The Sun. — London, England, 1863-01-16 00:00:00

SPIRIT OP THE PUBLIC jOUBNALS. Tratse.—The resentment felt in the Northern States against every one concerned in the cruise of the Alabama is so natural, and the arguments of the New York Chamber of Commerce are so plau sible, that it behoves us to look at the whole ques tion carefully and fairly. When the case is stated from the Federal point of view, we cannot help feeling a certain degree of sympathy with their remonstrances. Here is a ship constructed by Messrs. Laird, of Birkenhead, and supplied with engines specially designed and manufactured by them. It is further alleged; by way of aggrava tion, that she was built with British materials and by British workmen, but as this is implied in the fact of her being launched from the Birkenhead Ironworks, we do not see what is gained by dwel ling on it. It is more to the purpose that she is supposed to be manned by old men-of-war's men of our Navy and seamen of the Naval Reserve, though we have no ground for assuming that any of her officers are English. Whether or not she was bought with the money of British cotton brokers, as a New York journal affirms, we have no means of ascertaining, but we' learn from our correspond eat there that certain New York speculators share with our own merchants the infamy of this imputa tion. There is no reason to doubt, what one of our Liverpool contemporaries admits, that she is suP plied With coal (and perhaps with ammunition) by a regular succession of ships from this country. When in want of water or repairs she exercises the right of taking refuge infra praesidia of some one of our West India Islands, and if the Tuscaro ra or San J ac i nto c h oose t o follow her thither, s he must submit to give her a 24 hours' start. All this is highly vexatious, and when news come that ship after ship has been overhauled by her and burnt at sea we can u nderstand the exasperation that it causes at New York. Reprisals are out of the question, for the blockade, whether effective or not, has left no Confederate merchantmen for prizes. Even the " British pirate" herself, as she is now be ginning to be called, is almost secure from cap ture. She was built expressly for speed, and carries guns of longer range than her pursuers. In short, the immense superiority of the Northerners at sea has not been a little neutralised, their commerce partially crippled, and the rate of marine insurance sensibly raised by the movements of this mis chievous little craft, which but for Great Britain could not have existed at all. What more venial, then, than an outburst of wrath against this coun try, and what more obvious than the suggestion that our ships of war should be employed to run down and destroy the vessel which the Federal navy can not catch P When, however, we examine one by one the complaints thus massed together into a general charge against our Government, we shall find that several of them are irrelevant, and that they amount altogether to very little. We may at once dismiss from consideration the magnitude of the damage done by the Alabama. The same prin ciple which would justify her in capturing a fishing boat would justify her in capturing every Federal merchantman on the Atlantic. If the effect of her activity is that the American carrying trade is trans ferred to our own ships or those of foreign nations, we cannot help it; and Lord Russell has given a clear proof of impartiality by referring the owners of British property destroyed on board Ft deral ships to the Confederate Prize Courts. So, again, assum ing that she is a lawfully commissioned vessel, we cannot refuse her the ordinary hospitality of our ports or give any extraordinary advantages to the ships in search of her. Nor are we aware of any law prohibiting the sale of stores, even if contra band of war, to a belligerent on the high seas. No thing, therefore, that has happened since July last, when the Alabama put to sea, can be the subject of legitimate objection. The real and only question is as to the conduct of England before and about that time. We say the conduct of England, because the New York Chamber of Commerce joins in a common indictment the people, the press, and the responsi ble Government of this country. This is a mistake which American merchants should be the last to make. What would they say of an attempt to fix the guilt of Walker's and other filibustering expe ditions on their nation collectively ? It is idle to insist upon oar supposed sympathy with the ob jects of Captain Semmes and his crew as having anything to do with a point of International Law. There are but two parties whose acts are material in this case—the Government and those British subjects who built, equipped, or enlisted on board the Alabama. Now, we freely admit that these last, if they wilfully give their services in arming, man • ning, and fitting out a vessel intended to pillage the marine of a State friendly to her Majesty, have committed a legal offence. By so doing—if they have so done—they have put themselves be yond the protection of Great Britain. They must prosecute their enterprise at their own risk ; and this risk will be increased by their participation in the practice—forced upon them by circumstances, but unknown among the usages of war—of making their captain a judge without appeal and burning their prizes at sea. Such was the tenour of the Queen's Proclamation in May, 1861, and the Fo reign Enlistment Act declares such active interven tion in a foreign war to be a misdemeanour. To what extent the provisions of that Act may have been evaded by those who provided the crew and armament of No. 290 is doubtful ; but this is a doubt which we are not concerned to clear up. The ques tion is, not whether a number of Englishmen may not have imitated the stratagem of the Garibaldians at Genoa with less excuse than they, but whether the English Government should be accused of con nivance, and taxed with a breach of neutrality for not pottin g an effectual embargo upon them. We might here cut short the discussion by con tending that no reclamation can he made against a Sovereign, as such, for the misdeeds of his subjects acting in a private capacity, We might refuse to recognise the prohibition of military service under a foreign Power as a part of the general law of na tions, and challenge the right of any Government but our own to avail itself of the Foreign Enlist ment Act, seeing that it is not amenable to our mu nicipal law. By doing so, however, or by disputing the application of the 7th section of that Act to a case like that of the Alabama, we should but weaken the strength of our own position. The truth is that the advisers of the Crown did authorise the detention of the Alabama, and an order was sent to that effect, but she gave us the slip. This appears from a despatch of Mr. Adams himself, and we know further that cer tain bonds required by our Government from her owners have been forfeited by her subsequent proceedings. Of course it may be said that such bonds were worthless as a security, and that ade. quate vigilance would have prevented lity of he r escape, the possibi lity doubt a despotic Executive, acting under a sense of the " higher law," would have made short work of it by seizing he r on sus picion. Common report a piece port o -would probably have been held to justify such smartness. Unfor tunately, no English Minister is armed with such powers. The officers of the Customs cannot detain any vessel carrying persons enlisted for illegal ser vice abroad without a sworn affidavit setting forth the facts or circumst ances upon which the deponent grounds his information. They cannot safely seize any ship which may have been fitted out to take part in illegal operations of war until the persons accused of equipping it shall have been convicted. These preliminaries take time, and if the adren turtrs intereE'ucl in evading the law are skiltul and know bow to keep their own counsel, the chances fly in their favour. The line between are gr arning a ship with guns for use in the Arnericin War, and selling the ship and guns with a shrewd Suspicio n th a t t h e y ma y be turned -to that account, is very difficult to trace. By cur correspondent's last letter we learn that the Federal authorities will have an oPpottulAt v of trying stopping 4 weasel the experiment by now being built for " the Chinese" in New Yo r k i tself. ' be hatched and fledged under If a s econ d Alabama shoula their own eyegi and should take wing to Prey on their commerce in spite of all their precautions, they will better ap preciate the difficulties which en a bl ed the first t(; baffia our Custom-house officers. POST.