The Sun. — London, England, 1854-12-26 00:00:00

MONEY MARKET AND COMMBECIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, TWO o'CLOCK. I ihr Yesterday being a holiday, the cotton and rail way markets at Liverpool were closed. The overland letters from India are expected to be delivered here on the 28th inst. The ship Phoenician from Sydney brings dates of August 26, and 5,2501. in gold. There is nothing of mercantile interest in the Continental letters. The accounts from New York by the steamer AfriCa - are to the 12th inst., and are by no means of a reassuring character. The firms which have recently suspended payment have brought down other establishments, and the banks, which from their number, have been compelled to enter upon such a race of competition, and to foster mercantile enterprise to an extent verging upon speculation, havein turn experienced the severity of the pressure and the weakening of public confidence. That much of the reaction in the United States is due to the war must be palpable to all, although the defi cienc!,- in the cern crops is an accessory cause. The relations of America and Europe are now so inti mate that however neutrality may be supposed to shield a country from danger, it is certain that it can not protect it from pecuniary loss. The idea has been a favourite one until within the last three months, that America had very little sympathy or concern with the gigantic struggle that is being carried on, but the rude monitors of dear money and failing banks has taught the contrary, and the Message of, the President, redolent as it justly is of national prosperity, does not conceal the prejudicial charac ter of the interruption to peace. That there is anything in the commercial position of the States to excite serious apprehension or regret we will not pretend to assert. They are substantially rich, thriving, and happy, and with a Government exchequer so amply supplied individual suffering must certainly subside. It is to our side of the Atlantic that more of the inconvenience will now be transferred. The rate of exchange on bankers' bills• had fallen ere the steamer left to 108 to 108 k, and private bills were done as low as 106 to Io6i. Making every allowance for the mistrust which has created such a wide difference in the quotations for drafts upon England, we must accept the fact as one of a nature to check the exportation of specie 25 from New York as a matter of profit, thoni, , h we 25 t. may yet find bullion coming over as upon former i S t 2, occasions with a very depreciated exchange, solely St. from the difficulty of obtaining good bills. Then st. 50 as to the future, the sudden turn in the tide which 25 has just occurred must be due partially to artifi- I ' oo cial circumstances. The pressure for money 2t in America induces all who have credits here, 50 whether against shipments of cotton or corn, to 20 draw much sooner than they otherwise would do, St. and the liabilities which, under more normal condi- st. tions, would be distributed over a longer period, 16 become crowded into one much shorter. It follows 16 8 necessarily that, when discharged, there will be a 8 rebound, and that the exchange will advance as St. rapidly asit has fallen, and in the meantime a cau- 2 2 5 5 tious policy is indispensable. We notice among 50 the failures that of an extensive dry goods' 8 50 t. house at Boston, J. W. Blodgett and Company. 10 The liabilities are stated at 2,000,000 dollars, 1.0 and they are brought down by numerous smaller suspensions at the south. The firm did a good business with Canada. Three or four savings banks at New' York had stopped, and the Cen tral Bank was unable to go on, A slight insight into the cause of this we obtain from a local jour nalist, who observes : "The Clearing House closed up another bank to-clay. The Central Bank failed to make good its account this morning, and was therefore suspended. This concern has been putting up an elegant marble building on the corner of Broadway and Chamber-street, at an expense of about one hundred thousand dollars, equal to about one-third of its capital, and the probabil ity is that it will, when com pleted, bo occupied for some other purpose than that ori ginally intended: About a year ago, new banks were created at the rate of one per week, they are now suspend ing at about the same rate. We shall soon get back again to the old number. Bill holders of the Central Bank need be under no apprehension regarding their value. The re turns of this bank for the week ending the 9'h inw ant, were as follows :—Loans, 301,172 dole. ; deposits, 188,219 dols. • circulation, 83,733 dols.—Specie, 22,405 dole. About Stock s and Shares the following informa tion is given New York central stock still rules above the market value of the bonds, but it probably will not continue so long. The difficulty of getting large quantities of the stock when required, in consequence of its general distribu tion, deters sellers from putting out large c-utracts, and prices are therefore sustained much beyond its actual value. Holders are waiting patiently for a dividend. Their patience will soon be exhausted, when we may look or a greater supply of stock on the market. It was a long ime before holders of Erie Railroad stuck :ye(' that nvestment was not the best on the list, and those who would tsell at 80 or 90 percent. have since sold at 40 ,in,150 nor tent. It will be just eo with New York Cent, c.l. It will go sown as fast as Erie, and ultimately reach as ! .w poiois. It is now the highest railroad stock on the market, and it is the most inflated, overgrown corporation iu the country. Its capital, funded and floating debt, amount to nearly , forty millions of dollars, and will soon exceed that enor mous sum. It must break down from its own weight, and when it does collapse it will leave a sad wreck behind. From the time of the consolidation it has been going ra pidly to decay. Under the different companies the dif ferent stocks were kept at a premium, and large dividends paid, in some way, but since the amalgamation the ten dency has been downward, and the entire concern has be come dilapidated and diseased. Since the consolidation, twelve millions of dollars have been added to its indebted ness, without anything to show for it, and the roadway and rolling machinery are in such a condition that an ex penditure of from three to five millions of dollars will be required to place them in decent condition. ' The opinion is- rapidly gaining ground that the New York Central 100 Railroad Company never will pay another dividend above two or three per cent. per annum from its net earnings." 100 In the funds there is scarcely any business doing, 20 the attendance in the Stock Exchange being al ways limited during Christmas week. Consols 206 have been marked 91} to g. Exchequer Bills are 4s. to 75., and India Bonds 9s. to 12s. premium. 10 Bank Stock has been firm at 209. Tho New 3 100 per Cents. have been quoted 91} to 91i, the same 100 100 as Consols. Foreign Securities have been rather flat gene rally, and more offered. Spanish Threes are 384, and the Deferred 181 to 1. Russian 41 per Cents. are 871. Turkish Stock is 74i- to I. The Deferred Venezuela Bonds are 9 to 1. The following are the nominal prices of foreign stocks :—Grenada Deferred Bonds, 5 to 6 ; Mexi can 20i to 21} ; Peruvian, 68 to 70 ; Ditto 3 per Cents., 48 to 50 ; Portuguese 4 per Cents., 41 to 13 ; Russian 5 per Cents. 