power vested in the police placed the public very much at their mercy, and the act which they had committed was an exceedingly gross one. He always passed severe sentences upon those convicted of assaulting the police, and he should now pass a severe sen tence upon police officers, and that sentence was that they be kept to hard labour in the House of Correction for the term of 18 calendar months. With this case the business of the session terminated, and the Court was adjourned to Monday, the 26th October FRENCH COLONIAL EXHIBITION. The iioniteur publishes a report addressed to the Minister of Marine and the Colonies by the Committee of the Per manent Exhibition of the Colonies, giving an account of the operations in 1862, which consisted chiefly in preparing for the Universal Exhibition in London. The corn iniatee express themselves highly satisfied with the reception given to French colonial products by the jury of the Exhibition, as well as by the English press, and then proceed to enumerate the success of eachl;colony as follows :—Guadaloupe (17 - medals, 12 honourable mentions).—This colony exhibited sugar, coffee, cocoa, rum, textile substances, and salt, all of which the jury considered of superior quality, but their attention was chiefly directed• to the cotton, of which the long-stapled was valued at 5f per kilogramme, and the short stapled at 2f 50c. This latter description is especially remarkable for its abundant yield, and being less suoject to the attacks of insects than the Georgian. It will also grow on almost any soil, and is well adapted for all ordinary fabrics. Martinique (13 medals, three honourable mentions). —The sugar, cocoa, and rum of this colony were found excellent, as was likewise its coffee, which the jury considered fully equal to its long-established reputation, and expressed their regret that its cultivation should have diminished of late years. Guiana (14 medals, 17 honourable mentions). —None of the French colonists presented such a variety of products as this. They com prise fine timber for shipbuilding, coffee, cotton, annotto, fruit, and seeds yielding oil, &c. The cotton was an indige nous species, of a long and fine staple, estimated to be worth from 41 50c to 501 per kilogramme. St. Pierre and Miquelon (two medals, two honourable mentions).—These islands exhibited the produce of their fisheries, cousistingof cod and other fish cured in various ways, isinglass, cod liver oil, white and brown, all of which were considered quite equal to the best English and Norwegian products of the same kind. West Coast of Africa (eight medals).—The French possessions in Senegal, the Gold Coast of Gabon exhibited ground-huts, gum, gold, ostrich feathers, tanning substances, cabinet wood, palm oil, copper, ivory, ebony, and sandal wood. A short-stapled cotton-growing wild in Senegambia was exhibited, and also specimens of jumel cotton recently introduced there, which was estimated at 4f 50c per kilogramme. Reunion (24 medals, 13 honourable mentions),—This colony may well be proud of its success. Its sugars were especially remarked, and were judged fully equal to those of the Mauritius. The vanilla of this island was found excellent, as was also the cotton. Magotte and dependencies (one medal, two honourable mentions).—This island had few exhibitors, chiefly of sugars, in which the jury noticed considerable improvement since 1855. Mada gascar (one medal). —The principal articles exposed were timber, cabinet-woods, cotton, rocella, and the silk of the bombyx radama.—lndia (nine medals, six honourable men.. tions).—Thanks to the efforts of the local committee of Pondicherry, the French possessions in India made a very respectable figure, even beside the vast display from Bengal. The jury highly appreciated the show of rice, medicinal and tinctorial plants, cocoa nut oil, &c. As to the cotton, it was valued at 6f 25c to 8f 7.5 c per kilo gramme, and was admitted to be superior to that from British India. New Caledonia (six medals, six honourable mentions). —The wool from this colony was found equal to the best Australian, and proves that the rearing of sheep on a large scale would soon make this a rich colony. The specimens of sugar and coffee were especially noticed by the Australian Commissioners, and New Caledonia is admirably situated for supplying the great English colony