The Sun. — London, England, 1863-12-11 00:00:00

I Ir. Layard and his Constituents. Las t evening Mr. A. H. Layard, M.P., for South wark, met his constituents at the Bridge-house H.-tel., Loudon-bridge, for the purpose of rendering an ay.tcoi int of his Parliamentary conduct, and ex preF3sing• his views on the present state of public affairs. The meeting was very numerously attended. Oh entering the room the hon. member was loudly cheered. He was accompanied to the platform by many of his most influential supporters in the borough. Mr. G. NEWMAN occupied the chair, and briefly introduced the business. Mr. LAYA RD then presented himself, and was greeted with vehement cheering. He said it was a c ustom among the ancient Egyptians when a man died for 'o.is friends and enemies to assemble to say all We food and evil they could of him, in order to ace wh'2ther he ought to have a ticket for crossing the gr.lf which separated him from the realms of the blessed. With us it was a custom to go through th4t ceremony during a man's lifetime, if he hap pened to bo a member of the Legislature ; and once a year he was obliged to appear before his friends and enemies to submit to ail manner of cross-ques tionings and examination, in order, if possible, to obtain a ticket which should carry him over the gulf of a general election to the happy period of a new Par liament. (Hear, and a laugh.) If he were fortunate enough to obtain that pass from them he should feel amply rewarded for presenting himself to the: aon that and other occasions. It had been a frect sent practice with public speakers te abuse the la te session, and assert that nothing had been done by Parliament. He did not quite agree with 1 that statement, but even if it were true there would not,, after all, be very much to complain of. Parlia me at must be a reflex of public opinion in this country, and if public opinion were anxiously bent on the carrying of any gr eat measure, they mi;ht depend upon it that an opportunity would be given in Parliament to those who were really i n fav our of them to make their influence felt. To use a ct , mmon expression, they could not have sensation Par liamenta if trey had no sensation questions in the country. Certainly, in the late session nothing had been done to extend the suffrage or amend the representation of the people ; but he did not infer from that that the Liberal members who had pre viously taken a deep interest in those measures were now less inclined to support them than they had been a few years ago. Mr. Baines and Mr. Locke King bud both thought it unad v i sa b le to press their proposals relating to the borough and the coun ty f r anchise on the att en ti on of th House. To have done so might hese damaged instead of promoted the carve they sincerely had at heart ; and no doubt they had sh own a visa discretion. Scarcely any allusion to the extension of the suffrage was to be met with in any of the recent " extra Parliamen tary utterances." Ho did not argue front that that such an e • Itenston was not necessary ; on the con txary, he believed that it would be a wise course to coecede It , and that it was eminently deserved by the p,o e • pie. At former periods of our history, when unexpee , eudistress occurred among the community, violent scenes of disturbance were witnessed and a raqtrsal estrangement of classes. That was because t-ie people then had not the advantage of a free preee and a widely-spread education. Tney did not know exactly what their rights and their re lidieras to the rest of the community were, and they immediately attributed to wrong causes the sufferings which pressed upon them at the moment. .I.sirow, however, the people were intelligent, and enstructed in the maxims of political economy, and did not ascribe to the Legislature or the Govern ment a distress which neither could prevent. The Loble attitude of the cotton operatives of Lanca shire bad brought into prominence the high quali ties of the British workman. He regretted deeply the speeches lately delivered by two eminent men, both per so n a l f r i en d s o f hi s —h e meant M r . C o bd en ' and Mr. Bright. They were painful speeches. (No.) He was expressing his own opinion—(cheers)—and must say he thought his hon. friends greatly mis understood the position of the people of England. Having had some experience of most countries in Europe, he maintained that, notwithstanding the evils which existed in England—and God knew he did not seek to make light of them—our labouring classes were infinitely better off than the labouring classes of many other European countries. He did not now speak of our colonies or of the other side of the Atlantic. It was stated in the speeches to which he referred that if the working man had political power he would have land, and that if he had land he would be prosperous. Now, reversing that, did the working man who had land necessarily enjoy political power ? Would those acquainted with the condition of the labouring man in France, for ex ample, assert that he enjoyed or exercised political power ? He said that he did not, and granting that the franchise did not go so low with us as it should do, yet he maintained that, indirectly, our working classes exercised more political power than was "cielded by the same classes in any other country in Ehad denounced the want of education in this coun try, e farming that our people were not educated up ta. h -; h - t of other nations. (" They are not.") It great ea nod like a paradox, but that arose from the Prsssia mount of liberty enjoyed in Eogland• a law obil ll 3' other continental State might pass 'school, but igteery man to send his children to this country. Awl'i'"'l impossible to pass such a law in this matter on be 'ge portion of our people insisted in left a l one, t h ey wou ld not h ave educate a compulsory r eaue chii t tl i ° ll , and claimed the right to pedueacion, o er. But though edheati as they thought pro n in England cou ld no t b e forced upon the peopl e greetly left to priv ate t y a tih . 3 State, and mnot be d art, nobody amongst us eves really opposed to that cou!d he said about th e and the woose, elude such an accusation a s th , it ari :_Traey did not in aertiso.l st there. (Hear, No d oabt : it t N a v il a t about " an hear.) They heard a good to base such highest educated" democracy. educated a de desideratum of any philosopher restraints ted so mocracy ; but then it should be as to enable it to recognise those moral which made a man feel what he owed to Th.,rights of others as well as to himself, In se re , t„.ia g tr h ies ts they had seen the educated democracy ea,,,aoa;ed.. the uneducated. To him, indeed, the question of the franchise was a question of education ; he would give the suffrage to the man who had the inteliol gence to us' , , it, but not to him who had not such intelligence. (Cheers.) The last session could not altogether be called a useless session. for it had wit nessed the springing up of a desire for economy. The great object of Mr. Gladstone had been to in ce.lcate the importance of a reduction of expendi ture; and last session he had been enabled to lower the tea duties and the income-tax. True, the pro pesal to deal with public charities had to be with 'drawn ; but all who heard or read Mr. Gladstone's masterly speech on that subject would feel that an alteration in the discreditable state of these institu tions must one day be attempted. (Hear.) Having alluded to the removal of St. Thomas's Hospital from that district asa grossviolation of the founder's will, Mr. Layard proceeded to the foreign questions w hich had been discussed during the past session. -Me "ra. Cobden and Bright told them that they ought t o have nothing to do with such subjects) yet, strang e to g speeches two-thirds at least of thei r own re centere devoted to foreign politics. (A Voice, " dnbut to run them down.") H e did no t run Iwas anybody own, met argument by argument . t imPossibi e reign politics. Enli h keEp thi s country from fo men were determined to : whichaintinththey atpl w ac e e re among i,titedhe nations of th e wor ld by their int e lli gence and their n oble tradit ions. Dici believe that _I have no in with an extended suffra ge the _ w they i for Poland had teereeenee with foretgn qu,„ioYns 5 the sym tNe:milaYnated more pathy lately shown classes than from from the lowerhigher and, Government takin g so far from the the lead, ' they had, as it were, been compelled to restrain the pope: tar ardour. (flear, hear.) It Was often said th at the United States did not mPddle with otherpeepkat, affairs, bat kept theroseivee to themselves. That might be po,:sible for them, but w^snot P ° ' s ibla f or t 0... As a member of the European family, we were a totally different category from America. H, was not advocating the odious policy of interven tion; a policy adopted by this c ouvAry in former THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 11, ISM - times, often on behalf of crowned heads and against peoples; but he held that England, if she would re- tail] her position as a first-rate Power, m exert a moral influence on the questions of European con- terns which affected her interests. To that how- ever, she must be prepared to incur h ' , lvy expenses ; and that expense, he believed, Englii men would not grudge. The Government possessed the best I information of what took place on the Continent, 1 and could alone know the state of foreign arma- 1 ments. In 1861, Mr. Cobden wrote a pamphlet, entitled " The Three Panics," in which he tried to persuade us that our armaments were too large, — infinitely larger than those of France ; and he quoted returns to show what the French armaments were. Now, curiously enough, an official report of the state of the French navy at that time, to which anybody could refer, had been published, and he would quote a few facts from it. In France they had a system of what were called " supplemental credits"—that was to say, a certain estimate was taken for tha year for the fleet, th e manning, the building of vessels, and the rest; but beyond that, the Minister had the power of drawing extra credits, which did not appear in the estimates. Now, in the House of Commons the mistake had been made of taking the French estimate alone, without the supplemental credits. But the real state , e s n ; t : i sti c no re a d te it d , number actually ; armed,suppi supplemental of things was as follows :-1861—Vessels estimated £8,349,918; men on shore, esti mated, .L 4,999,948 for, 171; actual number, 8,113; excess, m3 4 ' 2 8 7 5 1 : ; a 4t2sse9a'; excess, 16, estimate,474 ; total 2 6) L 3,350,000 ; total, 3 e B x 6 c ; e s sa.cotvuearl estimate, number, 20,328 ; excess of expenditure f in dockyards, L 1,800,000. He mentioned theset be,acts to show how careful our Government ought a responsibility and how heavy for the defence of ° the country rested upon them. In Europe the elements of disturbance were to be seen on almost all sides. The French Emperor had proposed a Congress for their settle ment, and Englishmen, being a practical people, always looked to see whether any project that was proposed to them was likely to promote or defeat its end. Having given every consideration to the Emperor's scheme, her Majesty's Government, acknowledging the good intentions of his Imperial Majesty, had yet come to the conclusion that a Con- giess wouldnot practically attain the object in view. The argnments of Lord Russell's despatch on that head were, he thought, unanswerable. The good sense of the English people had at once seized the drift of those arguments and recognised their force. Secret diplomacy had often been denounced, and in diplomatic negotiations a certain amount of secresy was indispensable to their success; but in this case the official despatches were submitted to the public, and on the whole, approved by them, almost as soo❑ as they were written. It Russia would not give up Po- land under pressure of the three Powers, she would not do so under the pressure of a Congress. Austria would not give up Galicia, nor would:Prussia givt up Posen. Neithcr was France likely to give up Savoy and Nice, whatever might be the decision of a Congress. But if these questions were raised, how could animosities be avoided, ending most probably in war? No country had less to fear in going into a Congress than England ; none less of selfish inte rest to seek. Selfish feeling, also, was utterly alien to the decision which the British Government had taken in this matter. He was surprised that their Italian friends had jumped so quickly at the proposal of a Congress. Of all the countries which had most to lose from a Congress Italy was the first, because the majority of the Catholic Powers would, no doubt, have decided that Rome should remain in the hands of the Pope against the wishes of the Italian people ; and Venetia, also, would have been worse situated than ever. (Cheers,) He wouli not at tempt to explain the Danish question to them, be cause, perhaps, he did not quite understand it him self—(a iaugh)—but her Majesty's Government had there likewise endeavoured to persuade the con tending parties to come to an amicable understand ing, and to respect treaties, which after all must be the bases of all peace. He trusted that that warning voice would be heeded, and that a fruitless war, perhaps involving untold calamities to Europe and to the Powers immediately concerned, would be averted. (Hear, hear.) He approached the subject of Poland with feelings which he could not well describe. History scarcely furnished a case more deplorable, more horrible, or in which the Powers had been more helpless. A policy almost of exter mination was being carried out in that unhappy country, enforced relentlessly against young and old, woman and man. The contemplation of it natu rally made an Englishman's blood run cold. (Cheers.) But with all their sympathy for that downtrodden race, the English people felt that they would not be justified in going to war for them. Short of that the Government had done what it could in their behalf. He wished it could have done more. The opponents of the Government said in one breath that it had done too much and that it had done too little, saying at one moment " Why did you say you would not go to war ?" and at another, " You gave encouragement to the Poles." These two things were irreconcilable. If the Government said at once that it would not go to war, how could it have given encouragement to the Poles ? Some argued that it ought to have done nothing ; but if at the time the insurrection broke out her Majesty's Go vernment had not remonstrated with Russia, as it was warranted by treaty in doing, would it not have been visited with the reprobation of the country ? Sad as was the position of Poland, he did not despair. The history of nations showed that great crimes always brought about their own punishment. The result of the great deportation of the Polish people, instead of destroying disaffec tion in Poland, would be to carry disaffection else where ; so that the cruelties now committed by Russia might ultimately bring about their own punishment. For the policy of strict neutrality pursued by the Government in regard to America he confidently claimed the approval of the country. That policy could not be carried without extreme difficulty, as was exemplified by the case of the iron clads. It had been often asked why our merchants should be allowed to supply munitions of war to one of the belligerents and not allowed to supply ships to the other. The answer was very simple— the law prohibited the bale of ships, but did not prohibit the sale of munitions of war. The Govern ment had endeavoured to enforce the law to the uttermost, but without straining it one tittle. 'h r,, e , Government was bound to protect the r i 4t aof British merchants ; but on the eis e ,, , duty resting those merchants had likewise a e i gt e ' iti t z ing on them as honourable and up ought te,;'.4B. For the sake of private gain they being pl ot :rxpose their country to the risk of He now turnea. lo Near with a kindred nation. (Hear) Cheetham, the t f h rom the West to the East. Mr. , era ;i t t . man of the Manchester Cotton morning told him that the cAosusnotcriyatiwonhich haalutat: most to supply the defi ciency of that articl e i: e been most liberal to t heer markets, and which had was Turkey. The anz,,,:lti_vator and the buyer, whioilfevthat Power had also an extent contemplated, and its G ottn _n e l i a ,t e could not have forward for the first time a meat were ex. putting improved to the world the state of their ree,4135 h and 'biting to ture. He mentioned these thing s ill d 4nswee:pendi attacks made upon him by Mr. Goidw,n Smith the prostituted the chair l'ith, of Oxford, who had pros. of History of dirty arena pert ) , at by mingling in the rife. with w Coming to China and Japan, he read . astonish ment Mr. Cobden's stateme nt that we had gout to those regions in the spirit of Cortex inevitable irr° ' our only object being " loot," and the re. s masters e t .ult of our policy being to make u China. The truth was that our policy now con sisted in avoidin g q uarre l s with the provincialgo ye/Tors of Chin a , an d i n having recours e to the Central Government, with the view to a right un derstanding with it, treating it as we should any civilised nation, admitting our own obligations to wards it, and expecting from it, in turn, respect for our treaty rights. In regard to British officers en tering th e serv i ce of the C h i nese G overnmen t, they were to all int en t s an d purposes Chi nese officers while th e y cont i nued in that employment. The ''am t! practice had b een followed from time imme- Tno empire was very al. P e t e r th e G reat, whose much in th e same state as Chi na ro his fleet, his , w was, organised sexy,and his civil administration, with the assistance of Englishmen, Frenchmen, and Germans. An Englishman at present held the post of admiral in the Turkish navy. We bad an enormous trade with China, and the Taepings, a ruthless horde of marauders, threatened its destrue- tion by seizing the treaty ports. We had interposed to protect our trade, and that was the entire extent of our interference. Our exports to China had risen from ,027,000 to £5,431,000 i n s i x years. Here wa l as asttement of the trade with Hankow since that place had been taken from the Taepings and opened to our commerce. " Hankow, 1 862.