—The extracts which we- have published since the opening of tbe French Chambels, from the official report of the Minister of Foreign , a mity closer than those ; a e which ay who w ;lEubsiet betowu,leden:::vise country and Portugal p el a d ee ha a v n e d ward b in eeu aiin ; p T yi t u h s e . tice and friendly action. been invaluable price o Finally, we have not l h u a a t b l alliance in wou earned the good will but the contemp t of the North. abusing us—the All parties there agree in cordially folly of the pusil lanimity Intelli gen t men d esp i se t h e Republi cans f rom pass i on, t h e Democrats from po lanirnity of our Government; the masses believe, insanely but not unnaturally, that England is afraid of them. They see so clearly that it is our interest at almost any price to bring about a peace, and that we might do so If we would, that they can assign no other reason for our inaction save a feer of their vengeance. Consequently they are mere insolent than ever, :their abuse more furious, their insults more gross, their piratical outrages more audacious. It is strange that even Lord Russell does not see the folly of his refusal, now that ho perceives its effect in every dire ct i on, un l ess, indeed, the ono I . ffect it was intended to produce wer,3 the concilia tion of Messrs. Bright, StanSfeld, and Taylor. The expediency of recognition i 3 plain from the eager ness with which it is demanded by the Confede rates, and the rage which the fear of it excites among the partisans of the Federal Governmcnt, They are better judges of its effect than We can be, and they evidently concur in believing that it would terminate the war. The encouragement which . ' it would give to the growing feeling in Affairs to the Emperor, are characteristic of the independent views and logical precision of M. Drouyn de Lhnys. The complete series will serve to place his general policy before the world; and, unless we are very much mistaken, it will reflect very high credit on the principles under which he directs the foreign relations of France. M. Drouyn de Lhuys is a statesman who enters upon office with the full conviction that a Minister has his distinc tive resposibilities whatever may be the form of the government or the individual capacity of the Sove reign. He is one who assumes these duties with the resolution to carry out certain general views of his cwn, and on the condition that ha shall be him self an antecedent party to the foreign policy of the Government. As such he is certainly marked out for the confidence of the French nation. Office in itself appears never to have possessed any great charms,for M. Drouyn de Lhuys. He has he dst ld i h i i n g c h t stations, and has resigned them under two a IN A l l in in is is te te r r u u n n d d e e r r Sovereigns and dynasties. As Louis Philippe, and as Napoleon 111., he h a s regarded office not as in itself an end, but as a mea ns to the maintenance attainment and of an End, exten sion of his own and that end ha s views beep of what has been m os t advan tageous for France and for Europe. In offering to M. Drouyn do Lhuys, without measure or stint, this tribute to the honesty of his purpose and the clearness of his aims, we do not pretend to coincide in all the opinions he may entertain as Minister of France. Between two great and independent Powers, possessing mighty interest& in different quarters of the world, it is wholly impossible that there can be any exact conformity of opinion ; and there are certain positions put forth in the present report of the Foreign Minister to the Emperor from which we are:disposed to dissent. The manner, for instance, in which M. Dronyn de Lhuys here deals with the Servian and Montenegrin questions appear to us to be neither just nor defensible. To the Eastern views which he here takes up we shall after wards advert more at length ; and we think that upon those points the general opinion will be found to be that France has been carried, in part, perhaps, by sympathies with Powers which have long been inimical to Turkey, but in part also by undue and almost sentimental sympathies for her co religionists, irrespectively of the real merits or demerits of their cause, far beyond what was due to the cause which she professed to espouse. It may, however, be remembered, in jus tice to M. Drouyn de Lhuys, that he WAS not him. self the author of this line of policy, and that, in enunciating the sentiments which the present offi cial report contains in regard to the affairs of the Ottoman Empire, he is doing no more than follow. ing in the wake of his predecessors. From the trammels of such traditions even the boldest and most independent Minister cannot wholly disen tangle himself. Obligations, for example, are en tered into between Governments rather than be tween Minister and Minister ; and it is impossible to accept office without acknowledging in some measure the principles to which the Government has been committed by predecessors. To a certain extent, M. Dronyn de Lhuys has broken through the usages to which he was most opposed on his appointment to the French Foreign-office. That he has not done so upon all questions in which the policy of France and England differs may, perhaps, be a subject of regret in this country, but it can scarcely be matter for surprise. Not the least im• portant of the diplomatic proceedings recorded in these papers is the narrative of the progress which the French Government has made in negotiating treaties of commerce with neighbouring States. The French Government here records with reason able pride the great advance which it has made in the trade and interchange of France. " The Em peror's Government," says M. Dzouyn de Lhuye," " has succeeded in obtaining from Europe in the course of last year new and precious adhesions to the liberal policy inaugurated by our treaties of commerce with England and Belgium; a policy which, though of recent date, has already the authority of a tradition." To these treaties are added a commercial alliance already concluded be tween France and Prussia, and another in course of negotiation with the Italian Government. It is not often that retrospective documents of this sort really contain any intelligence, otherwise than as eliciting the bias of the Government which pro duces them. Bat we learn with great satisfaction on the present occasion that the difficulties which the treaty between France and Prussia interposed among the different States of the Zollverein are in a fair way of being surmounted, and that the Southern States of Germany, hitherto so averse from its provisions, and threatening .even to leave the Zollverein rather than submit to such an inroad on their monopolies, are beginning to yield to a better judgment. " The intention and aim of the Berlin treaty," continues M. Drouyn de Lhuys, " are every day better appreciated ; and in the South of Ger- many the manufacturing classes even, enlightened as to their own interests, more confident in their strength, now daily solicit as a benefit the execution of a contract whici. they not long since rejected as a danger." The Dutch Government and the Hanse Towns have also announced their desire to be more closely allied in commerce with France, Thus the Second Empire appears to be gradually allying itself with the commercial interests, which are necessarily the pacific interests of all Europe. Tbis guarantee for peace and prosperity is one of inesti mable value ; and its completion will, when attained, be in all probability in no slight degree the work of M. Dronyn de Lhuys. HERALD.—We regret to see, by the tone of all Ministerialist speakers, that the Government has no intention of modify ingita American policy in defer . ence to the opinions, or is regard for the interests of the country. That policy means the pro:ongation of war in America—a war of devastation, of revenge, we fear soon of reciprocal massacres in cold blood—. and the indEfinite protraction of distress in Lanca- shire; a distress which !mist end in the total ruin of our cotton manufacture. That policy has brought upon us misery at home and disrepute abroad. It has alienated the affections of the Southern I people, al ways i nc li ne d to regard and d check th e hostile propensities of the mongrel population of th e N orthern States. Had vvo P t o to holdh e their in r had to do only with the Southern colonies, it may be doubted whether the rebellion of 1776 would ever have occurred; had those colonies formed a confederacy of their own we should probably have been now on closer terms of amity with that confe deracy than with any other power in the world, slavery notwithstanding. The Southerners are English in blooi, in habits of thought, in policy, in religion; the Northerners are aliens in all but lan guage; and the sympathi es of the South have turned to England all the more strongly by reason of the causeless and venomous antipathy of the North. We might have had in the Confed erate St a tes an ally bound to us by ties of