with those articles. Cotton, resins, bark, sandal-wood, timber, and cocoa-nut oil were also exhibited. Tahiti (three medals, two honourable mentions)—The productions of these islands attracted much notice from the commercial men of all coun tries, and were considered very superior to those shown in 1855. Cochin China (one medal,two honourable mentions) —This country exhibited rice, cotton, silks, dye-woods,fish, swallow's-nests, and many other Eastern delicacies. This collection was examined with extraordinary interest. The report concludes with expressing the conviction of the com mittee that France has every reason to be satisfied with the success of her colonies at this great International Exhibition. [ADVERTISEMENT]. —Holloway's Pills.—Disorders of the kidneys, known by the deeply-seated pain in the back and scanty secretion of water, can be arrested in their dis tressing and rapid course by these regulating Pills. Their highly tonic and strengthening properties prevent the im poverishment of the blood and the derangement of circula tion characteristic of kidney disease, often ending in par tial or general dropsy. Experience has proved the almost unvaried success obtained when Holloway's Pills are taken in the earlier stages, and the ease they afford when the complaint is more advanced. They relax the hot and parched skin, overcome the attendant costiveness, and in duce a copious secretion of the kidneys, which are the harbingers of dieeass departing and health returning, SOCIAL SCIENCE AT EDINBURGH. At the approaching meeting at Edinburgh, commencing on the 7th of October, a variety of interesting subjects will occupy the attention of the members in each of the six de partments. In the department of Jurisprudence many of the subjects to be discussed will be of national interest. Among these questions, we find the transfer of land will be treated of in several important papers. Mr. R. R. Torrens, Registrar-General of South Australia, contributes a paper on the Torrens' system of " Conveyancing by Registration of Titles, as in operation in Australia," Mr. Thomas Hare will lay before the department the draft of a bill "to facilitate the acquirement of house property by the working classes in large towns." Among other subjects are the'` Marriage Laws," and " The necessity for a Minister of Justice," and the laws of evidence both in civil and criminal cases. In the Educational department, national education in Scotland occupies a prominent place, and is certain to call forth ani mated discussions. Professor Milligan, of Aberdeen, con tributes a paper on "the Parish Schools of Scotland ;" Dr. Lees, of St Andrews, on" the Scottish University System;" the Rev. J. P. Norris, H.M.1., on the inspection of middle schools by the University of Cambridge. Papers are also promised on the state of education in France and America ; en industrial education and industrial schools ; on the train ing of teachers ; on the functions of the primary school mistress; the Civil Service examination, and other subjects of general and local interest. In the Reformatory depart ment the Right Hon. C. B. Adderley, M.P., will read a paper on the reports of the Royal Commissioners on penal servi tude and prison discipline; Mr. C. P. Mensor on "the Re formatory Principle in Criminal Punishment ;" Sir John Don Wauchope on " the Classes which furnish Criminal Children ;" the Rev. Dr. Robert Lee on " the Advantages of Reformatories." The question of licenses to public-houses and the subjects connected with temperance reform come within this department,and will be treated of in several able papers. Among the papers in the Public Health department the following are of special interest :—" The Sanatory Sta tistics of Colonial Native Schools and Hospitals," and another paper on the " Army in India," by Miss Florence Nightingale; "the Changes which have occurred in the Type of Disease in Edinburgh during the last 50 years," by Prof. Christison ; "Diseases in Cattle," by Prof. Gangce ; "the Sanatory Arrangements of Edinburgh as compared with other large Towns," by Dr. Littlejohn; "On the Ne cessity for Prospective Legislation to prevent Dwelling houses being built in disregard of the conditions of health," by Col. Oldfield. Various other important subjects will be brought forward, such as the sickness and mortality of mer chant