97 to 99 ; Ditto 41 per Cents., 87 to 89 ' • Spanish New Deferred, 181- to 19 ; Ditto 3 per Cents., 381 to 39i ; Ditto Certifi cates, 5* to 54 ; Ditto Passive, 4f to 44. For railway shares there is very little inquiry, but the quotations are generally firm. The foreign lines are merely nominal. The Cobre Copper Company's shares are higher, and also the Brazilian Imperial. South Australian land shares are steady. Banks are about the same, and also Crystal Palace. BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.—CLOSING PRICES. (Front the Official List. j Be dness done Bank Stock ......,.. 209 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 9ll 1 New 3 per Cent. Annuities Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860 ~, 4 5.16 India Bonds, £ lOOO .. Ditto, under £lOOO 9 Consols for Account, 10th January Exchequer Bills, 24d. • - .. Exchequer Bonds 1858, 3i per Cent... 7 4 Ditto 1859, ~ PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS TH t‘,.; I) A y . Peruvian Bonds, 4i per Cent. Portuguese Bonds, 5 per Cent — Ditto, IS4B, 3 per Cent '',3A Russian Bonds, 4. per Cent B.". Spanish Bonds, :2 per Lent 3 ., Ditto New Deferred, 3 per Cent l`l Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun sj i p c Tarkish Scrip, paid up in full Ditto for the Account 74i 4 i Venezuela Bonds, 3i per Cent. . Ditto Deferred, 1 per Cent 9 , 1, 9 Dividends on the above payable in bonrton Dutch Exchange, 2A per Cent. 12 Guil .. . 61i THREE O'CLOCK. oonnols Ditto, January Account 20 NEW BIILLET.—Mr. Wm. Palmer, of Feltwell, in this 50 county (says the Norfolk News) has just invented a ball 1 0c ( ) , suitable both for small guns and cannon, which he de- 100 scribes as far more deadly and destructive in its effects then any yet in use. Ile says "It cuts, wounds, and 20 lacerates in such a, manner that it is scarcely possible 50 that any animal or man should lire after having been 20 struck by it. A ball that would fit a common gun—say 25 five-eighths of an inch in diameter—expands on leaving the gun to four inches, and the instant that it touches 109 wr'! 1 ':!;" , ell! , Ir., :tl. i.-i,-;-: ._A c 11:;:11 L:.li on ' - ‘5 1 7 : same principle Would cut a iiih;:e of at i,a...i. tr, , ,) ieet. The invention has been tried several times in mall guns, 25 and it does not appear to affect the flight of the ball in 25 the slightest degre e . I t wou ld b e a very destructive 50 'shot in a regimont. 20 20 10 10 St. 10 St. 25 20 20 50 20 10 26 5 20 100 20 25 25 25 20; 100 20 20 20 20 20 40 20 20 20 SHARE MARKETS (84 Y.) RAILWAYS. !Closing Prices thlw day: p tid, l BAILWAYK. 100 Aberdeen ......... Ambg. Nottng. Bost,. and Eastn. Janet... all Belfast & Ballymena. all Binning. Wolverh. & Stour Valley 29h Birkenhd. Lancsh. Cheshire Janet all Do. Chesh. di Birk ; £5O a=id £25 Cons, 19 Do., £2O 30 Myth & Tyn) origins' 425 (issd. at £45; 100 Bristol and Exeter 100 Caledonian. 21s. Cannarthen and Car digau all Chester & Holyhead all Cork and Bandon._ all Cork, Black, & Pass. 16 Cornwall 14 Orloff Junction 45 DublindillelfastJtme. all Dundee Perth&Aber doen Junction all Do—New 100 East Anglian all Eastern Counties..... 100 Eastern Union, A Stock 100 De., B. Stock 86 Do., New A 100 East Lancashire 100 Edinburgh & Glasgow Edinb. and Peebles 9)0 Edith Pith di Dundee 1 'orth & Clyde Jane., .00 , 41asgow &S. Westerul .00 , ;reat Northern 00 Do., A. Stock 1 00 Do., B. Stock JO Gt. Sth. &West.are.; 100 Great Western 100 Do. Stour Val. Rail Gus. Stk all Irish South-Easton all Lancaster & Carlisle Do., Thirds 4 Do. New Thirds 100 Lancash. an dYorks 19a Do., Fifths ul E,6. Wet. Riding Un all I..i.v:Crsby.&Southpt all Loudon & Blackwal 190 Ltvtd. Bright ,k S.Cst 100 Loud. and N. West,. 12 Do. Fifths 1 00.10/. Sh., 2:.%0. Ei4lll,lhs 100' London andS. Westu 4'2,t Do., £54. . 34' Do., £4O: all Lnirrydr Coleraine all i , mludrry.&Enuisk. 100 llauch.Slief. &Litwin 41, i iv., Han. & Lin. Un. 100 . Andland too 'o. Binung. &Derb all di lld. G. West. (Ire,) 22 , 'o.half Shares all Newcastle & Carlisle 5i Newnikt.BuryExten 21: Nwiot.Aberg. &Hrfd 8 awry & Enniskillen all Newry Warrcnpoin and Rostrevor IGO Norfolk 3. Nortim.Connties Un 100 North British all 4 North Devon, No. all Jo., No. 2 all !)0., A Deferred all Do. B Guarantee? 100 N. Eastern—Berwick 20 Do. do. Extension , 13 Do.do. G.N. E. Purch all Do. Lelas WO Do. York all North London Do. New £lO U if N.&S.Wstrn.,llamp stead, and City Jn 17i VOrth Staffordshir: all North Western.., all N. &S. Westrn. June 1 Nuneaton, Hinckley and Leicester 100 Oxford, Worcester, & Wolverhampton 6 Portsmouth 100 4cottish Central ..... !OD Scottish Midland all ihrewsby. di Herefd it 3hropshire Union Do. A, B, C,& D,full : paid up at per con 111 south Devon 00 3oath Eastern tll south Wales 5 i. Yrksh. di Riv. Dun 5 Do 8 Staines, Wok &Wok 11 tockton & Darlin: . .6 Aockton & Ilartlepl Lir' faff Vale 9 ?o. £lO shares 1.00 Do. Prof., No. I__ 21 thames Haven Docl and all Vale of Neath all Waterfi. & Kilkenn3 all Waterford&Limerivk 18 West. Cornwall 3 West End of LondoL and Crystal Palace all West London 1.113. Wimbledn &CroydoL 20 - 41 - 5 8 - 8. 13 - 12 16 - 17 7 - 6 03 - 95 601 - 61} 13j - 14 9 - 11 ••• 4 - 3 6 1 -7, 14 - 15. 11 -- 11: 28 30 - 20 7 - 22 70 - 72 53 -- 55 19 .72 67 - 69 891 - 90. 77 - 79' L 23 - 125 89 91 70 70i 58 - 62 72 - 77 6 - 8 6 - 8 73i --- ...... ...1.1 8i 06 -- 108 00 1004 d td 83 - 84 9• 8 1 9 - 8. 24. 68 69 41 -• 42 id par ' 14 94 if 2 49 - 51 31 3 31 ... 3 2 8 10 1.1 11 6i 74 • 74. 7 6' 12i —12 i 52 53 52 E 4 par ip id 4i 41 cl l 6 id—ipl 31 - 32 90 - 98 61 - 63 8 - 861 , 44 46 12 - 14 hBi - 59# 28i - 291 i- i ( S 5 - 37 .4e -- , . - . ••• 2 61 4 20 - 6 a 3 17 7 , 6 - 7 FOREIGN. ill .k - dwi,p(c.illotterdarn F.g . ,t4til. Juno. ieziert , to Graissossac Bombay, Baroda, and Central India.§crip c,ntral of Italy ail t)einerars. 1); jou. awl "Besancon, 10 ''rttel•lll_ , mish ,11 Eastern of France all • 1 r.ftsi 1 )c gxtension c. Mts., pay, '57, Ctmvertible A n do. do., '59, do ! .d. ,lunet. of France 1.2! 2 Tk of CanadaA is. all 1)o. do i.ll Do. St. Lawrence & Atlantic do. all Do. Cert. of Deben., con. into Stk. till '63 all Do. Comp. 6p. c., do. 10 Gt. Central of Franc. all Gt. Indian Peninsula 1 Do. New 5 per cent . 1 all Gt . Western of Cans.d Shares all Do. Bds., payablo's7, l with option till '55 all Do. do., '62, p. '56 all Do. do., '76, p. '60.. all Do. do., '73, without option all Hamilton & Toronto all Do. 5 per cent. _ _ 11 Lake Cont.s & Basle, all Luccadt Pistoja 5 p.c. _ . pref 12 IGreat Luxembourg Constituted Shares all Do. Obligations , 0 Lyons and Geneva 12 Lyons & Mediterran 16 :dachas 2 Do. New 31A Niaria Antonia all' Do. do. New 2 gelbourne Dk. &Ry all Namur & Liege (wit): interest) all Do. (ex interest) all Northern of France all D 0.20/. Shs.late Char leroi and ErquvlineE guar. 3i p. c. & red, at 22i/. dur. 88 yrs. from 1 Jan. 1854 all Do. 201. 3 p. c MP (fruy.B.dzAms.Shs , all NorwegianTrunkPre' 14 Paris and Lyons , all Ditto Bonds ...... all Paris and Orleans , all Paris and Rouen 10 ParisCaen dr. Cherbrg all Konen and Havre" 20 Royal Danish 3 Itoyal Suredi,o, Ali Sambre and Meuse._ all Do. 5. p. cent. Prof. 1.0 ' . 4outlern of France 14 St. Andrew's and Quebec (A) ...... all West l'ltiLdors all Do 5A per c. I'2 Ne!-tern of France 1 A. of SwiLzerlandj %Viesl,l/2:‘ 14 - lg •.• ..... ••• id-hp - P 3i - 3(1 - 31?-, - 1 - - gl/); 8 - 9 7d 10 8t I LP par ip 16 1 - 17/ ... ..- .... id ip 2 d par 2 d par 2 d -- par dis 2 3 2a l 2ih 1 d ip id—par 6i , - 7 314 124 - 12 - R 4 - 9 .1 " . 19i - 19; 46 48 38 40 201 131 ;13 id 4p 2i lid ••• - ... ... - pm - ii 1 - -4 4i - Bi, raINT-STOCK BANKS. AI British Colonial Bank aiel Loan Compa ;i.iti,ll N. American .. 1 11a,rtd. Bank of Asia 2 ':I/irtd. Bnk. of India, Australia, & China 25 ;.)olonial 20 ( lommercial of Lond 16 i,:nglish Scottish and Australian all Lond. Chart. Bk. ol d fix,stralia 20 London and County 10 Loudon Joint Stock 20 Lond. & Westminster 35 National Provincial of England 10 Do. New 22?, National of Ireland all New South Wales all Oriental Bank of Corporation 25 Provincial of Ireland 1 ';U,,-.1. A , , ut fallt. iOr rr. & Gold Imp Co all Sontli Auotralia .. : ...... .. 