—Total value of trade, 1862, £6,189,951, showing an increase of £3,011,482 10s. over previous year. Of tonnage—Aggregate, 290,536, of which British 128,478, showing increase of 1,061 vessels and 196,103 tons over previous year. At Shanghai, again, the duties collected in December, 1869, were £122,000; in December, 1861) 4281,500," That increase to our commerce had been most valu- able at a time when our cotton trade was paralysed. He now turned to Japan—a subject which no doubt would give rise to many important discussions. Som© 200 years ago, the Japanese admitted Earn- pesos, chiefly Catholic missionaries, into their ter- ritory, Religions dissensions, afterwards springing up, the Government thought the Christians were op posing their authority, and a massacre took place, when many of the missionaries were slain and the rest expelled the country. From that period until very recently there was scarcely any intercourse be- t ween Japan and the outside world. He did not know whether in these days any nation could com pletely isolate itself from the rest of mankind, but that was not the question. But it was the Russians and Americans who first broke through the isola tion of Japan by obtaining treaties from its rulers on behalf of their traders ; and he maintained that our Government, under those circumstances, had no alternative but to establish similar rela- ,ions with that country. Had they refused :o do that they would have been told that whenever there was a fight they were sure to put their noses into it—(a laugh)—but that when trade only was concerned they would do nothing to secure for our merchants the privileges enjoyed by Russians and Americans. Well, Lord Elgin had negotiated a treaty with the Tycoon, placing us on the same footing as those other nations. We commenced no aggressions on the Japanese, but simply established ourselves where we had a right to be. Sir R. Alcock had scarcely taken up his residence in J , pan before the British Legation was attacked, one inter- preter and two foreigners murdered, and severs: other persons dangerously wounded. We, however, made allowance for the difficulties of the Japanese, who asked us to defer going to certain ports to which we were admitted by treaty, and they sent a mission to the British Government to make that request. We received their embassy with every mark of friendship, and not only granted their re quest, but prevailed on other Powers to do the s me. The treaty gave foreigners the right of tak ing exercise on the high road to Jeddo. One day three Englishmen and a lady were riding there, when they fell in with one of the Deimios, who appeared to have hated foreigners, and who conse quently gave orders to his followers to attack these innocent strangers, who had drawn up on the side of the road to avoid his party. The lady and the other gentlemen escaped with their lives, but Mr. Richardson was most barbarously murdered. For these outrages we demanded reparation from the Japanese Government, together with the punishment of the chief by whose orders they were committed. The Japanese Government made an apology and paid over a large sum of money, but said they could not punish that independent Daimio, who did not re cognise their authority, but must leave us to deal with him ourselves. Our only course then was to tall them that if they could not control him we would punish him ourselves. If we had not done that, and any further outrages occurred, the Japanese Government could easily have again urged that they were powerless to coerce the wrongdoer, and British subjects might have been murdered with impunity. Admiral Kuper was accordingly ordered to go to K.agosima and punish the Prince of Satsuma. Re dress having been refused, our squadron took possession of three steamers belonging to that prince. Much misapprehension existed as to the conduct of the Admiral on that occasion. It had been said that having seized these three steamers he flaunted them before the Japanese, that they naturally fired on him, and that he had no right to put himself in the way of making them fire upon him. Now, the bay or harbour of K.egosima was very narrow, or not more than 4,000 yards wide at its broadest part. It was blowing a gale, and the P..dnairal went into the bay to get out of the gale. lie seized the vessels, and could not get out again without passing the batteries, which fired on him as he came out. What could he do under those circumstances ? If he had allowed the Japanese to injure his vessels and kill his men without re senting it, everybody would have said he bad acted a part unworthy of a British officer. Moreover, the Japanese would immediately have said that the English fleet had been beaten, and there probably would have been a general massacre throughout Japan. He was therefore bound to return the fire. The castle of the Prince was immediately in the middle of the town. A Japanese town it should be remembered was built of lath and plaster. A cen flegration ensued—a great calamity which no one deplored more than her Majesty's Government. He was not there to defend it for a moment; but it was impossible to return the fire of the batteries without running the risk of setting fire to the town, built of such inflammable materials. It was moat lamentable that a large number of innocent people should have been exposed to that misfortune, and it was most unfortunate that an English fleet should have been the cause of it ; but the thing was inevitable, and they ought to give some credit to our naval officers, and wait till they had had an oppor tunity of giving an explanation of their acts. Hon ourable men at a distance from England, discharging difficult and responsible duties, ought not to be con demned hastily or accused of cruelty and barbarity until they had had a fair hearing. (Hear.) The Go vernment were not responsible for these things, but there were other persons really responsible. He,would speak with tenderness and respect of British mer chants, but the greatest difficulties of the Govern ment in these matters originated with our merchants. Great houses like the Lindsays, the Sardines, and others would not do anything calculated to involve us in war ; but the moment the Japanese ports were opened there rushed thither a swarm of adventurers who thought the only use of a British Minister or a British fleet was to enable them to secure their dis. honest gains. These adventurers went there, looking upon the people as their lawful prey, and did things some of which might make men's blood run cold. The blue-books showed how they put forward ficti tious and monstrous claims in unreal and even in decent names. When these men, who were a dis grace to the English name, got into trouble, the first thing they did was to call on their own Govern ment to defend them. If they were not listened to, they raised a loud outcry, and wrote home com plaints against our official representatives. The British merchant was entitled to protection for his lawful, but not for his unlawful trade. (Cheers.) Our countrymen were bound to respect the native population among whom they lived, to act like honest traders, and abstain from injustice and fraud. (Cheers.) He had recently come from Italy, where he felt proud to see that the sympathies of Englishmen had not been thrown away, and that that great Country was making the most extraordinary pro gress. England certainly never stood higher than at this moment in the estimation of the world. Her influence was never greater, because she sought to commit agg ress i on upon none an d env i e d none. Sh e d . 