interest and THE SUN, LONDON; PRIDAY EVENING, JANUARY 16, 1863. favour of peace at the North, and the severe blow which the Government and the war party would receive hom the delivery of the final and decisive verdict of Europe upon the hopelessness of the struggle g e failforto he turn the t alrestorationread y o f wavering the balance Un i , cou in h favour of an armistice, negotiation , and separati on . The idea that recognition would, in any case, pro voke the Federal Government to a declaration of war can only be seriously entertained by those who are either incapable to reason themselves or suppose Mr. Lincoln and his advisers to be so. In the first place, all American jurists pronounce that recogni tion of a de facto Government affcrds no casusbelli ; in the next place, no one in his senses imagines that the remnant of the United States could cope at once with the South and with England, or France and England combined. War with the North would be far better than peace on present terms, but of war there is not the smallest probability. Nothing but the most obstinate and criminal indifference to Eng. lish interests, the most unpatriotic and unworthy partiality for the enemies of England, or the moat disgraceful want of moral courage, can explain the longer persistence of the Administration in refusing either to recognise the South or to offer, in conjunc tion with France, a just and necessary mediation between the belligerents. We repeat what we have said before—that for the continuance of slaughter in America and starvation in Lancashire Lord Palmerston's Cabinet are solely responsible. The responsibility is one that might appal the most indifferent conscience, and soften the hardest heart ; but a Cabinet, like a corporation, has neither heart nor conscience. sin, we who are the criminals are not now to applaud the ruin or extermination of those whose position is the sad re sult of our own wrong. There is a rational prospect of the termination of slavery, but not by the pen of Mr. Lincoln. The South, as an in dependent Power, - will come at once:under the influence!of European, counsel. The causes, political, statistical, na tional, which have barred out action on this subject cease to exist. The North would be there, a very powerful free State, and place the system between two fires. The men of the South are a proud race, asd would tire of a position that exposed them to the obloquy of the civilised world. They would end it not after the manner of Hayti, but ag we ended it, with calm consideration and just previsions. It will as sorely depart as a result of Southern independence and the world's action upon it, as a taper will die out in the sunlight. But there is a course of events that may preclude this. If the war continue it will probably end in breaking up the North into four pieces—Eastern, Middle, Western, and Pacific. Little rcfl,ction is needed to show that in this case the South will be the paramcunt Power. One, at least, of the Northern sections would enter into close alliance, and practically the evils of the old Union would reappear, aggravated by military power and spirit. At once departs the hope of extinguishing slavery, and that of the moral gains which might have accrued to the people of America from the great ch2ck in unceasing material prosperity. Hence they who countenance the North in continuing this war, not only invite its utter ruin, but do their worst to shut out the rational hope of the extinction of slavery, afforded to us in the termination of the Union. —Times. OUR IRON-CLAD FLEET. THE MINOTAUR. The progress which has been made in the construction of our armour-plated fleet is most satisfactory, and proves that the Government are fully alive to the importance of the work to which they pledged themselves two years ago. There are now afloat or in course of construction no less than 21 of these iron-clad ships; some of them of enormous tonnage and unprecedented speed, all heavily armed vessels, formi dable for offence, and possessing more or less of the impor tant quality of invulnerability. This fleet, which is rapidly forming, already consists of 11 varieties or classes. We have, first, the Warrior and Black Prince, of 6,039 tons, now in commission, and which have armour plates covering only a portion of the sides of the ship, leaving the bows and stern unprotected. Then there are two smaller ones constructed as "rams," of small tonnage and considerably less speed, but provided with armour plates upon the same principle as the first class. There are two of these ships, the Resistance and Defence ; both are afloat and in commission, and their ton nage is 3,668. A fifth class or variety is the Achilles, now building at Chatham, and far advanced towards completion. It is of the same tonnage as the ships of the Warrior class. In addition, however, to the central plating of armour, the Achilles has a belt of iron carried round the ship at the load water line. The effect of this arrangement is to give to the Achilles greater strength in parts where the ships already mentioned are most vulnerable. The plates of 4-inch iron of the Warrior and others will not keep out the solid shot, and, if it holed below the load line, the safety of the ship will depend entirely upon the water-tight com partments in the interi; r; and unless the numerous man holes and scuttles are properly attended to, the ship may quickly come to grief. A fourth variety consists of the Hector and Valiant, of a tonnage between the Warrior and Resistance, being of 4,363 tons. There hove a broad belt of iron plates all round the ship, but the fore and aft plat ing is not so deep as that of the midships section. These ships are approaching completion, and they have the credit of being the ugliest specimens of naval architecture ever designed. We have next the timber ships Prince Consort, Royal Oak, Royal Alfred, Ocean,Triumph, and Caledonia. These are of 4,005 tons, and are of wooden framing, en tirely covered with armour plates. Next, we notice three varieties of cupola ships— the Royal Sovereign, 3,765 tons, having five turrets; the Prince Albert, 2,529 tons, with six turrets or shields; and a two-shield ship of 1,385 tons. There are then two classes of gunboats—the Enterprise, Achilles—iron belt at the l oad p rinciple a line, a i i ;9 la o ti t n o g ns is , aunpdonthte Fheasavmonerite, 2,186 tons ; and in these the surface amidships.ctohmatbinadedopwteidthinbmtadhe The class, however, with which on the present occasion we have more particularly to deal, is that one of which the Minotaur, Northumberland, and Agincourt are the types. They are the largest class of iron-plated ships yet at tempted. To a certain extent they are made upon the model of the Warrior type, but they differ in several very important particulars. In their outline and appearance they possess all that fairy-like grace and delicacy which in so remarkable a manner distinguish the Warrior and the Black Prince from all other ships of war of great tonnage. The Minotaur is in the hands of the Thames Iron Works Company at Blackwell, the same eminent firm by whom the Warrior was built. It was commenced in December of 1864 and already the whole of the hull is complete, and great progress has been made in the internal structure. As this monster now lies in its cradle its appearance is most imposing. Standing on the lower floor, walls of iron rear themselves on each side, while arching overhead are the massive iron girders, looking like the gratings of a pri son-house, where one might expect to meet such horrid monsters as those of half man half bull which give the name to the giant ship. Curving up these iron walls and stretching upwards to these iron bars, like monster py thous, are the iron ribs that give shape to the hull, and to which the framework of the ship is attached.. These gradually fade away in the perspective until their individuality is lost and they merge in the solid wall of dark and gloomy :metal. Looking more closely into the internal' structure it is seen that the lower end of these ribs of metal are about 2ft. 6in,in depth, andare firmly bolted to the keel pieces, three feet six inches deep and one and a half in thickness. As they mount upwards the ribs are not quite so deep, and at short intervals there are other pieces of iron placed horizontally between the ribs, and which with them form complete ribs of iron. Tens of thousands of rivets hold together the pieces of this mighty pu zz l e . I n every direc tion the eye meets with evidences of tremendous power, as though come of the fabled Vulcans had been called upon to construct a battery in which the Titans would storm the very throne of Jove. Armed with tremendous power the monster is itself invulnerable, and the bolts from Olympus would rattle harmlessly upon the iron hide of the Minotaur. For the one