1 all Union of Australia::: 2: Do. Now yai_oli .4, Loudon" 80 - - 82 - ••• 3 2id 21i 22 35 : 40 38 - 40 41 -- 43 68 - 70 8 - 10 by, Bnstnegs dons this day. 25 St. 20 St. 60 ex arrs 72 3 100 i I 23t 4} 4 681 I 1k I 8 21f 1 20 2.1 1 2F .• I 2 3 I Si 2 21 ' I 30 22 I 21 21 33 68i 9i 25 24 10 THE SUN, LONDON / TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBEIt 26, 1854. GRATUITIES FOR THE RUSSIAN NAVY. T fIE CONDUCT OF PRUSSIA. Paid.] Business this day. (Prom the St. Petersburg Journal.) The active part which the sailors of the Black Sea take in the defence of Sebastopol leads inevitably to losses which Russia feels deeply, and therefore every day her sympathy for these brave sailors, and particularly for the wounded, are displayed by numerous gifts, which are sent from all directions and through every channel to the Ministry,of Marine. In order to insure regularity in the reception of these offering's, special arrangements have been made by order of his Imperial Highness the Grand Duke Constantine, Grand Admiral of the Em pire. In future these gifts will be received daily at the Commissariat Department of the Minister of Marine, and information respecting them will be immediately given to his Imperial Highness, who will make a report upon the subject to his Majesty the Emperor. As to gifts of property or of money, they will be transmitted without delay to their destination. Independently cif this measure adopted 'at St. Petersburg, orders have been given to the Admiralty Commissioner at Moscow to receive gifts of a similar kind, that is to say, for the wounded of the fleet of the Black Sea, and to send them weekly to the Crimea by the post. To judge by the nature of the articels daily received, it is evident that the donors have entered into the most minute details re specting the wants of the wounded, and that they have consequently displayed wonderful discernment in the manner in which they have made their offerings. On its part the Administration of the Fleet employs all the means in its power to succour the wounded and to assist the families of those who have been killed. With this object, independently of the local measures adopted a long time ago, a superior functionary, the college councillor, M. Kryloff, has been sent to the Crimea. Hie mission is, I.' To visit in the peninsula all the wounded seamen, from the Admiral to the lowest sailor, and the families of the victims. 2. To collect exact and detailed information as to the locality where the wounded was received, the time when received, and the nature of the wounds, .the present state of them, and the place where the wounded now are. To inform him self of their wants, of what they may desire for them selves or their families, and of the progress of their treatment and the nature of their wounds, &c. 3. To inquire of the families of the killed respecting their position, their necessities, their wishes, &c. 4. To de. clare to all, in the nameot his Imperial Highness, that all will be done for them that can possibly be done. 5. To transmit from time to time to his Imperial Highness all these particulars. igt.b.er by the post or by couriers. 6. To follow withaiolicitiide the progress of the treatment adopted towards the wounded. In short, 7thly, to take charge of letters from the latter, and to send them to their relatives and friends. (From the Oortstitutio2tnel.) The Cabinet of Berlin, which had constantly postponed the moment when it would be necessary to give its final decision on the question of the East, is said to have asked France and England to con clude a special treaty with Prussia. M. de Man teuffel hopes for two advantages from that course —one, to gain time ; and the other, to elude such of the engagements of the treaty of Vienna as would place Prussia too much in suspicion at the Court of Russia. But it will require only a few hours for M. de Usedom to comprehend that his mission must inevitably fail. Prussia complaink that when she is invited purely and simply to ac cede to a treaty which She has not been Called on to aid in drawing up, she is driven to the rank of a secondary power. Whose fault is that? Have England and France held apart in the Eastern question ? Is it not Prussia who has remained in arrear of Austria ? What can Prussia complain of which she has not to blame herself for ? Has she not refused to adopt the part which belonged to her in Germany in the war of the East ? Has she not by her tergiversations, subtleties, and choppinz,s-about leSiened her importance by show ing that she ,was feeble and fearful ? And if the war disquiets her, when it menaces to extend, ought she not to reproach herself for having con tributed to keep it up. by giving the Emperor of Russia, by her hesitations, a dangerous confidence ? Let Prussia, therefore, blame herself for the situa tion in which she is placed. That situation as yet only interests her in her pride of a great - power ; but if she does not hasten to get out of it by adhering simply to the treaty of Vienna, she may soon have to look to herself as an independent State. Perhaps a prompt and vigorous resolution of Germany could still put a stop to the develop ments of the war. Let Prussia not allow that last chance of quiet that remains to her to escape, for if the war goes on, it must extend, 'and once that it has extended it will become impossible to escape its grasp by a chimerical neutrality. If M. de Usedom, as is announced, is to visit Paris on leaving London, the spectacle which strikes him in England will strike him in France. France, who had no idea of war, and who wished for peace, has not merely her interests to protect ; she has reverses to avenge. She was thinking merely of the peaceful and fruitful struggles of industry, when ,Russia came imprudently to arouse her old military instincts and to remind her that she had to exercise against her terrible reprisals. As the Emperor Nicholas has thus offered of himself an occasion which she did not call for, but which she accepts resolutely, of effacing the remembrance of 1812, it is not she who will be wanting in soldiers or who will calculate her sacrifices. And even if She had not the immense resources of which she,dis- Peses she would not hesitate for a mo men t. Wh a t tken must it be, when everything concurs to render the struggle more easy and success more certain According to the news from St. Petersburg to Warsaw, the Emperor Nicholas is collecting con siderable forces and is fanaticising his people. Let it be so ; but let him not forget this, that since he has placed arms in the hands of the France of Napoleon 111. she will not lay them down until she has avenged the France of Napoleon I. Besides this, there have been sent to Prince l'ilenscM koff out of the sums subscribed by private benefactors, 8,000 silver roubles, to be distributed among the wounded. A portion of these surus, arising from private benefactions, has been applied to defray the expense of Belding to the Crimea CO Sisters of Charity, who will devote themselves to the care of the sick. THE TREATY OF 2d DECEMBER. (Prom the Siecle.) We have not seen, like many optimists, a progress towards peace in the treaty of the 2d Dec., but we have welcomed it as giving a possibility of carrying on the war under better conditions. The Emperor of Austria, by engaging himself not only to occupy the Danubian principalities, but to guarantee them against the return of the Russian forces, and that without