seamen, and the contamination of water by sewage and public works. Nearly 50 papers have already been commu nicated to the department of Social Economy. The subject of emigration will occupy a whole day ; it is treated of in several important papers, such as "the relation between Great Britain and her Colonies," by Mr. R. R. Torrens. Mr. Edwin Chadwick contributes a paper on "the compa rative results of the chief principles of the Poor-law Admi nistration in England and Ireland as compared with Scot land." Several other papers deal with the operation of the Poor-laws. Mr. Edmund Potter, M.P., will read a paper on the "Lancashire Cotton District," The progress of co-ope ration both in England and Scotland will be treated by the Rev. Dr. Begg, Mr. Henry Pitman, and others. Taxatior (direct and indirect), the dwellings of the working cle and almost every other subject practically affectir .uses, extent the social condition of the people, will b- to any th oroughly discussed. In th e d e p ar t men t •4 more or less ter national Law, as f ar as regar d s .go first,. division local - of Trade and In SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. Is not easy to say whether the nego tiations between the three Western Powers and the Emperor of Russia are actually concluded for the present year. There may still be something to say, some admission to seize on, some repartee to retort, some damaging inuendo to explain away, but for ail that the controversy is virtually at an end. It has been reduced to its ultimate terms and conditions, a distinct divergency of opinion has been manifested, and words at least can carry the case no further. The appeal, if appeal there is to be, lies evidently to that ultimate reason which is no reason at all, but the arbitrament of brute force, the shock of con tending Powers. The point of departure was, indeed, simple enough. The Western Po were appealed to the stipulations of the Treaty of .1815, and contended that those stipulations had been -violated. Founding themselves on this view, they proceeded to require from _Russia the compliance with sit demands on behalf of the Poles, and an armistice for the pur pose of discussing these terms more at liberty. Nothing could be more masterly as a specimen of diplomatic fence than the manner in which Russia dealt with her powerful and importunate adversaries. She took a thoroughly clear and comprehensive view of her own position. The Polish revolt, though its causes lay deep in the crimes and calamities of a whole century, broke out with a suddenness and vio lence unexpected alike by Poles and Russians, and attributable to no profound calculation, but to a sense of intolerable wrong and outrageous tyranny. It found the nation unprepared, as has been suffi ciently proved by the event, not only to repel foreign intervention, but even to deal with the ill-organised and ill-combined efforts of unarmed and undisci plined Poland. The first great necessity of Russia was time—time to bring up her troops from the vast and gloomy solitudes over which they were scattered—time to repair her fortifications, to re mount her cavalry and artillery, and to reorganise her means of defence, so rudely shattered by the terrible storm of the Crimean War. With this clear view of her own interests and necessities Russia acted. The first efforts of Western diplo macy she received with smiles and courtesy ; she was anxious for an interchange of ideas, she was willing to be convinced, she was ready to be per suaded; she led England, France, and Austria to commune among themselves at great length as to the terms which were to be proposed to her; and, all this diplomatic courtesy did not in the least pre vent her from pushing on the war with the most ruthless energy and wreaking on her prisoners the most inexorable vengeance. The heart of Russia was bleeding metaphorically for Poland, while Poland, without any metaphor at all, was bleeding from every pore. At last the time came when it was im possible any longer to defer an answer to the de mand of the Western Powers. The summer was by this time far advanced, and the period for active operations was rapidly passing away. The time had arrived when the veil might be safely lifted, and it was lifted accordingly. As to the interpretation of the Treaty of 1815, Russian diplomatists remarked that a treaty was