1.0 see ev ery country en j oy i ng peace an d tprosperity, and her independent position placed her in the very front rank of nations. It was often said that that w as i sam e their political opponents would vernment, and that n h no degree due to the present Go that the Governm e e as they uppo t tl did t was censured and con did. Now, everything do exactly th e t( or rittotnt recognising the They were blanied s i and by the Opposition dc r - e m ,.;s n . ed by their P and for stop pin g t h e South , rams. Ought h e n ot to infer fr om that that their opponents would h pursue the very opposite course,an dpl• nge e country into war with the United State s ? He be lieved thet on that and on many other questions the present Government acted better than their opponents would do, otherwise they would have no business to be in office. The acts of Government were marked by liberality and patriotism. In placing Mr. Stans feld at the Admiralty, in choosing a man like Sir J. Lawrence as Governor-General of India—(cheers) —and in their other appointments, he believed they had earned the approval of the public. For these and many other results of their administration of public affairs he thought he could therefore con scientiously claim for them the support of their countrymen. (Loud cheers.) Several questions were then put to the hon. mem ber by persons in the hall, most of which were of local interest. In replying to his interrogators, he said that considerable progress had lately been made in the abolition of the lash in the army and navy, and that the destruction of the dwellings of the working classes for metropolitan railway im provements had led to evils which called for serious public attention. A resolution thanking Mr. Layard for his address and expressing approval of his public conduct was then adopted by the meeting, amid loud cheers, and the proceedings terminated. If the Court is satisfied, we also are satisfied wii sion. The President—Then the application is withdrawn ? The Prosecutor—lt is simply withdrawn because it is irrelevant. The President—Yes ; the Court considered it irrelevant. 'The Prosecutor—Then we simply withdraw it. After a pause, The Prosecutor—Will the Court allow me to ask one more question of Ardessar before he goes ? The Prisoner—BlaTl beg to ask the Court whether the prosecution is not closed and the defence also ? How, there fore, is it possible to recall the witness ? The President—We will see what the question is. Colonel Pipon (Judge Advocate)—Am I to understand, then, that the Court has decided that this matter is not relevant to the charges? The President—Yes ; the Court decide that. The Prosecutor—The prosecution feel themselves bound, under those circumstances, to withdraw the application. Prisoner—With great respect to the Court, I must be permitted to observe that the prosecution is conducting this case in a manner in which no criminal case has ever been conducted before. If Ard essar is recalled and rogues- Coned, I must withdraw my statement that the defence has been closed. After a short pause, The Prosecutor—We withdraw the application to recall the witness. The President—The Court is adjourned till 10 o'clock on Thursday, the 17th inst, ith its deci- THE RACING SEASON OF 1863, (From the Saturday Review.) It is a common error to exaggerate the importance of con- temporary events, but if the racing season of 1863 has not been of superior interest to many preceding seasons, it must at any rate be allowed t hat, at the present moment, it is more vividly remembered. It is always difficult to determine whether the best horses of any particular year are excep- tionally bad. Facts may be aadaced in support of either opinion, and thus, while one party insists upon the merit of Lord Clifden's performance in the last St. Leger, another party asserts that he had a very moderate lot of horses to contend against. It will, however, scarcely be contested that one event of the last season deserves to be classed among the most remarkable which the Turf has known. The dead heat between Buckstone and Tim Whiffler for the Ascot Cup, and the deciding heat in which Buckstone was victori ous, afforded a spectacle never to be forgotten by those who witnessed it. in spite of complaints that racing, as at pre. sent managed in England, does net conduce as much as might be desired and expected to the improvement of the English breed of horses, it must be owned that the produc tion every year of two or three horses of the quality of Buck .. stone is a result which justifies a very large expenditure of time, trouble, and money. That the result is appreciated abroad is proved by the eagerness of foreigners to purchase English horses which have attained to the highest reputa tion in their respective years. If, in order to produce a small number of first-rate horses, it is necessary to make many experiments, it follows that eacouragement must be given to breeding, and the best of all encouragements is to provide plenty of stakes to run for. A justification is thus found for the system of handicapping, which is designed to give everybody a chance, and for two-yr-old races, which are in tended to offer what breeders of every kind of stock demand —viz,, a prospect of some early return for capital expended. It is perhaps doubtful whether the development from year to year of the existing system of horse-racing is attributable to its soundness or to that growth of wealth and population which has introduced larger figures into many branches o f statistics. It is, however, certain that the number of horses entered for the great races increases every year; and the number of races, great and small, has become so large that in eight months of incessant activity, extending from March to November, it is scarcely possible to get through the business of the regular racing season. The comparative quiet of the four winter months is devoted to discussing the results which have been arrived at, especially with re ference to the two-year-olds, whose recorded performances are anxiously compared in the hope of attaining some in sight into the chances of the ensuing season. Already the newspapers contain regular returns of betting on the Two Thousand and the Derby of 1831. The French Fille de l'Air is first favourite for the Guineas, and if she were en tered for the Derby she would doubtless be first favourite for that race also. In her absence, the first place in the Derby betting is occupied by Scot.ish. Chief, making the fourth horse of Mr. Merry's that the public has elevated to that position in the last five years. _ _ _ Steeplechasing, mixed with a little fiat racing,was carried on pretty steadily all through last winter and early spring. The racing season proper may be taken to have commenced at Northampton ou the 24th of March. Even at this early period of the season, two-year-olds run, and are watched with interest only inferior to that excited by horses a year older. The meeting at Northampton brought out that splendid five-yr-old Asteroid, and one or two other veteran performers of high merit , but at this moment the most interesting fact recorded as occurring at Northampton is that the two-yr-old filly Molly Carew beat Midnight Mass, an undeniable good colt of the same year, with tolerable ease. The Newmarket Craven meeting, which began on the 6th of April, was marked by two events which attracted perhaps more, and a third which certainly attracted less, attention than it deserved, The French mare Stradella beat, in different races, two of the best horses of her year— Buckstono and The Marquis—and thereby acquired a re putation which proved disastrous to those who backed her afterwards for the Chester Cup. Macaroni, who was then little regarded, won a three-yr-old stake with great ease, and thus afforded a hint of his quality which only the dis cerning few turned to profitable account. The Epsom Spring Meeting showed Molly Carew to be .the best two yr-old then out. On the 21st of April, the race for the Two Thousand Guineas taught the public what Macaroni really was. He won this race rather easily, but it can scarcely be doubted, after subsequent experience, that he had a moderate lot behind him. The four days' sport at Chester next claimed attention. That meeting did not result in the discovery of any unsuspected prodigy of a three-year-old, but the race for the Cup was one of the most interesting of the season. It was won, after a fine struggle, by Asteroid, carrying over that severe course the crushing weight of 9st 4lbs, and giving nearly 2st for a year to Stradella, who at Newmarket defeated The Marquis at nearly equal weights. At the same meeting, however, Asteroid failed to