throwing any obstacle in the way of the combinations and movements of the French, English, and Ottoman troops in the oc cupied territories, has made a step in the Western Al liance. Every act which t'raws Austria closer to us na turally removes her from Rtisi , ia. But does it follow that we think that power, which is so cautious, will on the Ist January find itself engved with us in a defen sive and offensive action ? We do not believe it; but it is already something—it is a great deal to have drawn it into a treaty which it cannot abandon without flatly declaring 'itself our enemy. The time of protocols has passed away ; and when, after the delay agreed on, Aus tria shall declare that her new efforts have been without effect, and that Russia refo:es to accept the guarantees demanded, the Cabinets of London and Paris will only ' have to propose to the Emperor Francis Joseph the most efficacious measures for obtaining the object of the alliance. We are of the opinion of Lord John Russell— we think that, according to the terms of the treaty, Austria, without failing. in her plighted faith, can accept ir refuse action in common on the basis which must be already settled between England and France, if the Cabinets, as we willingly adcit,•hase had the most or dinary foresight. But we object to the last remarks of the same minister on the subject. We believe that he has gone too far. It is impossible that France and Eng land do not intend to diminish the territory of Russia. Responsible ministers are not always obliged to say all they think, but they should never make use of imprudent anguage. If Austria has not engaged herself, tliere is ,n obligation arising from the treaty of the 21 Decern on. which has an incalculable value—and that obliga- Lion is that she cannot honourably become the ally of Russia. Cunning may be employed for a time in diplo macy, but at length the moment arrives for speaking explicitly. If Austria had only desired to give time for the Czar to make more efficacious preparations than he had done, she would have played for a great stake. The force of France and England is not only in thei r b r illi an t so ldi ers and their brave sailors, but in a reserve which they ought in our opinion to have made their advanced guard—that of oppressed nation alities which are only waiting fora signal to rise. There is also in the treaty a very serious engagement : Austria, like the other two Powers, cannot enter into any ar rangement whatsoever with Russia without having de liberated in common. Except by an odious act of trea son, it is impossible for Austria to have a secret under standing with the Czar. Thanks to the progress realised in Europe during the last sixty years, tliere is not a Go vernment which is not obliged to count with public opinion —that superior power which every day extends the limits of its empire. We have, no doubt, reason to fear diplomatic lukewarmness and ill-will, but we have little dread of treason. There is in the present state of things an element which diplomatists and party men seem never to take into account, and which, however, is not without importance—we mean the pride and obsti nacy of the Emperor of Russia. We cannot be lieve that the monarch, who is the most powerful in Europe by the extent of his territories, and the number of his subjects, can accept all the public humiliation which flow from this treaty of the 2d December. What ! can the Czar of All the Russias— after having been forced to raise the siege of Silistria, and to recross the Pruth—after sustaining grave checks on the Alma and at Inkerman, after having had the most magnificent of his ports almost blocked up with his own vessels, and the fortifications of Sebastopol de stroyed—having, too, one of his most powerful armies, at the bead of which his sons showed themselves in the saddest position ; what, we say, can it be supposed that the Czar can abandon the fruits of a century's policy, can consent to lose his prestige, which is his greatest force in the East, can avow himself vanquished without making the most supreme efforts ? No ! that is impossible ! No one who thinks it can know the conditions of existence of poweif 11 potentates —or can be well acquainted with the human heart. The Em peror Nicholas cannot either accept the conditions of peace offered him by 'Austria ; he cannot do it without gaining a great victory, or being completely defeated. We roust expect then a terrible conflict, and let us have the courage to prepare for it. But there is no time to lose. We must summon subjected nations to liberty and independence ; if the West re mains undecided, it will be outstripped by Russia. Such is the position iu which we now are. Events have , precipitated the crisis. There can no longer be a ques tion of a circumscribed war, of what is called a political war ; but it must be of a war of equilibrium in Europe, of a war for remedying all the injustice which has been so imprudently committed for nearly a century. Only a few days now separate us from the period allowed to Austria. It is at that moment that light will be made ; it will enlighten all the world. The security of a day will not suffice for the numer ous interests that have been compromised by the am bition of the Czar; we must then exact guarantees which shall for a long time, if not for ever, preserve Europe from such misfortunes. We will not at this moment discuss one by one the different guarantees which should be obtained. But, first of all, we de mand that a barrier should be raised between the savage ambition pf the Czars and the western part of Europe. That can be done by giving satisfaction to the national wish expressed at each meeting of the deputies of France under the reign of Louis Philippe. Heroic Poland musts so to speak, arise from the ashes of Se bastopol. who did not disguise from them that he had pressing need of supplies, and he attempted to come to an arrange ment with them ; but was unable to do so, on account of the high prices they demanded. On this, he said that instead of applying to dealers he would establish a special agency at Nantes for the purchase of salt meat, but they attempted to dissuade him from doing anything of the kind, and represented that they were paying 100 f. for the 100 kilogrammeP, though in point of fact the price was far inferior. The minister charged two dealers, named Wilson and Langlais, to buy meat for his de partment, and they were able to do so at 85f. the 100 kilogrammes —a rise in prices having taken place ; but no sooner had they commenced operations than prices shot up rapidly to 87f., 88f., 90f., 92f., and at last to 100 f. Not only was such a sudd en r i se totally unexamp l e d , the ordinary variations in price being if. or 2f., but there was nothing in the state of th e mar k et to ca ll f or it. On this an investigation was made, and it turned out that the rise was occasioned by the fraudulent manoeuvres of the accused. The accused vehemently contended that they had not done anything that was not warranted by the liberty of commerce ; but nevertheless a prosecution was instituted against them. E v id ence was then given in support of the indictment, and it proved clearly that in order to stop the purchase, through Messrs. Wilson and Langlais, aud to comp e . the Government to pay more than a fair market pric es the accused had, either verbally or in writing, recom: inern_led the holders of salt meat with whom they were accustomed to deal not to sell at less than 100 f. the 100 kilos.