a document which it was open to every one to interpret as they pleased; but that the interpretation of the Emperor was the one by which ho intended to abide. According to that in terpretation, the affairs of Poland were matters of internal government which could not be submitted to any foreign State ; the European Congress was therefuie refused. The pacification of Poland was a condition necessarily anterior to any improvement in her condition, and for that reason the offer of an armistice was politely declined. The whole despatch was written with a charming candour, a flowing and elaborate courtesy, which provoked, as of course it was intended to do, a renewal of the controversy. Austria and the Western Powers, atter much con aid sration of the respective merits of separate or identical Notes, prepared elaborate answers to the reasoning of Prince Gortschakoff's answer, the re ceipt of which was, we doubt not, agreeable to him, and the reply a labour of love. Russia has gained help ; her preparations for war are advancing rapidly towards completion, the spirit of her people is rising, the Polish rebellion hes undergone some terrible reverses, and the winter is coming, to which Russia trusts to deprive the miserable in surgents of shelter, of food, and of the means of con cealment from an enemy who is every day press ing them more closely, and bringing up the resources of half the world to accelerate their inevi table ruin. Now, therefore, Russia is able to speak out, and she speaks with all the arrogance of other days, and takes up a position which she ob viously does not intend to yield to any argument, however cogent. The Treaty of 1815 does certainly contain clauses by which the Emperor Alexander does engage to give a Constitution to Poland ; but that Treaty is to be interpreted, Russia asserts, with reference to the ideas and state of things prevailing at the time it was concluded. Armed with this weapon, Russia proceeds to argue that at the time of the conclusion of the Treaty of 1815 Russia held Poland by right of conquest, and that the mere an nouncement of the benevolent intentions of the Emperor Alexander in the Treaty did not give Europe:the right to interfere in the interior affairs of Russia—that is, to urge anything in behalf of Poland. This claim renders all further discussion of the Treaty of 1815 superfluous, aid leaves the Western Powers no choice between a tame sub mission to the astonishing pretensions of Russia and a European war. Russia was willing to argue on the basis of the rights conferred by the Treaty of Vienna so long as such argument could serve the purposes of delay. Those purposes being now fully served, she flings aside the question of the rights conferred by the Treaty of Vienna altogether, and boldly claims that whatever those rights may be there is no European Power that can justly claim to enforce them. Such is the conclusion to which matters have been brought, and such are the laurels which we have reaped in the diplomatic campaign of 1863. France is taunted with her inconsistency in denouncing the Treaty of 1815 as framed in a spirit incompatible with her dignity and her inte rest, while she is at the same time pressing upon Russia, in behalf of Poland, the execution of that very Treaty. Every one remembers how at the close of the Crimean War France sought to conciliate Russia at the expense of those very interests for the sake of which the war was undertaken. We have now a proof of the extent to which that policy has been successful. The truth is that that narrow but fervent spirit of patriotism which has reconciled the Russian nation to so many sacrifices and so many miseries is once more aroused, and that projects of social, political, and economical re form are willingly postponed by the people to a &- sire to try conclusions once more with the power of Imperial France. We must rest our hopes for peace evidently more on the moderation of the French than on that of the Russian Government. In the mean time the object has been gained, and Poland is handed over for another six months, without a pos sibility of relief, to the Power against which she is so bravely and so vainly struggling. POST,—We have more than once directed the at tention of our readers to the breach of neutrality involved in the course pursued by Lord Russell, at the instigation of