give let for a year to Bucketone, who beat him very easily by a length. The nearly approaching Epsom meeting now absorbed all attention. It will be re membered that Lord Clifden had held the place of first favourite from the very commencement of the betting, although at one time the French horse Hospodar came to nearly even terms with him. The reputation of Hospodar was founded on his having won both the Clearwell and the Criterion stakes in the previous autumn, and it was de stroyed by his utter failure for the Two Thousand Guineas. It is remarkable that Fille de l'Air, like Hospodar, has won the Criterion and become first favourite for the Guineas. It is justifiable to regard Hospodar as something of an im postor, but whatever may be the result of next year's racing, File de l'Air has done this year several things which leave no doubt of her genuine quality. Indeed, if one were called upon at this moment to name the best two-year-old out, it would be difficult, upon public running, to look anywhere but to the French filly. But, dropping the prophetic, and returning to the historic vein, let the mind revert to that most miserable of holidays which Londoners endeavoured to enjoy on the Derby day of 1863. The rain, the mud, and the umbrellas—these features of that dismal festival are remembered almost as vividly as the figure of Challoner bringing up Macaroni to overhaul Fordhain and Lord Clifden. There is no need to tell how that Derby was won by a short head, and how the ring and Mr. Naylor and his friends triumphed, while the public generally lamented with Lord St. Yincent. The weather on the Oaks day was as fine as on the Derby day it was wretched. The result of the race was a surprise, even to many of those who ought to have known something about the winner. Queen Bertha was scarcely backed for a farthing, and 40 to 1 was offered against her before starting. She was guided beautifully by Aldcroft into the first place, defeating, among other com petitors, !saline, who afterwards won the Goodwood Cup, and Borealis. From Epsom the scene changes to Paris, for now those who make horse-racing a business attend meetings in France as well as in England. Horses cross and recross the Chan nel with far greater facility than a few years ago they found in moving from Surrey to Yorkshire, although the most enthusiastic admirer of Mr. Cobden could scarcely ascribe the opening of this branch of trade to his diplomatic labours. The greatest international race-meeting hitherto held was that which witnessed the contest for the Grand Prix de Paris ott Sunday. May 31. Then, for the first time, did a quiet orderly French race-course resound with all the babel of an English ring. " Parlez-vous frangais ?" inquired an excited Yorkshiremart of a native, " Oui, monsieur," was the polite reply. " Then I'll lay agin the mare to a monkey." It will be remembered that La Toucques, " the French Blink Bonny," as she was called, from having Won both . the French Derby and 'Oaks, was the first favourite for the Grand Prix. Lord Clifden was the next beat favourite, but he was so evidently amiss after his Epsom exercises, that his going was aptly com pared to that of a cat upon hot bricks. The race fell to The Ranger, who had shown some form in the early spring, and, as his friends averred, had been disappointed in the Derby when Saccharometer and King of the Vale fell and he had to come round them, The French mare sustained her reputation by running second, and she afterwards in creased it by a performance upon English ground. It may, perhaps, be interesting to notice the reasons adduced by Viscount Daru, in a letter to Admiral Roue, for holding this ag race on a Sunday. It appears th at this arrangeTeu es t b; been objected to in England, and the writerd, that ~ ,Z e greatly to find an amicable solution," declare habits and social necessities of his contry': In France, those with whom he acted to arrange othziwitesicei • it deserves. did not allow racing has not acquired the imp "Inioeus institution, useful Only for a small minority is it " neater number it is only an to public interest." give a holiday, but agreeable spectacle, to which itehhe pger:Ple will It would be an illusion for which they will not make (T to hope to see in France a Par .4 9 rn . entazy adjournment for the Derby. If a week -day be chosen for the races, they will attract no spectators, "In Trance, the social and reli- gious customs permit that, after the accomplishment of the pious duties, the rest of the day should be devoted to repose and amusement, and we know of none more inno cent or more suitable to offer to a population than a spsctacle which attracts by its magnificence and recommends itself to notice by its usefulness." The Vis count goes on to urge, in effect, that as he and his French friends have always kept Sunday in England, his English friends ought not to insist on keeping it in France. He considers that the same rule applies to either case—namely, to respect and conform to the habits of the country where one happens to be. He adds, that "in such a democratic country as ours" it would be unwise to hold the races on a day when only unoccupied persons could be present at them; and he concludes by expressing regret if the French Jockey Club, on whose behalf he writes, should have shocked anybody in England. The answer of Admiral Rous to this letter, on behalf of the English Jockey Club, admitted that the French Club were bound to name the day most suitable to the gratification of the French public. Thus it was arranged that the Grand Prix de Paris should be run for a Sunday, although the principle of reciprocity of habits propounded by Viscount Daru was not adopted by Admiral Rous, who doubtless saw that it was question able, if not dangerous. Only one day intervened between the Paris meeting and that of Ascot. The Cup day was graced by the presence of the Prince and Princess of Wales, and it saw the finest race of the year—such a race, indeed, as is only likely to be seen once in many years. Tim Whiffler as a three-yr-old had beaten everything he met. After winning the Chester Cup and other races, he fairly ran away at Goodwood from a field which comprised some of the best horses then in training. At Doncaster he met Asteroid, ,the best horse of his year, and beat him. At the same meet ing he encountered Buckstone, and again triumphed. It was natural to bet odds on such a horse against Bucketone for the Ascot Cup, and the public supported him enthusiastically. But Tim had not improved with age, though his speed was undeniable and his action as beautiful as ever. All that Rogers' splendid riding could do was to bring off a dead heat. Nevertheless, in the deciding heat, 6 to 4 was freely laid upon Tim Whiffler. The same tactics were put into play in both heats. Tim forced the running at a tremendous pace, and the second heat was actually run in 14 seconds less than the first. But it was evident, even as he came up the hill the first time, that he felt the weight he was carrying, and his distress as he climbed the hill to the winning-post the second time was terrible. Buckstone, a far more powerful horse, beat him easily. No one who saw that finish expected to see Tim Whiffler at the post again, and indeed he has never started for a race since that day, Mr. Merry's fortune on the great day of the Royal meeting was remarkable. Besides the splendid prize of the Cup which Buckstone gained for him, he won a race with Scottish Chief, whose running on that day is doubtless remembered by those who are now backing him for the Derby. and another race with Gladstone. The chief features of the latter half of the season, particularly Goodwood, York, and Doncaster, will deserve notice on some other occasion. There was fine racing at these three places, but nothing so memorable as the two contests for the Ascot Cup. TEE CRAWLEY COURT-MARTIAL. NINETEENTH DAY. ALDERSHOT, Thursday. The Court reassembled to-day at the usual hour, and by noon had completed the whole of the inquiry, as far as the evidence for the prosecution and for the prisoner is con cerned. It now only remains for Colonel llorsford, the prosecutor, and Colonel Crawley, the prisoner, to address the Court, after which the Court will be closed to consider their finding. An adjournment of a week has been granted at the request of the prisoner, to enable him to prepare his address, and after its delivery, a further adjournment of two or three days will, it is expected, take place to enable the prosecutor to make a final reply. After the adjournment of the Court to-day it was intimated that the prisoner might, if he should be so advised, probably call some few witnesses as to