—a price much superior to the legitimate mir ket price ; th a t, as an i n d ucnnen t t o th e h o ld ers toinsist on that price or to keep back their stocks, they had pro mised to pay them 1001. ; an d th a t so c l ear wa s it that they had acted illegally, that a fall in prices took place immediately after their proceedings were discovered, and a prosecution was commenced. A number of letters in which their schemes were fully revealed were besides produced. The accused, being interrogated, contended that the rise was occasioned by the supply of salt pork not being equal to the demand, and that they had to submit to it, instead of occasioning it. The public prosecutor, in a long and able speech, maintained that they had undoubtedly been guilty of a coalition, and that they deserved severe punishment. A number of counsel were heard for the defendants ; they laboured to prove that the accusation was unfounded. The trial ended by one of the accused named Philippe being acquitted, he having been absent trona Nantes at the time the frauds were perpetrated, and his partner having acted in his name. - All the other accused, whose names are Dupont, Quemet, Bardon, Rondonet, Levesque, Cornillier, Canaud, and Martin, were declared guilty, and were severally sentenced to a month's imprisonment and 2,000 f. fire.—One of the Paris papers, in giving an account of this case, contrasts the conduct of the con demned with that of certain English tradesmen who have generously offered supplies to the Government for the war, without profit, and have even made large done tioce. The contrast, it declares, is not all creditable to the patriotism of Frenchmen. LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS. RAILWATO • Leftatng Compans Closing Price% this day. Bedford and Bletehley Buokgbamsh. Clydesdale Jc. E. Lincoln gr. 6 per cent. ' Glas. Barr. & Neils. Direct Do. New Glstr.& Dn. Fr !Trtlpl. Dk. & Railway Mull & Solby Do. Shares Do. 4 Shares Lon.&Groeuw Do. Preference Lon. , Til., & S. Lowestoft gr. 4 per cent. Do. 6 per et. lanch. Rxtn and Matlock Aiddloibro' & Rodear Ifidld.Bradfd Northern an: , Easternsp.c. Do. 6 por et. Do. Fixc d 5 p Trost. & Wyre Do. Shares. itoystn.Bt Mt. She.f. Roth argi Goole g. 5 p. c. S. Staffordsb. Wear Vali eygi 6 per cent.. Do Wilts&C-ornrat PREFE (4onclon & N. West. at.Nrthn. CaldonLuti Do Gt. Westn I'k. New. & )3011,7. V. &NNW Do Do S. Eastcrr D 0......... reto &Co. Yorfolk.. G.& N. W. & Midi& Stckton & Darl;ngt •• • E. Count, Do Do L.& N.W &Ln&Yk Do Gt Northn Lancash & Yorksh. ILMClean 3took t. & ' Darlingt ' ltWestn 95 - 100 98 - 100 130 - 135 103 loi 13 - 134 23 - 24 11 - 11 21 - 2i a -7- 93 57 - 59 iio iii ii = ird 30 - 31 92 -- 94 ,ENCE SHARES. Aberdeen 'Do. No. 2, 7 p. c Blyth and Tyne 1 Oper c. pref. (issd. at 500 Brie. k Ex. 4 p. c. St. Do. 4 p. c. Shares Caledonian £lO Chester. & Holyhead Guar. 54 per cent Do. do. Pref. No. 2 Do. do. Prof. No. 2. Cork &Bandens Dundee Perth &Aber deen Junction gastA.nglian (X 3105 ,, 6 per cent Do. (£5) 7 per cent Do. (£7 17s) 7 p. c &stern Counties Ex-, tousion, 5 p. o. No. Do., No. 2 , Do. New 6 p. c. St. Eastern Union, Fkrii Guar. 6 per' cent Do. W., 10 nor cent Do. 10/. Debentr.Sh Do. do. 4 per cent , East Lane ash. 6 p. cts. East and West York. 'hire June. Fifths &flub Prth . &D undo, 4 per cent. Glasgow &S.Weltert Guar. 5 per cent. Great Nordin. 5 p. c. Do. 5 p. c. Redeem., at 10 p. c. prem. Do. 4i p. c Gt.N. of Scot. Ist Prot Gt. Southn.&Westm. reland) Eighths).. Do. 4 pei C. Pref.-Bt3t. Westn. (Berks Rants Ex. 5 p. c).. Do. con. red. 4 p.c. Do. con. red. 4 p. c. Do. irred. 4p.c. Do. Birm. Pref. Sh... Do. Chester S p. c.P.S. De. do. 5 p. c. d 0... Birm. Gna. Stk. Ches. Gus. Stk. do. do Do. do. do ...... ••• Lan. & York. F. £2O Do. 6 p. c. Stock London and Brighto► • Guaranteed 5 p. Do. Pref., 5 p. C. St. Do. New Guar.6 p. e. Lon. &N. W.. Coy. d Nuneaton 5 p. et London & S. Wester', Con. Thirds Londonderry& Coler a Shares Londy. & Ennis. Sb Wan., Shef., & Lin. , i Shares, No. 1. Do. New , £lO Do. £6. Warypt . & Carl. 4 p c Du. 4i per cent Aid. Consol.6 p.e.St. Do. Consol. Bristol & Birm. 6 per cent Do. Pref. 4i por eon' Norfolk Debenture . Do. Pref. 4 p. a. Steel Do. 5 p. e. Eat D 0.56 per ct. pref Do. Way. Val. 5 p. c, North British N . . E. Pony, 4 p.c P. Do. do. do. Do. Leeds 6 p.c 0.1 Do. do. Quarters 481 Do. York it, & r. North Staffordshire Oxford, Worcester, Wolvcrh.£ls, .cot. Cont. , New Pre; Do. 5 per cent south bayou. L)/). fixed, 4i per cen i 3. Eastern (Reading tun.) of £1 Os. 6d. Do. 41 per cent ;.Yoricsli.4p.e.Guar 4 Wales Gul. 4p. c Do. do. 4. p. c... '-itockton and Dar lington, 5 per cent r)o. do. do. Stockton and Hartle ponl, guar. 5 p. c.l till Ist July, 1855; 97 -100 94 - - 96 51 - 6.1 12 :111' 60 -65 ". -.xi il3 -- 115 108 - 110 99 - 101 6 -- 61 91 -- 96 89 -- 91 91 -- 93 92 -- 101 16 -- 17 10 -- 101 71 --73` 161 -- 191 91 -- 9i 13i -- 141 lt -- id .33 135 me ...• ••• ••• .".. M. 2i - 11 - 11. i - iP 135 ld - - 108 100 - 90 - 92 - 33 1 id ••• ''''' 111 - 113 12 14 id pal 221 -22 i 95 - 160 15 - 18 i,*(i =, I; --- MINES. Agua Fria .. Anglo Austria. Gold Anglo Californian Australian Australian Cordillera Australian Freehold Ave Maria Baden (Gd. Duchy of:. IBlrenarvon Iron and Coal British Iron Braziliaulmp. (issued at pm Do. Cocaes & Cuiacia Do. St. John Del Rey Carsous's Clarendon Cons. Min Co. of Jamaica •J Cobre Copper Colonial Gold Copper Min. of Eng. Do. Pref. 7i p. cent Copiapo English and Austin Copper Smelts Co Fortuna General Gt.NuggetVeinneg Great Polgooth Liberty Linares Mariquita ........ Mexicau&S.Americn 1 New Granada New Linares Minint and Smelting Co Nouveau Monde Poutgibaud Silver Lead MM. & Smelt Port Philip Quartz Rock Rhymney Iron Do. New Sautiago de Cuba South Australian Tin Croft United Mexican Waller West Mariposa....... Worthing Mining oil Australia tuba.. i ... li i - 1 i - 1 a •.• 5 7 6 7 21 3 30 32 Ad — par 46 48 50 55 par 2 p 14 16 1 —li par ip 114 —l 6 i - I g... 9 - 13 7 - 7i i - i ii - - 1 15 - 16 23 - 25 6 - 8 3i - 3 1 - 1 - 2 - 3 ia -- ii a ~-i ••. - ... 160 -- 16 1 - IC9i - 1 3 163 3i iii = iii *i -- ii •... .--•-• ... i .-••• 1 ii = 2 - ?A 61 -- 1Z - 2i 37 - 39 - 1 - 1 •;; 13j LIBERTY OF COMMERCE IN FRANCE. Great sensation (says Galignani) has been caused a t Nantes and in the neighbourhood by th e Govern ment having caused nine merchants of that city to be prosecuted for having entered into a coalition for rais ing the price of salt meat sold t o th e G overnment. The trial has just taken place before the Tribunal of Correctional Police of Nantes, and has occupied several d a ys. The indictment set forth the foll ow i ng f acts : The Minister of Marine, in April last, made known in different sea ports that he should require a large quan tity of salt meat for the navy. In August he demanded at Nantes tenders for the supply of 800,000 kilogrammes; only two tenders were mado—one at 145 f r., th e other at 132 fr. 50e. the 100 kilogrammes. The Minister thought t h ose prices exorbitant, and refused to accept them. Shortly after he demanded tenders for 000,000 kilogramme; but only one offer was made, and that was at 137 f. 50c. the 100 kilos. He refused to ac cept that also. He made a third attempt t o o b ta i n 200,000 kilogrammes in four lots at a reasonable rate ; but again he only received one offer which was at 127 f. 50c. This likewise was rejected. At the time these sums were demanded from the government, the salt' meat was sold in the markets ntrar Nantes at 70f. the 100 kilos. After the failure of the third attempt, the kaltere out two delegates to miler with the 31144Atfil THE ATTACK ON PETROPAULOVSKI. The following interesting letter has been re ceived by a gentleman in Plymouth, from an officer of one of her Majesty's ships in the Pacific : " H.M.S.