Mr. Adams, in regard to the ves sels supposed to be building for the Government of the Confederate States. It is impossible to doubt that that course has been dictated by one of two motives, either of them utterly unworthy of an English statesman. Either Lord Russell acts under an abject fear of a quarrel with the North, or under the influence of a vehement and unscrupulous, as well as absurdly impolitic, partially towards the Federal cause. It may be that he has been so wrought upon by the threatening tone of Mr. Seward as to be really afraid of war, and willing to submit to the servile compliances exacted of him in the hope of avoiding it, It may be that the old traditions of his party—traditions of lukewarm loyalty to England, and of warm sympathy with colonial rebe's and foreign enemies—still sway his mind, and incline him to the cause espoused with greater openness by the democratic leaders below the Ministerial gangway. It is quite certain that he is not acting with honestly neutral intentions; that he does not believe that either the law of na tions or the law of England, or any previous under standing with the United States, bind him to pre vent the trade in armed ships, or in ships unarmed and the means to arm them. International law allows trade to be as free in time of war as in time of peace, subject only to the right of belligerents to capture on the high seas vessels either bound for a blockaded port, or carrying contraband of war directly to the enemy's coasts. All that is for bidden to a neutral country is to make its ports the starting point of belligerent expeditions. This again, is all that the Foreign Enlistment Act, so far as it applies to ships, was intended to prevent. That act does not touch the case of ships sent out neither armed nor equipped nor fitted out for hos tilities; nor does it touch the case of ships sold to a neutral. Nor, whatever the provisions of that act, is he bound to enforce it unless he pleases. He has shcwn this by his conduct i n th e cas e of the Gari baldian Legion, and more recently by his refusal to order the prosecution of Lieut. Styles of that force, who was taken in flagrante delicto, attempting to raise recruits for the secret committee which directs the Polish insurrection. It is within his discretion to enforce it or not as he thinke fit ; only it is clear that he has no right to enforce it against one bel ligerent and not against the other, as he is doing at present. He is in no way obliged to enforce it by any agreement, expressed or implied, with th e United States. The Canadian rebels were assisted by American recruits, armed from the Government stores. The Russians daring the Crimean war received an armed vessel from an American port, which, by confession of the Americans themselves, was protected from search and capture by their cruisers. And the Americun coats heave decided that it is lawful for American citizens to build, arm and equip men of war for a foreign Power, provided they do not themselves intend to use such vessels to commit hostilities against Powers with which the Union is at peace. Nay, when the Union was at peace with Spain an American ship, with Ameri can captain and crew, was making war on Spanish. commerce under the fief , . of Buenos Ayres, an d the Federal Court declared' her enterprise legitimate. There is, therefore, no sort of compulsion, legal or equitable, municipal or international, binding our Government to present British shipwrights from supplying ships of war, as they supply cannon, to either belligerent. And, therefore, it seems as cer tiin and clear as any question of public law can be, that to prevent the Confederates from buy in g in our markets that of which they have pressi n g need while we allow the Federals to purchase every thing which they require, is a scandalous violation of neutrality.. If we had any treaty with America binding us to enforce the Foreign Enlistment Act, or if its enforcement were compulsory by its own terms, there would be a complete answer in law, !f not in honour, to all Federal complaints on score; but as the fact stands there is none. COUNTRY MARKETS. MANCHE STER—THURSDAY. At our market this morning there was a good attendanc e of buyers, and the tone of the trade was steadier than for the past few days. The demand for new English wheat was moderate, at about a reduction of