great point of difference between this ship and the Warrior is that it is protected with armour plates all only i l r y o n o . f herln add i tio n length,to all round from stem to stern, while the Warrior carries armour being 5 l aga ins t the r m 4 t i :i f u n r . itself tphlaetoetshoenr parts hersidbeesinfgoroafboorudtin292l.3 plateet 0 re n ihaevlifngis a luacrhger thicker , area covered previously adopted. Instead, however, of having 18i n . o f teak backing, there are but 9 in. in the Minotau r . Th e much the plates and sides are in the one case 18in. by 41in., equal to 221 in., while the monster now constructing has but 9in. by siin., equal to 141 in., for its giant sides. The diff erence i n weight, notwithstanding the ad ditional thickness of n ainch of compared iron,w These iron plates are forged in the same m anner as those which were made for the 'Warrior, a n d w hi ch have on o as is slightly in f avour of the Mino taur,the Warrior, with i ts 18in. of teak. every trial proved their superiority to those of other make. At present the Admiralty, and indeed all persons engaged in the manufacture of iron plates, are working in the dark. Experiments are made upon various descripteons of plates, and, where the results are not conflicting, they are inborn plete or unsatisfactory. This much, however, appears to be proved, that hammered plates offer greater resistance to solid shot than rolled plates. It also appears pretty certain that iron is better adopted for the purpose, to say nothing of its economy, than steel. Thin steel plates will resist shot better than thin iron, but when the thickness is increased beyond a certain extent the superiority is in favour of the iron. The qualities of iron that is best adap ted for these plates are those of toughness and solidity. When the iron is herd and brittle it is easily cracked and broken by the shot, and, if unsound from blisters or lami ' nation, the power of resistance is seriously affected. Plates of iron made up of layers of thin plates have failed in the tests to which others have been submitted. Scrap iron carefully selected, such as was employed for the Warrior plates, appears to be the best adapted for the purpose, and plates made from this scrap have opposed successfully every description of smooth-bore and rifled ordnance in the experiments at Shoeburyness and else where. A return made to the House of Commons showed that of the Warrior's plates, weighing about 950 tons, all were hammered, and only five of them proved faulty in the process of manufacturing. Of the 1,200 tons of plates re quired for the Defence and Resistance, 45 were condemned for being blistered, laminated, or overheated; while for the Black Prince, 100 tons of the plates were all rolled iron, and of these 10 plates were condemned, and 32 hammered ones were also rejected. It would appear, therefore, that in the production of these plates the Thames Iron Works have been more successful than any of the other builders of the iron dads already in coramiseion. Every care is taken at these works in the manufacture of the plates, and the method owfhcaciansrterud,chtinntg athreemanisbiaeavery to l the aborioussteoanmha e i l in n in t e h r e , first and instance, small scraps o f i ron are thrown into the fires, and brought' td a uniform masa o f a b out half a ton in weight . This lump is then plac e d on the top of a shriller mass, the whole made red-hot, again subjected to the hammer treat - meat, and welded firmly together. Scrap iron of the best description, selected and cleaned, is only used ; and when hammered as abcve, it is rolled into bars six inches broad and half an inch thick. These bars are next cut up and hammered into slabs ; several of these slabs are placed together, again heated, and hammered out to the form re quired ; this process is repeated, and the plate goes on gradually increasing until the required length is obtained. The plates having been thus roughly formed into shape, are planed and s q uare d b y enormous metal peel off a n d cur l up in long ' attest the tre men d ous power which in their a rms , an d f orce them slowly and resistlessly under the sharp ed ge o f t h e t embhr thesee g hi h t n r e i n s m , geavi machines s i i c no h ef s h i r u po o g ns, t s h ae e sns m d, ° °•st until bri g ht shavings o: the and the good quality of the iron. When the edges and sur faces are made as smooth as the finest work of the cabinet maker, the plates are placed on end, grasped firmly by a mortising machine, and as they travel slowly to and fro in the framework a small tongue of steel cuts in them a groove of about lin. in width and depth, into which the projection made on the side of a -corresponding plate will fit with per- cause. feet accuracy, the plates being all made to d6vctail into each of the four sides. The work of forgit,g is iac-ili,ated by the use of powerful cranes ; which swing the glowing masses of iron from the furnaces to the steam •hammer, while a nicely adjusted balance is provided by a massive iron lever, one end Of which is welded into end forms part of the metal ; the other end is provided with a dozen or more horns, or han dles, by which the metal can be turned in any direction. The plates when finally brought into shape by the hammer are about 15ft. long and 5Jn. thick. The length of the Minotaur between the perpendiculars is .100 ft., or very nearly two-thirds of the length of the Great Eastern. The extreme breadth to outside of plate is 59ft. ; depth of hold from top of floor to upper side of lower deck Learn 21ft, lin. The tonnage is 6,620 tons, or about 400 more than that of the Warrior. Her engines will he of 1,P50 horse power, against 1,250 place I in filo Warrior and Black Prince class. Some novelties will be introduced in the rigging-, with a view to reducing the excessive weight of the top hamper. The Minotaur will carry five masts, the main, and one fore and aft, being square rig, and the fore and mizen of a lighter description, the character of which is not, however, yet finally settled. Perhaps the greatest improvement; in the Minotaur, as compared with the Warrior and Black Prince, in regard to construction, is the plan m hieh has been adopted of making her what may b called a double ship—for she is really a ship within a ship. In the Warrior there are cells or com partments running longitudinally between the floor of the ship and the kelsons which carry the engines and boilers, so that in the event of taking the ground, and the outer skin being damaged, there would still remain the inner skin to keep out the water. But the space so reserved is exceedingly small, not more than 10ft. 6 on each side of the middle of the kelson. The plan which, at the suggestion of Capt. Ford, has been adopted by the Admiralty is a much more corn • plate and comprehensive one ; inasmuch as a clear space is left between the two skins of 7 feet 6 inches. The uses to which this space can be applied are most valuable in con nection with supplying water ballast for the ship. The Warrior and Black Prince have a most unpleasant propen sity for rolling in a heavy sea, and especially after a few days' consumption of coal. The reduction of dead weight, combined with the heavy rigging and (he enormous weight of armour plates, causes the ships to roll at times to as much as 40 degrees. By an arrangement of sea cocks the whole or portion of the space between the inner and outer skin may be filled with water, so as to give steadiacos to or trim the ship as required. The water may be let into the fore or the aft compartments, or into the centre ones, just as the state of weather, the consumption of fuel, or other circum stances might determine. About 750 tons of water may be thus supplied at the bottom of the ship, and the effect of this additional weight will be greatly to diminish the amount of rolling. The arrangement tends generally to the strengthening of the ship, inasmuch as the plan of construction adopted produces in effect one continuous girder from stem to stern. Additional safety is provided for the ship in the event of her being injured by grounding; for whereas the compart- ments in the Warrior extend only for a few feet on each side of the kelson, the water-tight compartments in the Minotaur extend right across the bottom of the ship, and beyond the turn of the bilge, and connected, in fact, with the wing passages at the sides. Greater facilities are also provided for getting at every part of tho , bottom to clean, paint, or re p a i r th e i ron - wor k. I n the Warrior the corn- partinents are so cramped and confined that the men who go down to examine the state of these iron cavities have scarcely room to move or even breathe, much less to make rivets tight or paint them. When in action the introduc tion of the water ballast will be found of great service, whether engaged in a strong wind and with a heavy sea, or in a light and on smooth water. The armour plates ex tend only to sft. Gin, below the load line. When, however, the ship rolls heavily she will of necessity expose a much greater portion of her vulnerable surface; and a watchtul enemy w,,uld therefore like nothing better than to engage these huge iron-sides in rough weather, and when rolling at sonic 40 degrees they presented not only a larger target but the weaker portion of the structure for attack. Any thing therefore which tends to diminish this rolling, and give increased stability to the ship in rough weather, w:11 make her more secure against the shot of the enemy. Increased stability will also make her more formidable to an antagonist, for the severe rolling would render it itnpossib!e to work the guns, for tho ports would be nearly immersed. In calm weather and still ..,.