—, at sea, lat. 49 N., 177 W., 9 185 i. "My dea r Parents Since— my last letter to you from Callao we have been continually on the move. I 'have not set my foot on shore since. We went from , Callao to the Marquesas Islands and not fi n di ng t h e squadron the re we sailed immediately for Honolulu (Sandwich Islands), and arrived on the 22d of July, having made our 18,000 miles since leaving Plymouth. Here we found the English and French squadrons, consisting of President (flag), Amphitrite, and Virago (English); Forte (French flag ship, GO guns), two smaller frigates, and a brig; commenced watering the ship and getting ready to sail ; all hands in good spirits, hearing we are to go to Petropaulovski (Kama chatka), a Russian place, in search of the Russian frigates, a distance of 4,000 miles. After a few days at sea the Amphitrite and a small French frigate left us to protect the merchant vessels on the coast of America. We have had a very miserable passage ; nothing but thick fogs since to the northward of 30 N., a very ha rassing time, keeping company with the squadron in fogs —we were three days off the island, in sight of it, but could not get in. Our admiral went in to reconnoitre the day before the squadron, so on the 29th of Au gust we all sailed in with a fair wind ; no sooner did we near the town than three batteries opened fire on us. Being rather late to commence action, we hauled out ofgun-shot, and anchored for the night, the Virago keeping them in play with her long Tom. Everything was all arranged for us to go in next morn ing. The Virago came alongside of us, with the French frigate on the other side, and the President astern. The anchor was just out of the ground when the signal was made from the President to the squadron to anchor im mediately. What the matter was no one could answer. Here comes thefatal blow. Our admiral had gone into his quarter-galleryand shot himself with a pistol, for what no one can tell ; so all operations were put a stop to for the day. He lived a few hours, and quite sensible to the last ; all he said was, 'Mutt have I d erne thisfor, my brave men r You can easily imagine what a state of confu sion it threw us all in. Now the French admiral takes , the command, and a ll was arrange d t o go i n the next morning., so the. Virago came alosig4i4o as before, and in we proceeded. Directly we were within gun-shot,' the three batteries opened fire on us, and we all corrumnced in right good earnest; the shot, whist ling through our rigging like peas, cut a good deal of our gear away. We soon silenced a little fort that was annoying us very much, raking us, and pitching the shot just in our cuteeiter. We landed the marines and spiked the guns. 'We commenced action at nine a.m., and kept up firing till three p.m., before we silenced the other two batteries ; we had not time to go in further, far a strong breeze sprung up, and we saw inside the harbour, snugly moored, the Aurora frigate and a corvette ready to give it us as soon as we open ed them out, so we hauled out for the night without any hurt, with eight shots in our hull, and the French and Pre sident the same. The next morning we found the black guards had built up all the forts again, so the old French admiral held on till the 4th of September before we went at it again, the ships 'taking up another position to day, with 700 men ready to land immediately the bat teries were silenced. At half-past eight the men landed —a great many never to return. They had scarcely been on shore five minutes before they were shot down like birds by the Itus-ians, from field-pieces on the top of the mountain. They were on shore one hour, and during that time out of our three ships 107 were kilt„ and wounded. Oh, what an awful sight it was to see poor fel lows who, an hour before, were all alive, lying dead, some with legs and arms off, others with heads oft, nearly all shot about the head and shoulders ! Our Master-at- Arms was the first shot dead (with five shots in him), two senior serjeants killed, and 16 men ; and 22 men wounded, five of whom have since died. Our two marine officers wounded, one very severely, shot about the head and face. Our senior lieutenant and a mate were slightly wounded. The President lost about the same number ; her captain of marines was shot dead and left ashore, and about three of her lieutenants wounded. The French lost about the same, but out of the crew of the brig 6.5 landed, 37 were killed and wounded. The French frigate's masts were cut up a good deal. Thank God we have come out clear, but not without a slight crack ; a 32-pounder shot came through our quarter, a splinter hit me on the leg, and the purser on the arm. We picked the shot out of the wood; it was not six inches from me, quite close enough to be pleasant. We found the place too muck for us ; it is full of guns, and in such a snug place that you can't get in, so the old Ral gave it up till we could got a stronger force. We are now on our way to Vancouver's Island to water, being now on short allowance. We are all sick of this station—nothing but sea ; the shortest cruise you can take is 3,000 or 4,000 miles, then you get to some ' savage place. The China station is a king to it. • We have not had a thing washed since we left Rio, so a rough-dried shirt is a great luxury; on salt provisions, and likely to be so for the next two months. I hope, if we go at it next year, we will have a strong force with us ; but we must never attempt to land sailors—they don't understand it. Our fellows behaved like bricks--they fired remarkably well, and very cool ; took their time, like firing at a target, and made all their shots tell. I send you a plan of the place, so you can imagine what a nest of guns it is. We have fired better than half of our powder and shot away, and have no place to get more, there being no stores of any kind on the station. If they have Cronstadt fortified like this place, and fire as well, they will give us a job to take it. I hope the Admiralty will send out some young admiral. The nice old men are very well in peace, but to lead you into a snare, and then go and shoot themselves, is not exactlty the style. It's very bad having Frenchmen with you; you can't understand.thern, and their ideas of warfare are different from ours. They leave us shortly, and go to San Francisco. We join them after watering, and then I believe go to the Sandwich Islands. We have not heard from England since May, so we are quite out of the world. It will be a long time, I am afraid, before I shall hear from you, trusting I may come out of the next affair like this. We took two Rus sian vessels outside the harbour, the schooner we burnt, and the s hi p wit h s t ores i s on her way with us ; she is a vessel of 800 tons, worth about 10,0001. ; it will be rather a sell for the Russians at Petropaulovski our taking their vessel with their winter stock of provisions on board. I pity any poor Russians we come across, for our fellows will show them no mercy. We find that all their men-of-war have stowed themselves away in snug har bours, and fortified the entrances, so they will be frozen in all the winter. We are now fifty men and marines short of our complement. I don't know where we are to get more. I hope we will be complete Lefore we begin our next year's expedition. 