is per qr. American slow, at a decline of 2d to 3d per 100 lb on the prices of this day so'nnight. Flour inactive, at is per sack and barrel lower. Oats receded ld per 451 b, and new oatmeal pres sed at is to 2s per load. Indian corn gave way Gd per qr. Ne's English and Egyptian beans were each 6ds to is per qr lower. BIRMINGHAM—THURSDAY. English wheat was sold at 44s to 48s for white, and 408 to 44s per:`,36 stone for red. Barley, new malting, 365 to 42s per qr ; grinding, 26s to 30s Oats, old, 24s to 308 per 30 stone; Irish, 21s to 255. Beans, 403 to 44s . per qr. Peas, 36s to 44s per ;36 stone. CORK—SEPT. 24. The following were the quotations this morning :--1 1(6 wheat, 7s Od to 8s 3d; white, 7s 3d to 9s 6d , barley, 66 Od to 7s 6d ; oats, 58.0 d to 6s 10d ; black do., 4s Od to 5s Bd. EDINBURGH GRAIN-Sri-T. 23. --• - -- - A fair supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met dull sale at rather under the prices of last week. Bar ley met a fair sale, and prices is lower. Oats dull, and 2 6 to 3s down. Beans were dull. Wheat on the top Os 9d up average Os Gd down. Barley on the top Os Gd down average is 7d down• Oats on the top 4s Od down ..... ...average is Od down• Beans on the top 4s Od down ...average 5s 5d down• Total Supply and Sales. Wheat .. 640 qrs Sold 322 qrs 8ar1ey........2117 qrs Sold 1966 qrs Oats Beans 32 qrs Sold 19 qrs Flour sells as follows :—Whites,..39s Od; extras, 37s 03; superfine, 35s Od ; fine, 33s Od. DERBY SMITHFIELD—SEPT. 22. There was a less supply of fat beasts to-day, and prices were unaltered. The number of sheer , and lambs also less thin last week: The show of fat pigs was good, but sake were not so brisk. Fat calves were scarce. Beet 6d to 7d Veal 7d to 7icl, Mutton ... Lamb Bd to —d Rough fat, 3s 9d per ston,. Hides, 3d to 41c1; calf skins. 5d to Lid. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Australia and Mauritius, via Southampton. .. Oct. 1 9 • via Marseilles Brazil and Cape Verds, by British packet. Oct. 5 . Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena.. Sept. 2 °• China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton. Oct. via Marseilles ...Sept. 21• Falkland Islands Gibraltar, via Southampton Sept. 25 ' India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton Oct. 2_,, via Marseilles Sept. I= l ,. India (Bombay), via Southampton via Marseilles ....0ct. 5 . Portugal.... Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton via Marseilles Newfoundland Oporto and Vigo .. • S p e e p t t . . 1 Ir: . • U. S. and British N. America, by Brit. packet Sept. 30, by U.S. packet t ;25' Oct. 3 °' W.C. of Africa, Madeira, and TenCearinffaan packet Sep e di Bahamas, via New York Oat. 2! , - Mexico.. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, I'eru, 1 s ep t. 2S. . by California. and British Columbia ....Sept. 48- --- Fires have been particularly frequent of late in the department of the Isere. A large farm at Passog near Virieu, was reduced to ashes two nights back. Tu t ' flames spread with such rapidity that the farmer had smile difficulty in escaping with his family. A considerable por tion of the year's harvest was destroyed, and several head of cattle, a kid, and a number of sheep perished. THE TIDAL WAVE.—The Philosophical ilkgazine contains a curious essay by Dr. J. 11. Mayer, of Heilbroun, on" Celestial Dynamics," in which amongst other things the author proves that the tidal wave causes a diminution in the velocity of the earth's rotation. His arguments full be summed up as follows:---The attraction of the sun and moon is the cau-o of the tides; that is , t h e waters of the sea are drawn towards the meridian above and below which the moon culminates. Now, if the waters wet with no re sistance, such as friction, the elevated parts of the tidal wave would exactly coincide with the moon's meridian, an d there would be loss of vie viva. Practically, however, the friction experienced by the waters retards their motion, se that the flow of the tidal wave is delayed, avd high water occurs in the open sea two hours and a half afor the transit of the moon across the meridian of the spot. Hence the more elevated wave is always to the east of the nieon'4 meridian, and the sea must therefore press and flo m ore powerfully from east to west than from west to east. T he ebb and flow of the tidal wave, therefore, consists