•••••• •• •-• • water the system of ballasting will also have its advantages• inasmuch as the admission of some 800 tons of water would bring down the load line about two feet, still leaving ample height for working the guns, and while affording less mark to the enemy would place the screw and rudder so much under protection as the extra immersion would give. The system of water ballast appears, therefore, to possess many advantages ; and it is a matter for regret that it was not adopted in those of cur iron-clads which have already been constructed. It was proposed for the 'Warrior, at the time it was being built, by Capt. Ford, but it shared the fate of many good and practical suggestions which are stowed away in the pigeon holes of the Admiralty. The improve ment will add about 33 tons to the weight of the ship. The additional cost will be about £4,ooo—a small sum to pay for an alteration which promises to make these costly ships more durable, more effective and secure in action, and more easy in their movements at sea. Two sister ships, the Northumberland and Agincourt, are in course of construction on the Mersey an4l the Clyde. The Minotaur will be ready for launching before the close of the present yerr. The Archbishop of Dublin and Mrs. B. Stowe. The subjoined letter has been addressed by Arch bishop Whately t o M rs . St owe , i n answer to one forwarded by that lady to his grace. To MRS. BEECHER STOWE. Palace, Dublin, Jan. 6, 1863. Dear Madam,—ln acknowledging your letter and - - pamphlet, I take the opportunity of laying before you what I collect to be the prevailing sentiments here on Ame rican affairs. Of course there is a great variety of opinion, as may be expected in a country like ours. Some few sym pathise with the Northerns, and some with the Southerns ; but far the greater portion sympathise with neither com pletely, but lament that each party should be making so much greater an expenditure of life and property than can be compensated for by any advantage they cin dream of obtaining. Those who are the least favourable to the Northerns are not so from any approbation of slavery, but from not under standing that the war is waged in the cause of abolition. It was waged, they say, ostensibly for the restoration of the Union, and in attestation of this they refer to the proclama. Lion which announced the confiscation of slaves that were the property of Secessionists, while those who adhered to the Federal cause should be exempt from such confiscation, which they say did not savour much of z: al for abolition. Many who have a great dislike to slavery yet hold that the Southerns had as much right to secede as the Americans had orLinally to revolt from Great Britain; and there are many who think that, c ,nsidering the dreadful distress we have suffered from the cotton famine, we have shown great forbearance in withstanding the temptation to recognise the Southern States, and oreak the blockade. Then, again, there are some who are provoked at the in cessant railing at England, and threats of an invasion of Canada, which are poured forth in some of the American papers. There are many also who consider that the pre sent state of things cannot continuo much longer if the Confederates continue to hold their own as they have done hitherto, and that a people who shall have maintains I their independence for two or three years will he acknowledged by the principal European Powers. Such appears to have been the procedure of the Eu'opean Powers in all similar cases, such as the revolt of the Anglo-American and Spanish American colon'es, of the llaytiens, and the Belgians. In those and other like cases the rule prac tically adopted seems to have been to recognise the revolters, not at once, but after a reasonable time had been allowed to see whether they could maintain their indepen dence—and this without being understood to have pro nounced any decision either way as to the justice of the Moreover, there are many who say that the negroes and people of colour aro far from being kindly or justly treated in the Northern States, An emancipated slave, at any rate, has not received good training for earning his bread by the wages of labour; and if, in addition to this, and his being treated as an outcast, he is exclud,d, as it is said, from many employments by th. refusal of the white labourer to work along with him, he will have gained little by taking refuge in the Noi them States. I have now laid before you the views which I conceive to be most prevalent amongst us, and for which I am not myself responsible. For the safe and effectual emancipa tion of slaves, I myself - consider there is no plan so good as orle which was long ago suggested by Bishop finds. What he recommended was an ad valorem tax on slaves, the value to be fixed by the owner, with an option to Government to purchase at that price. Thus the slaves would bo a burden to the master, and those the most so who shou'd be the most intelligent and steady, and therefore the best qualified for freedom ; and it would be his interest to train his slaves to bo free labourers, and to emancipate them, one by one, as speedily as he could with safety. I fear, however, that the tints is gone by for trying this experiment in America.— With best wishes for the new year, I remain, dear madam, yours faithfully, R. WHATELY. BANKRUPTCIES LAST YEAR.—It appears that the number of bankruptcies gazetted last year in England an d Wales was 9,508. Of these 4, 104 occurred in the London jurisdiction as compared with an annual average of 548 duping the previous ten years; 569 iu the Liverpool dis• trict, as compared with a previous annual average of 79; 032 in the Manchester district, as compared with a previous annual average of 89 ; 1,336 in the Birmingham district, Ae compared with a previous annual average of 156; 1,046 in the Leeds district, as compared w i t h a previous annual average of 105 ; 898 in the Bristol district, as compared with a previous annual average of 68; 380 in the Exeter district, as compared with a previous annual averaged of 42; and 313 i:, the Newcastle district, as compared with a pre vious annual average of :36. It is scarcely necessary to re , call the fact that the prodigious increase observeable is almost entirely attributable to the operation of the new Bankruptcy Act, AMERICAN AFFAIRS. The news received to-day is of critical importance in seve ral respects. Mr. Lincoln has actually signed the bill which confirms the secession of Western Virginia from the rest of the State. Is this one of the functions of what is called the " war power," or was it a "military necessity ?" That the Congress should have passed this Act is what every one must have expected who has studied the character of that body. But in Mr. Lincoln some considerable amount of shrewd common sense appears at times amidst his jokes, and it was expected that this would have saved him from such a stop. The State of Virginia withdrew, in virtue of its sovereignty, from a compact on entering into which it declared, by a solemn act of its Legislature, its right to withdi aw and resume the powers intrusted to the Federal Administration. That State has done nothing more in withdrawing from the Union than to exercise the right expressly reserved on entering it. But here a frag ment of its territory, devoid of any right or separate exis tence, secedes from the rest, and this most indefensible and rank form of secession is accepted awl approved by the Northern Government. The Supreme Court would, of course, quash such a measure if ever submitted to it, but in the meantime it will add two Senators to the strength of the factious minority now in possession of office and assist to thwart the will of the people in the next Session of Con gress, when the newly chosen representatives enter on their duties. The shade of poor George Washington would, in deed, look sad could it behold this attempt to tear up his noble State for the ends