character, but it is probable that he will be content with his case as it now stands before the Court. It has been stated that Colonel Crawley had instituted legal pro ceedings against the proprietors of the Cornhill .'Magazine, for the publication in their November number of the article so seriously affecting his character in connection with the proceedings which form the subject of inquiry by the court martial. Our reporter was informed that there was no truth whatever in this report, as Colonel Crawley believes that his honourable acquittal by the Court will form th e mos t complete answer to the many calumnies to which he has been so unjustly exposed. After the Court had been formally opened, Colonel Pipon (the Judge-Advocate) said—The Court had considered the question put at the close of the proceedings yesterday, and the objection of the prisoner. The Court were of opinion that if the objection were pressed they would recall D r . Barnett, and the question might be put direct through the Court. Colonel Crawley againvotested that any conversation at which he was not present could not be made evidence against him. The Prosecutor withdrew the question. Frangee, the Parsee merchant, who was under examina tion when the Court rose on Wednesday, was recalled for cross-examination by the prosecutor. Had you any conversation with Sergeant Cotton about the bill ?—Yes. Will you state what passed ? Question objected to. The President said the same course must be pursued as in the former case. The Prosecutor thought the Court might put the ques tion. The Prisoner protested against such a course. The Court was bound by evidenco as will as the prosecution. The President—Usage is our law. We want to arrive at the whole truth. We dont know much here about the laws of evidence. The Prosecutor—W e leave the mattor in the hands of the Court. The President—Very well, then, go on with some further evidence. Examination of the witness was resumed. The Prosecutor—When yea had that conversation with Sergeant Major Cotton, was Mrs. Lilley present?—Yes. Did you make an arrangement to buy Sergeant Major Lilley's goods P—l made an arrangement with Sergeant Major Cotton in Mrs. Lilley's presence to buy them, What was that arrangement ?—About the furniture and other things belonging to the late Sergeant Major Lilley. Was Mrs. Cotton present when you made that arrange ment ?—I think she was, but I dont remember properly. Did you go to Mrs. Lilley's to make that arrangement ? —They sent for zne. Did you send a bill to Mrs. Lilley P—l di] : about it ? Look at the bill (produced), and tell me if that is the bill ? —lt is. Was that bill paid ?—Yes, it was paid. Who paid it ?—I said yesterday that it was paid out of the —Mrs. Lilley and Ser geant-Major e furniture vn ht Ia i and o settled rc things o t Cotton. I bought. Did Mrs. Lilley say any thing to you a b ou t i t w h en s h e settled ?—I do not remember. with to you The Prebident—llave you your bo o k s w ith you ?—Yes, adie sir.read Produce them, and point out the entries of these bills before The the ho Court. oks w e r eAre produced,the they E anglish the ? entries were aloud by the witness, being checked as he proceeded by the president, who held the bill in his hand. The subsequent examination of the books by members of the Court occupied a considerable time. The prosecutor said the spirits specified in this document were supplied chit fly by the witness's clerk, who had not been brought to England, and only a portion by the wit ness. The witness also stated that a pass-book was sent when the articles were applied for, but that pass-book was not produced, and no reason was given for its non-produc- I ion. Moreover many of the articles were supplied to the horsekeeper, and there was no proof that they ever reached Sergeant-Major Lilley at all. The Prisoner objected to this statement being proceeded with. The proper time to make it would be in the prose cutor's reply. The President concurred in this view. Mr. E. G. Syms, of the Adjutant-General's office, was called by Colonel Crawley, and asked whether on Tuesday evening he received a notice from him to produce Sir Hugh Rose's " Historical 'Memoirs of the 6th Dragoons ?" Mr. Syms said he received such a notice, but it was not signed ; and ho told Colonel Crawley's friend who handed it to him that he had not the document with him, and that the proper way to proceed would be to apply officially to the Horse Guards. By the President- - Was the prisoner's friend the pri soner's counsel, and did he not tell you distinctly you must accept the notice as a formal notice, and that what ever passed between you and him must be considered as a private conversation P—He certainly told me that in his opinion the notice was to be received as a formal notice ; but whether he added anything about its being a private conversation, I cannot say, Even if ho did so, the one thing would contradict the other; when ho told me it was to be a formal notice the conver sa ti o n could not be consi dered as private. Did not the prisoner's counsel deliver it to you as a formal notice, and did you not follow him afterwards into my room to speak about it, and was it not this latter conver sation which you were told was not to be considered as in validating the former notice ?—I have no recollection what ever of any conversation which professed to invalidate a former notice. There was no conversation of the kind. The Prisoner —May I now request that the Court be ad journed for a week to prepare my address in defence ? The Prosecutor —W e would feel obliged if the court would call Sergeant Major Cotton, Mrs. Cotton, and Dr, Barnett upon this new matter. The Prisoner —May I beg of the court that the prosecu tion should state the grounds upon which they propose to take such an unexampled course as that which they call upon the court to adopt, and to state what is the new matter to wnich they refer, and how they consider them selves entitled to reopen the prosecution, in order that 1 may answer th e groun d s upon which they make such a demand ? The Prosecutor—lf the court will allow me I will pilt in the statement in writing, which I was just about to read, and which contains our reasons for the course pro posed. The Court retired to consider the question, On return ing into court, Colonel Pipon (Judge-Advocate) said—the Court have decided to refer the question to the Judge-Advocate-Gene ral, although the matter appears to the Court to be irrele vant to the issues that are called upon to try. Under these circumstances will the prosecution press any further in quiry with respect to the legal merits of the question P The Prosecutor—We leave it to the Court entirely. I thought it was the Coutr who wished to make the inquiry from the Judge-Advocate-General. We are quite satisfied. Colonel Pipon (Judge-Advocate)—lf you press the re calling of Dr. Barnett and Sergeant-Major Cotton a ter what has been said as to the legality or illegality of such a course, the Court think it necessary, as there is so much difference of opinion, to refer the matter to the Judge-Ad vocate-General, if you still wish the inquiry should go on. The Prosecutor—l understood you to say that you in• ended to inquire from the Judge-Advocate-General whether it was legal to press this or not. The President,—No. If you wish to press it the Court will sertainly make the inquiry. The Prosecutor—We want to press everything w hi c h will make the matter clear to the Court, and if this inquiry is made of the Judge-Advocate-General, and he says the witnesses may be recalled, of course we shall wish to press it. The President—The Court are quite satisfied. They want no further evidence; but they say what you now wish to pressa is irrevelant to the issues which they are called upon to try. The Prosecutor—We leave the matter with the Court. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS TlMES.