not Du l l in an alternate rising and falling of the waters, but in a slow progressive motion from east to west ; in other word': a generally westerly current is produced in the ocean. l3u the earth rotates from west to east, since the sun sets in 0 1 ' 3 west; and therefore it turns in a contrary sense to the direction of that current. The earth here plays the part of a flywheel, the moveable part of its surface adhering, es were, to the relatively fixed moon, and being dragged in a direction opposite to that of the earth's rotation, in conse quence of which action takes place between the solid and liquid parts of this flywheel, resistance is overcome, and eh° rotatory effect diminished. To make this clearer, suppose ball to revolve in a socket coated with some glutinous mat ter; its rotation will evidently be impeded by the glutinous particles it has to draw after it; and, in the problem before us. the glutinous matter is replaced by a force of attraction acting in a contrary sense to the rotatory motion. Full benefit of reduced duty obtained by P g" chasing Horniman's pure Tea; very choice at 3 s. 4d- and 4s. "High Standard" at 4s. 4d. (formerly 4s. Sd.), is the strongest and most delicious imported. Agents in eve" ' town supply it in packets. [ApvEnTrszsrprcri—Consumption, all nervous, bilious, liver, and stomach complaints, in every stage, are only ag', gravatee and accelerated by drugs of every description, b ti ` p A e r r a i b e c i c i. a l y Food,curable as by Du d Barry'sby thousands health it h e o t v c a 6 h 2 1 been considered hopeless. We quote a few.—Cure N Miss Lange, 18 years of age, cured after the medical men ha d abandoned all hopes of her recovery from the last stage Of pulmonary consumption, with fearful cough, expec t o ration, exhaustion, spitting of blood , perspirat i on s, hollow cheeks. emaciated to a skeleton. She is now , thank God, a p erfectly healthy, blooming, fleshy girl.—N. Lange, Commissaire d e Police. Cure, No. 46,270. Mr. James Roberts, of F r imley :ii:a7 . Surrey, of thirty years' diseased lungs, spitting of blood, liver derangement. and partial deafness.—Cure, Ito. 47,121. Ml° Elizabeth Jacobs, of extreme nervousness, indig - estie u i gatherings, low spirits, and nervous fancies.—Cure, V C6 54,816. The Rev. James T. Campbell, Fakenham, Norfolk. of indigestion and torpidity of the liver, which had resisted all medical treatment. In tins, 11b, 2s 9d ; 21b, 4s 6d; 511 .?: lls ; 121 b, 225; 241 b, 40s. Barry du Barry and Co., No. Regent-street, London ; also Fortnum and Mason; and 111 1 grocers and chemists in every town of the UnitedliingdouL Births. JOHNSON.—On the 24th inst., at 14, John-street, Berkeley' square, the Hon. Mrs. Vaughan Johnson, of a son. SCOBELL.—On the 23d inst., the wife of Henry S. &obeli/ Esq., of The Abbey, Pershore, of a daughter. TRAVERS.—On the 23d inst., at Epsom, Mrs. Smith TO' vers, of a daughter. VERNON.—On the 23d inst., at Netherplace, MauchUna N. 8., the Hon. Mrs. Greville Vernon, of a daughter. Marriages. CAnnELL—HEALEY.—On the 24th inst., at Holy Trin itY i Church, Clapham, J o h n M a j or Cardell, 9„° Salisbury, Esq , to F ann y El iza b e th, on ly c hild of A• " Healey, Esq., of the Hollies, Clapham. SELLER—JENNER.—On the 24th inst., at Lewisham, th ir Bev. Henry Uh ar l es S e ll er , 8.A., i ncum b en t of TN' Somerset, to Martha, daughter of the late Philip Jeuile r f Esq., of New Close, Sussex. Deaths. HOLLOWAY.—On the 23d inst., at Folkestone, the Ite n , st. Cbarles Holloway, rector of Stinford Dingloy, Reading, aged 64. I.luxium.—On the 20th inst., at - Winkel on the Rhine/ Commander Henry Huxhatu; R.N., aged 35. LIMPERANI —On the 23d inst., at Walworth, Joseph Lill°. perani, Esq , aged 83. PEACOCK.—On the 22d inst., at his residence, Bath-Wee) Dadston, Walter Anderson Peacock, Esq ., more than 4, years a member of the Court of Common Council, and 26 years Deputy of the Ward of Bishopsgate• without) aged 85. POTTS.—On the 20th inst., at Haversteek-hill, George Potts, Esq., aged 56. PRATT. —On the 22d inst., at Mellor° Villa, Fulham-road) Samuel Peace Pratt, Esq., F.R.E.) aged 73. London : PrZti. - .d and rubfished Dy WILLIAM ANDRE of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Office No. 11 2 Strand, in the Precinct of the 'Savoy. in the county O f itilddietleX.—Friday, September 25, lbw