of faction and profit of contractors ; and this net at the hands of some foreign conqueror, but those of the people who owe their independence to him, and uho but for his wisdom would have plunged at the forma ti,n of the present Constitution into the bloodshed that dis • honours its end. By the accounts from the West it appears that the attack on Vicksburg, thrice attempted, had been repulsed ; and as prisoners are spoken of, it must have been a combined attack by land as well as gunboats. No doubt this attempt will be persevered in, with numbers and resources so large that, but for our knowledge of former events,the fall of the place might be anticipated. But as six weeks of bombardment and canal digging had no effect before, and the place will be much stronger now, the probabilities are not in favour of the suc cess of the Federals, although they have evacuated New Madrid and No. 10 Island, in order to concentrate their strength upon the effort. The retreat of Grant's army must wholly disconcert the plan of operations, and as the first at tacks have failed, those to follow will afford time for troops to arrive by railway from other districts of the South to take part in the defence. As Corcoran's brigade was sent to New Orleans, we shall probably hear, as at Fredericksburg, that wherever human life was to be wasted, Irishmen will be selected for that work. Of the severe conflicts at Murfreesborongh, we must needs suspend our judgment till we hear the issue. It is, however, ominous that no victory is c l a i me d , an d that the terms used are those which have ushered in every Federal defeat. M'Clollan, Pope, Burnside, Buell, all were at first described as making fine strategic moves, or driving back the enemy. Judging from past experience, we may expect that this will prove another heavy blow to the Federal cause. If Johnson be defeated he can fall back to Chatta nooga, a position perfectly safe; a severe defeat on the other side would involve the loss of Nashville. The people of New York have learnt by this time how to translate Federal despatches, and the view they take of affairs in the West is to b 6 seen in the large advance in gold, or, in other words, the fall in Government paper. Where, indeed, was there ever so hopeless a prospect ? When the war began —apart from the repudiation by the North of any political profession and the crime of shedding the blood of fellow-citizens upon a question of dissolution of partnership—there was some excuse for a belief in Union sentiment or the power of superior numbers. Ample ex perience has exploded these delusions. here is the Grand Army of the Potomac at another standstill, and the only wise thing it can do is to go back to Washington for the fourth time. General Burnside issues an address in which he first declares his incompetence to com mand the army, and then - proceeds to prove it. It was the want of pontoons that caused the disaster. But how did generals cross rivers and win victories before pon toons were heard of ? When Wellington crossed the Douro and drove a French army out of Oporto he had one small fishing-boat to begin with. In tturh, the delay complained of was the means of saving Burnside's army from complete destruction. Had he crossed the Rappahannock at once, advanced upon Richmond, and made an attack there sim lar to that on the heights of Fredericksburg, it is probable that none but a few stragglers would ever have got back to the Potomac. A country of a million of square miles is not to be conquered by armies that cannot cross a river, with fords on one flank and gunboats on the other, without wait ing three weeks fcr pontoons. _ _ _ If there be any event of this war which the real friends of the North may well deplore it is the act of Mr. Lincoln in issuing his emancipation Sat. It is clear proof not only of his purpose to treat the will of the majority with contempt, but that be has abandoned the last shred of calm reason, and given himself up into the hands of such advisers as Cassius Clay. What good can come out of this proclama tion to any human being? What trace of principle is to be found in it ? A million of slaves are within the power of Mr. Lincoln and his soldiers ; these he carefully preserves in slavery. Other three millions are entirely beyond his reach ; these ho pretends to free with a stroke of his pen. If such a measure could succeed we should have the cotton States free, and the Northerners and their advocates the only slaveholders of the country Mr. Cassius Clay, the real instigator of the measure, let fall some indiscreet reve- lations at Washington when it first appeared.. He told it was not the negro he had in view —he, indeed, was too debased for his notice—it was the effect on Europe, on a House of Commons or a Chamber of Deputies. Precisely so; but this is exactly what is understood in America by the word " Buncombe—something which pretends to address a party present, but is really aimed at others at a distance. It is we who are to be emancipated from our sinful sympathy with rebels. As for the negro and its effect upon him, Mr, Lincoln's own contemptuous opinion of the measure was expressed in a simile that none have forgotten. Doubtless that opinion was correct ; it will prove wholly inoperative as against the South, except in adding to the score for which there will come a day of reckoning. Not so with the North. The dissensions there were dangerous enough without this fresh ingredient. Fanaticism has now shot its long-trea surcd and poisoned arrow; it has done its best to spread the flames and atrocities of a servile war over the land which it could not subdue by, manly weapons. The efforts of im potent spite are not likely to succeed where those of brave men in arms have failed. This step is really a confession, on the part of the faction in power, that all hope of sub duing the South is at an end, and it remains only to attempt its ruin. Ia it with such work as this that we aro to sympathise ? Itlis well known that the Northern agents are now in this country, without stint of money, hiring lecturers and at tempting an agitation. Now, if it were possible to stir up a negro revolt one of two things must happen. Either the negromiu4 destroy the whit,: race, as iu St. Domingo, or the white race will destroy him. There is no more a half way house than in a mutiny on board a ship. Which of these two is it that Christian people are to pray for? Some few thousands of negrces can run away to the Federal camp, where they are t at e once used as s l aves in every re spect but the name of th e thing. But three millions can not wherethey are, and in the be destroyed attempt. Every they must stop cxpe regards slavery as a system repugnant one in this country both But the object of to races. and full of evil to the age, been to benefit the whole has move the e e in whitesthis u , e ' r a y ; of the desire to end it human family, to di s p en se what we believe would be a blessing t o our ki nsmen , while we elevate the condition of the n egro . A n d sure l y t o a ny reasoning mind a live negro under hi s mas t er i s b e tt er than a dea d negro with a ball th roug h his brain or one with hands stained in his master's bl oo d . F anaticism is the most v i ru l en t disease with which th e m i nd can be afflicted. It is selfishness worked up into a d espot i c passion. To its conscience other con . sciences roust bow —a s it sees oth er e y es mus t see—as it wills all rights must vanish, all laws must yLld, all pity must depart. No sprit can be aroused so repugnant to that of our religion, in summing up the principles of which it was written " And the greatest of these is charity." Surely we, who created slavery hi the South, and, if it be a For his (Mr. Beecroft's) part, h 3 had much greater faith in moveable fortifications in the shape of float ing batteries than in fixed fortifications. (Hear.) The hon. gentleman concluded by a reference to the prosperity of the country, as evidenced by the revenue returns lately published. Mr. BAINES, M.P., devoted his remarks to the ad vantages which would attend a commercial treaty or convention b e t ween thi s coun t r y and Austria. His attention had been drawn to the subject by Mr. S. Beaumont, M.P., who had recently brought it before the Newcastle Chamber of Commerce, and had given to the public the information which he had obtained during a recent visit to Austria. Aus tria had now come into the enjoyment of a large measure of civil and religious liberty, and the young Emperor and his advisers seemed to be sincere in trying what representative institutions could do to revive the prosperity of the empire. Austria occu pies a position of first-rate importance in the heart of Europe, and, with all its past faults, it has ever been the political ally of England. It touches, or nearly so, all the principal nations of the west and east, of the north and of the south. It has a tempe rate climate, a fertile and varied soil, great mineral riches, and fine rivers which empty their waters and their traffic into the Baltic, the Black Sea, and the Adriatic. Its inhabitants, generally speaking, are intelligent, industrious, loyal, brace, and friendly. Its maritime commerce was restricted by the fact that it has only two good seaports—viz., Trieste and Venice, both of whicn, however, were now free ports. But the want of maritime facilities was made up by its excellent system of railways, which it began exactly contemporaneously with those of England, and which are of the aggregate length of 3,000 miles, reaching to every extremity of the empire. The weakness of Austria,it is well known, consisted in its comprising too many nationalities, but it appeared likelythat freedom would propitiate those whom des- potiam aggrieved ; and at all events there would re. tnain,after an ypossible dismemberment,the heart and limbs of a great empire. Mr. Baines then, at some length, entered into the commercial statistics of Austria, and showed by a series of tabular returns the inequality of the present tar►ff with England, as compared with that between Austria and the Lull- verein. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. DANUBE AND BLACK SEA. The adjourned half-yearly meeting of this company was held yesterday at the offices, Abingdon-street, Westminster, Sir S. Cunard in the chair. Mr. C. W. Eddy, the secretary, read the report. The CHAIRMAN, in moving the adoption of the report and statement of accounts, said he would be glad to answer any questions that might be put to him. The traffic had much improved, although in the spring of last year they had suffered from unusual floods, which were greater than had been known for half a century. This had delayed the works, and if those obstructions had not occurred they would now have been in a better position than they were at present. This was an unavoidable circumstance, and could not have been prevented. Mr. APGA.REL wished to know how it was that they had expended so much as £60,000 during the past year on so small a concern as theirs; there was £16,000 for engineer ing, which was aboui 5 per cent. on the whole capital, and there was £lO,OOO for well-sinking, lime-kilns, and other matters, which he thought wore large sums. Mr. LEWIS, a director, explained that the items referred to included other masters than were stated in the account. One reason why the accounts were not so clear as they should be was the sickness that prevailed among their offi cers, and the accounts were not made up until the last mo ment. The sickness in the autumn had been fearful ; they had lost the services of three of their most important men, and the whole of the business hid to be done by the traffic manager. Although he believed the amounts stated were right, they had not received the full details. The CHAIRMAN remarked that they could cl.) nothing without the harbour at Kustendjie, the hotel was indispen sable for the passenger traffic, and would repay for the out lay. They had taken £2,000 in the last half-year for pas sengers. Mr. TIPPING had the utmost confidence in the undertak ing, but he thought they had Leen tarrying in the wilder ness. Ho hoped the directors would state freely what their feelings were on the subject. The £61,090 expended on rolling stock and plant was a little beyond the requirements f any business they were likely to meet with for some time. He wished to know whether they received rent for the use of the granaries. The ehepeernfeAcltitly3lBA.aNti,fist:ta with the tcd thatthe directors and himself they felt no di ssatisfaction, but, on the contrary, la o k a e ff d ai r s for ward with hope for better times. The floods of last spring were unusual, and had delayed the completion of some of their works nine mouths. As to the plant, they had hardly enough at present - , because some of their locomotives had been injured by using bad water, and had caused a very ex pensive item in their charges. They received rent for the use of the storehouses, and looked forward to a fair share of traffic. It should be remembered that they had to send everything about 3,000 miles to the works. They had be en greatly disappointed in respect of obtaining labour on the spot, and they had been obliged to send out men from Eng land, which was a matter they did not expect when they I commenced operations. Mr. S. BEALE, M.P., a director, said he had no doubt heir position would now have !Yen better if they h d not lost a few months with the works last year. While they were carrying on the harbour works they would require engine -power, but when those was were completed he believed they would have ample stock for the traffic. He was sorry they Won not enabled to avoid naoro money on The Members for Leeds on Commercial Topics. On Wednesday the annual meeting of the Leeds Chamber of Commerce was held in a room of the Leeds Town II ill, D Anton Lupton, Esq., president of the association, in the chair. After the report—which detailed the operations of the society during the past year—had been read, and some other routine business transacted, Mr. BEECROFP, M.P., congratulated the associa• tion on the continued prosperity of Leeds, a circum stance mainly attributable, in his idea, to the great variety of industries carried on therein. It was gratifying to find that the Belgian tariff had done some good, and that several good orders had already been received in the town. On the sub ject of harbours of refuge, he held that the esta blishment of them was a work of mercy, and that a national harbour of refuge ought to be imme diately constructed at Filey, for the loss of life on the north-east coast was dreadful to contem plate. With respect to the new law of bankruptcy, he expressed his opinion that some amendment of the act must soon take place, and hoped that the Government would shortly introduce a measure em bracing the whole subject. Such a measure would reseive the support of the commercial classes both inside and outside Parliament. A strong feeling prevailed throughout the country that a consider able reduction should be made in the national ex penditure. In 1851, the expenditure on the army and navy was only about I:15,000,000, whereas in 1861 it had crept up, including the charge for forti cations, to £40,000,000. No doubt much of this in crease was due to the fact that we were now engaged in the work of reconstructing our navy. It was much to be regretted that we had allowed France to distance us in this respect, for when they were building iron ships we were foolishly throwing away money on wooden ships. A great deal had yet to be done before our iron-clad ships could be considered invulnerable, and we must, consequently, prepare ourselves for a considerable further outlay on our navy. Our very existence as a nation de pended upon our Government having the command of the sea. Whilst they were disposed to support a wise and rigid economy, they mast still make them selves safe as a nation, and this could best be accom plished in a time of peace by way of preparing themselves for any change of affairs. Daring the recess he had spent some time in France, and in one arsenal he foun-1 5,000 men at work, and at another 6,000 men were employed. His own impression was that the French people generally had not the slighest wish to go to war with this country; but there was nothing which would contribute so much to the permanent peace and security of this country as its being known by foreign nations that we were fully prepared to defend ourselves if attacked. If they asked him in what particular respects the estimates could be reduced, he answered that in many of the departments great savings might possibly be effected. There was one item of ex penditure about which ho entertained considerable doubts, and that was the item for fortifications—an item of .C 30,000,000 according to estimation, but which might be swelled up to double that amount ; and if, after all, these land fortifications should prove inefficient, it will be so much money thrown away. According to Sir F. Smith it would require 30,000 men to man the forts at Portsmouth alone. the harbour last year. They had had three storms, which tested the stability of their works, and t he ships in the har bour had ridden out the storms in sa'ety.Their difficulty had been to divert the trade from the ordinary route to the railway and harbour. They bad recently made contracts with emi nent houses for the conveyance of produce, and he had no doubt that when ships got into the practice of using their harbour they would prefer taking freights et low rates to going empty; and there was no doubt the merchants would find their line and harbour the cheapest mode of convey ance. He