'We have taken several officers prisoners, one of them a colonel, and another a captain of engineers, just out from St. Petersburg; they appear rather disgusted to be nabbed just arri!ing at their place. We have been rather unlucky with our killed, for they were the flower of our ship's company. VALUE OF LAND IN IVlELBouram—T . he price of town land is almost beyond credit. There is no limit to the extravagant opinion that buyers and sellers entertain of its value. Innumerable instances might be quoted. In one case, a house purchased for 2501. lately fetched 12,0001. Another offered to Government for the use of the military officers for 3,0001., a month a ft er was valued at 5 ,0001. They still hesitated, and th e price gradually rose to 6,0001., which sum G overnment de clinol giving, having about that time received iron ," ' bar racks. As another instance, Governm en t h ave l ona d es ired pegrave s fine blue -ston e s t ore, and have made many liberal overtures, but without tempting the pro prietor to sell. They at lad asked him to name a price —a final figure—in order that they might settle the affair one way or another. Ile meditated awhile, and tktpi Ida Uffiniff‘igh iihunci 00M it. 100 St. 1100 25 30 St. 100 20 5 St. 100 15 all 3 al i► all 7i 2 6t all 6f I all .0 all 5 all ,0 all 5J all 5 1 All t. 110,0 It. Iwo It. 'too It. 100 all 10 84 61 !O I 7 0 6 It. 100 8 all 0 all 0 all Z 6 all I 3 all n all L 6 6 it. LOO it. 1.00 It. 1100 It. 100 it. 100 !O all 6 4, L 2. all .2; ;t. I.oo' It. LOO 16 11, 10 10 st. (xi It.. 100 St. WO It. 100 It. 00 it. .co i 7 5 W 13 124 9 M 10 all .0 10 5 all .0 14 , 0,03 all 0 I all all 15 1 all 15 5 .2i 411 5 J 4 1 all 1 all .Os all 1 all 1 all 1 all 1 all 50 all 10 all !O 15 1 a 1 a :0 all 5 1 It. all all 5I all 2 i !O all 1 all 3 4 11 all 3 all 1 all b 9 1 all 1 all 1 I all ;i3 all 5 1 1 all 0) all 5 all 11i 1 all 0 7i E 4 all 1 all 1 all 1 12a. 1 I all 5 all ski 17 0 4 LO all 51 1 0 1 322 ft. 100 5 all 4 all 5 21 1 all [5 14 IO all 0 10 0 10 .0 all .0 5 2 1 1 all !CI 12 IoG all' all 5J 45 2 all 00 1 Lll 15 all 1 all fall Do.. 13.51 MISC: Rubin Coal and IraF lustralian Agricult. .kllstralsn . Peifie. Mai Anstraln. 'Loyal MA ?Arlin Water Works Brit. Anicrica.n Lan,: Brit. di Col u. Smeltg. and Reduction Co Canada. Canada Gov. 6 p. ct. Jan. and July Crystal Palace Crystal Pal. of France ;Eastern Steam ElectricTelegraph(A) Electric Teleg. of Ir. Gen. Steam Navigat. General Screw Stean_ Irish Beet:toot Sugar Nfagdalena St. Navin;. Nleditera,n. Elec. Tel Nat. Pat. :ite:aul Netherlands lArta. T .S. W. Coal &Inter Steam Navigat. Co N. B. Australasian.,. '.'lrth.ofEuropcStearo Peel Er. Ld. & Minrl. Peninsular& Oriental Do. Do. Tktrtland Iron Co„„. Scot. Austral. Invest. South Austral.Laukl Submar. Telegraph.. Do. Registered. VIM PIOMOD's TAW I pm 113 i 7114 133 1 i dim 100 i 21 i 2# 09i 60 xd 38 9 8i 1_41124 4 PEE FOREIGN LEGION:. BERLIN, Dec. 23.—It,has already been stated in The Sun that the project of organising a foreign legion in and by England had created great, sensa tion and anxieties in Ministerial quarters, at this place and elsewhere in Germany, and that every possible measure would be adopted to thwart and counteract the project. The stringent laws con nected with Prussia's military organisation and landwehr system render these obstructions the more easy, and these again are facilitated by the hold which local and general police agents exercise over the personal movements of all,.and especially over the inferior classes. Spener's Journal of this morning has the following on the subject, founded upon au article of a Ministerial paper As regards the proclaimed intention of the English Government to raise a fm eign legion, the authorities will be required to keep their eye well upon those who make it a business to recruit men for foreign military service. According to all calculation, this will be pre vented on the grounds of our laws, as the criminal code menaces with severe punishment both the recruiting and the aiding or abetting the same, even when the object is to engage non-military persons for the service of not inimical Powers. Every Prussian, accord ing to our military code and the law of domicile (indi- ' genat), renders himself guilty of a misdemeanour who quits Prussia without leave, if he do so between the ages of 17 and 25, with the intention of evading his duties in the standing array —as, aecording'to the last mentioned law, each Prussian, on accomplishing his seventeenth year, is bound, on demanding permission to be released from the circumscription of Prussian sub jects, to obtain a certificate from the district substi tute committee (that is, the mixed military and civil committee for the - periodical inspection and enrol meet of recruits), to the effect that he does not make the demand in order to escape his military obliga tions. Persons who quit their domicile without leave, and do not present themselves to the district coin- ' mittee, lay themselves open to suspicion of this intent. Relief men (recruits liable to service), and reserve men (those who have served three years actively, and must pass two years more in reserve before drop ping into first-class landwehr), are punishable as desez tern to if o t t h h e quit ey Correspondence h te country,ill beß au w ar i te t ea ht du o p(soa lv neyasascecn. according This, elntg is a ccordin g he.p.can -int of view which stances, and which may be carried out w ith out reserve, as the penal stipulations connected therewith expressly relate in part to times of peace, and are laid down com pletely independent of all external political relations." al ' MARKET YeIYS—(THIS DAY,) HA Y MAti,KETS• SurrarrELD.—Meadow hay, 2/ 15s to 4/ 15s ; clover ditto, 3/ Os to 5/ 15s; and straw, 1/ 3s to 11 10s per load. A moderate supply and a sluggish demand. CUMBERLAND. —Meadow hay, 2/ 16s to 51 03; clover ditto, 31 Oa to 5115 g ; and stray, 1/ 4s to 11 101 per load. Both hay and straw moved off dowly, at lato rates. WITITECiIA;P;IL.—Muadow in,y, 2113 s to 41 15s; clover ditto, 31 Oa to 61. Oa; and straff, 1/ 4s to 1/ 103 por ]oad. Trade rather dull. BOROUGE HOP. The hop market has not heal very active for the past week, although the general currency for all good samples remains firm at fully recent qu)tations. Last week's im ports of foreign hops into Lemon amounted to 197 bales from from Ca Antwerp, 697 f rom °steal, 161 from Hamburg, 23 lais, 177 from Rotterlam, 19 from Dunkirk, 25 from Bremen, and 320 from Now York. New Mid and East Kent pockets 15/ 15s to 2;1 Os ; Weald of Kent ditto, 1510 s to 16/ lOs ; Sussex ditto, :41 10s to 151 105 per cwt. LLOYD'S SHIPPING-(THIS DAY.) LONDON, Dec. 26.—Wind the day at Noon, S.W. ; ' light breeze, with fine weather. DOVER, Dec. 25 . —Wind, W. Arrived—Froderick Wilhelm„ from London, far St.. Übe's—ono of the crow hurt ; 2Eolus, Grimsby, l ea k s ; M a l v i na, Copenhagen, for St.iza Croix. S ailed—Londo n , f or L on d on. O ff Port— Elbeth and Emma, from tle C oas t o f Af r i ca, f or Ham burgh. DEAL, Doc. 23 —Wind, N.V. by W. Arrived—Violet, from St. Michael's. Arrived from the river, and sailed— Islander, for I3arbadoes; Matilda, St. John's, Newfound land; Adelaide, (a s, transpo , t No. 138), Constantinople ; Dovereux, Cardiff. Sailed—Cornubia, for New Z ea l an d ; Chimera Calcutta ; Naiad, Falmouth; Staghound, Cal cutta; i 'acly Kinsale, CalcuLa ; George and Aloys, Car diff. Dec. 24—Wind, moderate. irrived—Malabar, from Cal cutta ; Kossuth, Calcutta • Si. Abbs, Calcutta ; Strath fieldsaye, China; Saxon, dolonbo; Duke of Portland, Co lombo; Stratford, Mauritius; Rawley, Callao; Hydaspes, Callao; both for Leith; Rhine, New York; Addison, Quebec, f or Newcastle ; a three-masted schooner, St. Michaels ; Compeer, T erce i ra ; J ess i e B am fi e ld, P a l ermo ; San Salvadore du Ilh aro , Ahmria, with loss of anchor, and 30 f a th oms of chain has leen supplied from honce ; H.M.S. Hague, Baltic, and paled to tho westward ; Il art• nah and El eanor, North ; Glisniffer, Shields, for Aden. PORT SMOUTH, D ec . 25.