—Birmingham has long enjoyed a repu tation for successful counterfeits, but all former specimens of its craft are totally eclipsed by the magnificence of that now revealed to the public. Few people will have forgotten a certain memorable event of the year 1858. A Royal visit was paid, on a most interesting occasion, to the town of Bir mingham. The authorities or the leading inhabi.. tants of that opulent and populous borough had re solved on providing its working classes with the invaluable advantage of an open park for their re creation and exercise. This judicious design was earried into execution ; a suitable site was selected, " the People's Park" was duly formed, and when the Queen acceded to the invitation of the Mayor and other officials to proceed to Birmingham and open the park for use, it was universally felt that her Majesty's gracious compliance was not unde served. The scheme was beneficent enough to merit Royal countenance, and that countenance was ac corded. Aston Hall and Park were delivered by the Queen and Prince Consort to the people of Bir mingham for their advantage and enjoyment, and the promoters of the undertaking gained signal credit for their liberal and patriotic policy. A strange story, however, has now come to light. This park, which was thus offered to the people, and which the Queen was thus asked to bestow, had never been really acquired by the reputed authors of the gift. The property had not been purchased, nor had the money for buying it been raised. Tne real owners were a certain banking firm, who retained a natural right of resuming the estate in default of the requisite satisfaction in law ful money. What sum was demanded for the park, what amount was actually contributed, or what designs were entertained for procuring the remainder, we need not inquire, but a correspon dence which we yesterday published contained evidence enough to prove that when Birmingham acquired such a distinction five years ago the price of her honour had not nearly been paid. In short, it comes to this—that if what ought to have been done in 1858 is not done now and that quickly the People's Park at Birmingham will be the People's Park no longer, but will relapse to the owners, who have been willing to sell it, but who have never been able to get their money. With the correspondence itself the public must have been greatly edified. In October last the late Mayor of Birmingham, discerning the impending "catas trophe," and feeling that the ejection of the people from the Park which they bad received at the hands of their Queen would " be stigmatised as a disgrace to all parties concerned," addresses himself in his difficulty to the Lori-Lieutenant of the county. In this communication the facts of the case are admitted without disguise. 'To save the Park, or, as we should rather say, to acquire it, a sum of no less than £28,000 —representing we believe fully two-thirds of the whole purchase-money—is imme diately needed. The Mayor thinks the Town Council could be successfully moved to provide L 20,000, and it strikes him that if the Lord-Lieu tenant would move the County to provide £B,OOO the thing could be done. To this suggestion Lord Leigh replies by a very natural remark that if the Corporation of Birmingham requires £28,000 for purposes essentially proper to the town, and is ready to vote £20,000 of this amount, it would surely be better for so wealthy and important a body to go one short step further and raise the whole at once, instead of soliciting contributions from gen tlemen at a distance who had already subscribed enough to indicate the interest they had in the pro ceeding. However, not to be abrupt in the matter, his Lordship undertakes to consult the County magistrates at the next Quarter Sessions, and then to send the Mayor an official reply. But for this reply the Mayor does not wait. He interposes a brief but emphatic epistle to the effect that, even if the Council had the means of raising so large a sum as £20,000, "they Bever could be induced to apply that amount, or, indeed, any larger amount than he had mentioned, in the purchase of Aston _ _ .._ Park ;"_ so that, he adds, " unless we have help, the catastrophe which every right-minded person must deplore will inevitably and immediately ensue." The help did not come. Lord Leigh had intimated to the Mayor in a friendly tone that, as the object of the Park was to benefit the Birmingham people, as the design was conceived by the Birmingham authorities, and as the Queen had patronised the scheme on the invitation of Birmingham, Birming ham ought to be at the charges of the undertaking ; and in this reasonable view of the case the gentle men of the county appear to have concurred. The magistrates expressed an opinion that the Lord Lieutenant should not move in the matter, and so the Mayor and Council were left to their own resources. In this predicament they took another and a still more objectionable step. With a strange blindness to the character of the case, the Mayor ventured on placing it before her Majesty. from whom, if from anybody, such a revelation should have been care fully concealed. Availing himself, with strange infelicity, of the communication made by the Queen in July last on the subject of the accident in Aston Park, the Mayor enclosed to Sir Charles Phipps the correspondence which we have described above. If this measure was adopted in the expectation of obtaining from her Majesty what had been vainly besought from the gentlemen of the county, it failed in its purpose; but it produced a reply from which the Birmingham authorities may derive iestruction and profit. Her Majesty'znuch regrets to hear of the contingency which the Mayor describes, having s hoped, as of courseevery body else did, tha_%t r h k e which required for securing to the people the ti Pa rk was given to them" had been permanetno g believe that, But her Majesty " is still unwellwi n ialth is found in f ec w u h re ich to th t e h y e 7 provided." in a locality in which so muct r i by which it is pro proximity to the hard labou r ent want ing estimateth e which value t y o theos it temporary duced, funds can be population an o n t a I I p egnhjtoyt om ark and of would be very husaeveofbeAesnt injudicious will be felt by every person in and u ndesirable now to d • words a the authoritie s o f B.eprive them." In whatthesee ming_ haul may read when the s t ory is k shortcomings the country k n own. The least they can now do is to make good th e of fi v e years since, and it would have been more discreet to have done so with as little publicity as possible. It was, of course, assumed by the Queen and by the public, when, this Park was opened with Royal pomp, that the had estate ac quired by those who enjo y ed really been the credit of presenting it to others. Even if the purchase-money had not been actually or wholly pa id d own, it should have been so provided for as to leave no doubt about the finality of the bargain or the completeness of the ' gift. W© all know that public works are occasion ally saddled with debts, and that if no new building ' were opened till it had been absolutely paid for very few would ever be opened at all. But there is a limit to the margin allowable in such case, and that limit the Birmingham authorities have very largely exceeded. We are told, indeed, that of the £40,000 which the Park was to cost, not £lO,OOO had ever been raised, so that Birmingham got the credit of a liberality which had never been exercised, while the presence of Royalty itself was invoked to lend a splendour to the counterfeit. This is going a great deal too far. The promoters of Aston Park were under no obligations to do as they did; but if they chose to express this solicitude for the welfare of their poorer fellow-townsmen, and to present the people of Birmingham with a public Park for their recreation and enjoyment, they were bound to pro vide the price of the gift before they appropriated its credit, and, above all, before they solicited the Queen to become the donor of the prize. POST..—Tbere is no class in the country that has held its own against a crowd of adverse circana- , stances so bravely and successfully as that which has this week been exhibiting some of the results of its industry and perseverance in the Agricultural Hall at Islington. The British farmer has had to meet difficulties that he of all men was the least prepared to encounter, and he has not only over come them, but has renewed his strength in the struggle. For a while his heart failed him, and he felt as if he was too old to begin life again on a new system. But better and more hopeful thoughts prevailed, and, in bracing himself to the needful exertion, he awoke for the first time to a full appre hension of his natural ability and his proper post tion. Like Sydney Smith, who said he hardly' knew a turnip from a carrot when he set about tilling his own glebe, the farmer brought himself to study the whole art and science of cultivation, and, laying aside old ideas and old implements, adopted every mechanical invention for economising labour and improving the land. He saw that he must keep abreast of the age in which his lot was cast, and he mended his pace and conformed to the com mon requirements of progress. He called upon his energy, and, as a good steed answers to the tighten 7.ng rein, it came in time to carry him over the difficulty ; and now competition has long ceased to be a terror in his way, and he even rejoices