considered that their harbour and works were not fairly opened for trade until the Ist of October last. Mr. LEwts remarked that since they had commenced operations the Salina mouth of the Danube had been im proved, and the vessels navigating the river hal thus been enabled to reduce their rates, and they had caused the corn • pany to reduce its rates. Mr. LIDDELL, the engineer, explained that the improve ment of the Sulina mouth was very considerable; the Danubo Steam Company and t.ther vessels were cart.) ing at unre. munerative rates, but as the company's undertaking afforded great advantage to merchants he had no doubt they would get the trade. They had from 30 to 40 merchants sending by this route, but they had only two or three last year. When the machinery for loading and unloading was com pleted they would reduce their working expense's very con siderably. The report was adopted. The three retiring directors (Mr. Henri* Mr. W. J. Newall, and Mr. J. Lewis) were re-elected, and also Mr. It. Potter, the retiring auditor. The articles of association were altered so as to admit of the accounts being made up to the 30th of November in each year, and the half-yearly meetings to be held in the months of February and August of every year. The proceedings concluded with a voto of thanks to the chairman and directors. METROPOLITAN AND TOTTENHAM AND HAMPSTEAD. This extension of the Metropolitan Railway is intended to start from the eastern end of their Gower-street station, in the Euston-road, St. Pancras, and terminate on the south side of Swain's , lane by a junction with the Tottenham and Hampstead. It is estimated to cost £lOO,OOO. DOVER, DEAL, AND SANDWICH. This proposed line is to commence by a junction uith the Shepherdswell station of the London, Chatham, and Dover, thence to Albert-terrace, Deal, and from the latter line be tween Eastry and Ham to the South-Eastern Railway at Sandwich, near the Sandwich Gasworks, at an estimated cost of £lOO,OOO. GRAND TRUNK OF CANADA. The traffic receipts on this company's line amounted for tho week ending the 27th of December last to 16,411 dols, for local passengers; to 2,420 dols, for foreign passengers; to 10,848 dots. for mails, Scc., to 47,184 dots, for local freight and live stock; to 2,820 dots, for timber and lumber; to 72 dols. for firewood ; and to 11,014 dols. for foreign freight and live stock ; total, 90,791 dols. against 86,443 dots., showing an increase of 4,356 dots. The total traffic re ceipts from the Ist of July to the above date amounted to 2,088,966 cols., and for the corresponding period of 1861 to 2,008,755 dols,, showing an increase of 80,211 dots. COPIAPO EXTENSION. The traffic receipts on this line from the Ist to the 15th of November last amounted to 2,791 dols., and for tho cor responding period of 1851 to 2,383 dols., showing an in crease of 411 do's. PARL' AMENTARY DEPOSITS ON RAILWAY BILLS. Wednes ay was a busy day at the Bank of England, and at th 3 office of the Accountant-General of the Court of Chancery, in consequence of the payment by the rail,vay and other public companies of the 8 per cent. deposits on the estimated cost of their respective undertakings in con formity with the standing orders of both Houses of Parlia ment. It is understood that the payments, all things con sidered, were highly satisfactory, and that about £3,000,000 in money, stock, securities, and Consols wore paid in before the offices closed. The total share capital proposed to be raised in csnnexion with the new undertakings amounts to upwards of £30,000,000, the capital proposed to be raised by the metropolitan lines alone being about £8,000,000. Of these latter, however, some did not pay the required de posit, and among them the Fulham and Hammersmith, Pimltco and Paddington, and proposed Kensington and Knightsbridge Railways. COUNTRY MARKETS. NII. , MANCHESTER—JAIL 8. This morning at our market there was a good attend ance. English wheat and flour a firm sale, at the curren cies of last week. Oats and oatmeal a fair sale. Beans were unchanged. Indian corn 6d per qr advance the rates of the previous week. . 15, English what H was sold at 43s to 56s for white, and 40s to 668 per 36 atone for red, Barley, new malting, 35s to 42s per qr; grinding, 24a to 288. Oats, old, 24s to 300 per 30 stone; Irish, 228 to 258. Beane, 40s to 448 per qr. Peas, 40s to 48s per 36 stone. PLYMOUTH —JAN. . White, 56s to 60s ; red, 54s to 56s per l3 qr ; Dantzic, 57s to 58s ; American, Ms to 55s ; Spanish, —s to —s ; Rus sian, —s to --s. Barley at previous rates-34s to 3Ss per qr for malting ; grinding, 27s to 28s ; oats, 23s to 27s ; and beans, —s to —s; flour, 38s to 41s Od. EDINBURGH GRAIN—JAN. 14. A good supply of farmers' wheat to-day, which brought the prices of this day week. Wheat on the top 28 3d d0wn.•..... average 2s Id down. Barley on the top 2a 0d down .......average Os 8d down. Oats on the top Os 6d up ............ average Os 7d up. Beans on the top 2s 6d up.... ....... average Os 3d down. Total Supply and Sales. Wheat ... 132 qrs Sold 663 qrs Barley... 1925 qrs Sold 1254 qrs Oats Beans 77 qrs Sold 56 qrs Flour sells as follows :—Whites, 45s Od ; extras, 43s 61; superfine, 41s 6d; fine, 39s 6d. CORK—JAN. 14. The following were tho quotations this morning :—Rcd wheat, 8s Od to 9s 3d; white, 8s 8d to 108 9d , barley, 5s 4d to 7s 6d ; oats, 6s Od to 8s ld. ; new here, -s Od to Od. DERBY SMITHFIELD —JAN. 13. A small supply of fat beasts to-day. There was a good demand for the best kinds, which sold well. Sheep were scarcely an average supply. Pigs in better show, but sales heavy. Fat calves were rather scarce. Beet Gd to GO Veal 7d to 71d Mutton ... 7d to 8d Pork Lamb —d to —d Rough fat, 4s Od per stone. Hides, 3d to 41d; calf skins, 5d to 6d. Foreign Mail Packet List. MAILS DUE. Aute.ralia and Mauritius, via Southampton .. Jan. 18. via Marseilles Feb. 12. drazil and Cape Verds, by British packet. Feb. 3. Cape of Good Hope, Ascension, and St. Helena Feb. 1. China, Penang, and Singapore, via Southampton Jan. 18. Falkland I s l an d. via Marseilles J an . 27. .. .. .. Feb 3. Gibraltar, via South am pt on 18. India (Calcutta), and Ceylon, via Southampton. Jan. 18. India (Bombay), via S ou thampton Jan. 25 yia Marseilles Jan. 27. via Marseilles Portugal.... Feb. 3 Malta, Egypt, and Aden, via Southampton Jan. 18. Newfoundland via Marseilles J an. 20. Oporto and Vigo U. S. and British N. America, ty Brit. packet.... Jan. 21. by U.S. packet.... bana Canadian packet.Jn. 16. W.C. of Af r i ca , M a d e i ra, and Te y n C eritle Feb. 10. Bahamas, via New York Jan. 15. 111exico Jan. 28. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, California. and B r i t i s h C o l um b ia. 1 Jan. 28. Births. MTLLIGAN.—On the 13th inst., at Portsmouth, the wife of Captain Milligan, A D.C., of a son. MURRAY.--On the 14th inst., at Wood House Firm, Kingselere, Hants, the wite of Charles Murray, Esq., of a daughter. Ssow.—On the 14th inst., at Eton, Mrs. Herb art Snow, of a son. TYLEE.—On the 14th inst., at 62, St. George's-road,War wick•square, the wife of Henry Tyke, Esq., of a daugh ter. Marriages. lICI DGSON—WALMSLEY.—On the 14th inst., at Wolverton Church, Hants, William B. Hodgson, Eeq,, LL.D., of Tunbridge Wells, Kent, to Emily, the eldest surviving daughter of Sir Joshua Walrusley, Wolverton-park, Hants. KIRKMAN—NEPEAN.—On the 14th inst., at St. George's, Hanover-square, Dr. Montague Ki r k inan, to the Lady Nepean, widow of Sir Molyneaux-Hyde Nepean, Bart., of Loder's Court and Botheuhampton, county of Dorset, and Lee Hall, county of Northumberland. Deaths. Buss.—On the 11th iust ,at her town residence in Queen Anne-street, Mazy, relict of the late Wm. Busk, Esq M.P., of Portland -place, aged 83. GUINNESS. —On the 11th hist. after a few hours' ill ne ss at his resid ence, Roundwoo'd House, county Wicklow, Arthur Lee Guinness, Esq., formerly of Stillorgan-park, county Dublin, aged 65. MARTIN. —On the 13th inst., at Itoseangle, Dundee, David Martin, Esq , merchant, aged 66. MASON. —O n the 14th inst., at Titchfield, Hants, Joseph Mason, Esq., late Paymaster R.N., aged 74, one of the oldest surviving officers of the battle of Trafalgar, and and brither of the l a t e Vi ce -Admiral Sir Francis Mason, K,C.B. MoNOIT.—Ou the 13th inst., at 4, Cornwall-terrace, Bays • water, Michael Jules Monoit, Surveyor-General of the Straits Settlements, aged 49. NUTT.—On the 14th inst. suddenly, Charles Edward, the infant child of Mr. David Nutt, of the Strand, London : Printed and Published by WILLIAM ANDREWS, of No. 11?, Strand, Printer, at THE SUN Ofuce, 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy. is the County vi~cldlese~c,_Friday,January 16 . 1864 Cc Jan' f.; Tito (1( s Itobq A, Tine 01 Iticl ISTes The BRo con( for; trier Witl app on 13 at ger tear of 1 in l am ant big Lii tiv, Pak the 1,0 Ink 1 1 Prr Ihi the