in a rivalry which has established his superiority as an agriculturist and elevated his character as a man. Still there are some who, more witty than wise, persist in amusing themselves at the expense of the British farmer, and the cattle show especially is made a target for their spent ridicule. For the most part it is evident that these humorous critics are laughing in the dark. They talk about cattle as they talk about Rosa Bonheur's paintings; and though they can relish a prize sirloin when it is cooked and served up to them, as to its produc tion they admit frankly enough that they are is the hands of the graziers and the butchers. But, underlying all this affected indifference, there re mains the solid fact that we are as a nation parti cular about our food. Even those who eat hastily, in moments snatched from business, appreciate a juicy steak or a tender chop. The procuring of good and wholesome meat is, indeed, a matter of general concern, and if but few of us look minutely into the process by which it is obtained, we are all inte rested in the result. We have to pay a high price for prime joints, and we expect them to answer their description. Besides, so much has been said of late about diseased cattle, and the necessity for veterinary inspection, that what was used to be only a question of taste and luxury had become one of health and safety. The importation of foreign cattle has been attended with very disastrous con sequences. The free trade in live stock has beet worse than a failure, for it has cost us more through the disease it has introduced, than can be reckoned in the present market price of meat, which is also to be charged to its account—and a measure which was recommended for the benefit of the poor has actually been the means of placing animal food out of their reach. There is now, therefore, this special reason for encouraging home production and if art and science are fostered and promoted by exhibitions, and if the blood and breed of horses are maintained by race meetings, it s eems, to ! a y the least of it, unreasonable to undervalue a Christ mas cattle show, including as it does an annual gathering of persons from every part of the king dom who are engaged in what is, after all, the primary and fundamental occupation of the Eng lish people. As regards this year's show, it is considered to have been quite up to the average. There has been no falling off either in quality or in form—and if there has been no new feature, nothing claiming prominent and marked recognition, no ex traordinary instance of merit, it has not been owing to any want of interest in the competition. The Smithfield Cinb, too, is in a flourishing condition, having a handsome cash surplus in reserve, and with the moans of increasing the premiums it offers —and, with a new and popularised constitution , there is every r eason to expect that its future pro' ceedings will sustain the confidence the agricultu rists as a body place in the justice of its decisions, and warrant the public support which has been largely extended to it. There are interests this country cannot afford to neglect, and that which has been represented at Islington is one, and the chief of them. Every other interest is more or less subject to external influences—but this, like, the nation of which it is the staf f , is independent 01 all foreign control. COUNTRY MARKETS. MANCHESTER—THURSDAY. At our market this morning the English wheat offering was generally affected by the damp weather, and such sold slowly at is per qr lower. Foreign meta very limited busi ness, although offered at 3d per 100rbs decline on the rates of this day se'noight. Flour a slow sale, and 6d per sack lower. Oats very dull. Oatmeal 6d per load cheaper. Indian corn and beans in favour of buyers. BRlSTOL—TiturtsolY. We had a good supply of English wheat today,which sold slowly, at a decline of is per Is per quarter on last week's rates ; for foreign wheat scarcely any inquiry, and nominally at last Thursday's prices. Barley. a mand for fine sorts; inferior quiet, at late rates. Oats met good de a slow trade. Beaus were without inquiry. Maize dull. BIRMINGHAM—THURSDA.Y. Wheat was in fair supply to-day, and sales were made at very little change in p rices, and with a limited trade. Barley pressed for sale, but without finding buyers to any extent. Oats, beans, and peas slow, at previous prices. English wheat was sold at 40s to 468 for white, and 369 to 44s per 36 stone for red. Barley, new malting, 32s to 42s per qr; grinding, 26s to 30s Oats, old, 22 s t o 300 per 30 stone ; Irish, 18s to 245. Beans, 40s to 448 per qr. Peas, 36s to 44s per 36 stone. EDINBURGH GRAIN—DEC. 9. A good supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which met .° slow sale at rather lower prices than last week. Barley 11 good demand. an d p r i ces fully as high. Oats active, an d 6d per qr advance. Beans and peas were unaltered. Wheat on the top 2s Od up. average Os 8d d eal ' Barley on the top ls 6d do n.. average Os 9d dowo• Oats on the top is down... wa• Beans on the top is Od down ..... average is 5a up. Total Supply and Sales. Wheat ... 657 qrs Sold 469 qrs 8ar1ey........ 2171 qrs Sold 1329 qrs Oats Beans l5O qrs Sold 112 qrs Flour sells as follows : — Whites, 41 s iOd ; extras, 39 Od; superfine, 37s Od ; fine, 35s Od. No HOME complete without a WILCOX AND GIDO; SEWING-MACHINE. Simple, compact, efficient, durable, gn noiseless. Warranted to fulfil all the requirements of 1 ,7 perfect family machine. Prospectus free on application " No. 135, Regent-street, W;—[ADVT.] [ADVERTISEMENT.] —Holloway ' s Ointment and Pi1 18 %, -- ; Healing not Harmful.—No application has met wi th same universal approbation for curing all external Mimeo': as that which this linguent has received. Skin sores, deer ulcers,. fetid discharges, burns, blistered surfaces, and toil similar a ff ections are at once soothed, and put on the roo , to soundness by Holloway's Ointment. - With his Oistt s , ment and his Pills the wealthy may save themselves rulle7, suffering, and the poor may help themselves to health sin e , these 'medicaments are. reasonable in price and can be ptiF4 chased in every hamlet. They have effected cures of d e l joints, swelled legs, and ulcerated limbs, and opened el l , the prospect of a happy future alter ever y ho pe of recover.' had been given up. Births. f e rto, BOOTHBY.-011 the Bth inst., at Wel w y n R ec t or y, Lady Boothby, of a son. pht FFOULICES.—On the B th inst., at The Canonry, St. A. 5 ".. the wife of Archdeacon Ffoulkes, of a daughter. er piT , AN ,On the Bth inst., at 10, Upper lioruserr' N., the wife of Wm. Pitman, Esq., of a daughter. „ 8 WARDEN. —On the 9th i nst., at Oakiield Court, Tuu bri " Wells, the wife of Hen r y W ar d en, E sq ., o f a sou. • Marriages. ► . BVTLER—PARNTH ER.— O n the 9th inst at SL Ge erg i efis te square, th e H on. St, John Butler second .' son of the,s'ar, Lord Du n b oyne, to Anne, widow,ofßobert rarut'e Esq., of Gr.fton-street. Soho l TULL OI I—SWENTONOn the Bth inst., at St. - Chapel, Edinburgh, Major Tulloh, H. M.'s Indian Ar a i., to Harriet, daughter of the late George Swinton,B. Deaths. CLARKE.—On the Ist inst., William Hislop Clarke, 5E(l.' late of 1, New-square, Lincoln's-inn. GRAZEBROOK.—On the 3d inst ,at Park-h a ll, O der minster, Charles Grazebrook, Esq., age d 61. to.ti l GUEST —On the 6th inst., Mr. John Guest, repre sen : C0 ., 0f Messrs. Edwards Brothers and liolland-stro" Bls. JOHNSON . -On the 6di inst., at Portobello, Joseph J° ll°- son, Esq., formerly of Easingwold. h LANYON.—On the Bth inst , at K e nnall-vale, •L'a cti rd Lanyon, Esq, aed 6. STEvENs.—On . the g 10th 6 inst., J. Lee Stevens, of 3 6 , Gall' non-street, aged 67. ip,f, C. WEEKS.—On the Bth inst., a t Mortlake, Surrey, Weeke 9 Piccadill y •• • • late of • 9 London: Prinied and Published by WILLIA.III ANPR of O. 112, Strand, Printer, at TitE SUN Office Pio• „t Strand, :n the Precinct of the 'Savoy. in the Coa tY kliaelleeezr.---Friday, December If, 1863. P 1 E ' II REFIOI STA i topEn, r „To )3E ELA g Thr Zhout 67 , Chal `REE p et Landedte noblent cottage wii oa Ow-NeeEßs t he rords, by Estate Off 141 1n1ey h er e the 'eti en the di ees T RERE I 1 laser i s 4ct then o Auctior ab o v e r Pe t o : ti d n a y dole. 7: 1 .' ev e an %t ee IOC i" a elk interei Ou of o —uce s , Blej aTo ` ;(4l c G it elodies Voc Grand M. Jul ISTONDA THIS tollowir MAID 6 DIED] sseE a nd EMI ef:lebrati And It° ,_ PB* , ril II T Ins AR at EN 1 113- 'wi fe Dar at i old. , daily le e t }3l F.Tia , "-Rea *lqUar - Were 4 Vet 1 1 F City, Alt Ch ar , try c ; N•I pf :118( mon ems bat( wint LO2 of et or fa pro*/ na•11 to ti affoi kiting taei 3 A11...:(1 Vat