—Vi n d, W. A rr i ve d—S ara h Richardson, for Ancona ; H.A.S. Nile, from the Bailie ; Oscar (8 a, N o. 158), London, for the Crimea ; Mary Fairlee, S underland, for the East Indies, with pumps choked an d very leaky, having experienced very severe weather ; British Merchant, Havre, for Newport; Syl phide, London, for Constantinople, with considerable damage ; Linsella, London, for :Waples ; Lady Blaney, do., fur Callao ,• Parkfield, do., for Aouhnein ; Parsee, do., for Ra ngoon ; O rient, for Coastantboplo ; H.M S. mpe rieuse, Balti c ; E uphrates, L on d on, for Auckland ,• Ade laido ( s s ) , d o., for the Crimea ; Msry Gillespie, Shields, for Malta ; Princess of Prussia, from Shields, for Car thagena. Sailed—Northumberland, for Now York. PLYMOUTH, Dec. 24.—Wind, Ir. Arrived—Rose, from Quebec ; A nn M‘Loster, do. ; P omona, Memel, for Cardiff, with loss of rudder; Fleetwood, Clyde, for the Mauritius, had lost a boat and gaily; Mariner, Hartlopool, for Genoa. galled—T.9rd Nelson, for Constantinople. DARTMOUTH, Dec. 26.—Wind, V. Arrived—Osbert, from London, for Barbadoes, with loos of anchor and forty fathoms of chain in the Downs ; Sir - Robert Peel, Ex mouth, for St. Übe's. (PER ELECTRIC TELEGIApri.) LIVERPOOL, Ttesday, 11.10 a.m. Wind, W.N.W.; fresh. Arrived—Revenue, from New Orlean s ; Oriental, do. ; Governor Langdom, Mobile Off Port —Jeremiah Thornvion. QUEENSTowN, Dec. 23. W.N.W. Arrived—Torrenee, from Comtantintple • Rec'procity, Prince Ed war d' s I s l an d ; Breadalbane, Quebec; St. Miclittere. . A French officer in the Crimea mentioned an anecdote of a little dog who came from the Inkernan side of the valley, and pulled the soldiers' coats so much that a party was sent with him, and they followed hiss to a wounded Russian (his owner), who had been lying concealed by the brushwood since the battle. A respectable and well conducted °Seer of the Water ford and Limerick Railway, named Thomas Barry, was decapitated on Friday night by the trait, while running out to give a signal near the Ballysiman station. The Red Jacket, Captain Mii"lward, belonging, to Messrs. Pilki og t on an d Wilson's White Star" line of Australian packets, took her departure on Saturday for Melbourne, with 350 passengers and 1,500 tons of mer chandise on freight. Her cabins are quite full, but she goes out short of her usual complement of intermediate passengers, in consequence of the high rates of passage being asked by the owners, and the consequent s carc it y at this particula r season , The freight is very large— the highest rates having beau paid t ? secur e iti carriage by the ship. The passengers were inspected on Friday by the Government emigration officer, and appeared to be of a far better class and more respectable than are usually to h Pat With QA boArd oraiwant yosooli. THE POST-OFFICE SERVICE OF THE UNITED STATES. The United States Postmaster-General's Annual Re. port, delivered to Congress with the President's Mes sage, is, as usual, an elaborate document. Its statis tics and elucidations exhibit in a strong light the social, intellectual, and commercial progress of the great Re public. According to the Report, during the last year upwards of 1,200 new post-offices have been ese a b. lished. The total increase in the mail route service is 1,500,000 miles. The increase of railroad mail route service is 2,500,000 miles. The mail service on coaches and in steam boats has decreased. Every state and territory in the United States have been surveyed, and post-office facilities duty apportioned to them. In Cali fornia, the mail route service has been increased 68,000 miles ; and in Utah 26,000 miles. Disputes still exist between the United States Post-office and the railway companies —the former complains that it pays more than first-class freight for the conveyance of the mails. It has no objection to pay first-class freight, accord ing to the bulk of the mails, the speed th ey are conveyed, and the accommodation required. The Great Western Company of Canada carries the United States mail for 01. a mile. Much inconvenience and expense are incurred by the American Post-office de partment, owing to speculators without capital bidding fur and obtaining the conveyance of mails, for the pur pose of sellin g the contracts to others. The letter cir culation syste m in the United States Post-office is to be t• - pleased, assimilat e d to that of England. Hitherto American postmasters ha ve sent letters to what forward offices forto b t e h resorted, and ropersen t f o o n r w atordtihnegirodffiescuti nthaetyionp ;bs will be establish e d for ever y pos t office in the States. This is the most ge-ran 1 0 and usefol reform that has ever been attempted in the American Post-office. The postal revenue is about 7,000 ,000 dollars, and the ex penditure about 8,500,000 dollars. The increase of re venue during 1854 is a million of, dollars, and the in crease is attributed to the activity of businese operations. Nearly the whole of the increase has arise n from letters, for the postal revenue from newspapers and pamphlets has decreased. It is calculated that the revenue of the Post-office department for 1855 will be about 10,000,000 dollars, and that the expenditure will be the same. Although prepayment of postage is not compulsory, yet dere ing the last three years there have been issued and sold postage stamps and envelopes of five and a.adf millions of dollars value. The report recommends a stile further extension of the prepayment, in order to check postmasters' accounts more effectually. It recommends also a plan for registration of valuable letters. It is-dif ferent from the English one, and will be more effective. It provides that receipts shall be given for valuable letters when posted, and that duplicates of these receipts shall be kept for reference at the office for mailing ; that the full address of such letters shall be entered on a separate post bill, which shall be copied at large upon an account to be kept of registered letters sent. This post bill is to be forwarded in a sealed envelope, separate from the package of letters to which it relates, and its receipt at the office of its destination is to be acknowledged by a duplicate thereof returned to the office of nailing, marked correct or otherwise, as it may be found on comparison. It provides that at the large offices valuable letters shalt be received at one window only, and that the receiving clerk shall check them to theregister clerk, and he to the mailing clerk. It is, in shortidesigned to fix responsi bility and to furnish means which do not now exist for tracing a missing letter from the point of its reception to that of its disappearance. Ts carry this plan into effect it will be required that new and expensive blanks be pre. pared and distributed, and that an increased clerical force be employed in the principal post offices. The English registration fee is 6d.; it is proposed that the American fee shall be 2d. The cost of the Amen-can ocean snail packet service is 400,0001. a year. This includes the ocean snail packet service between New York and England, Havre, Bremen, and Aspinwall ; between Astoria and Panama ; between Charlestown and Havannah ; and between new Orleans and Vera Cruz. The report recommends, if the packet contracts are not abolished, that the Government should regulate the passenger fares, to prevent the evil effects of the monopoly which the contracts give to companies. It laments that Collins's, the American line, is more costly than Cunard's British line ; but it admits that the Ame rican steamers carry the mails quicker than the English ones. The negotiations with Great Britain respecting the transit charges on correspondence passing between the United States and France through England have failed. Upwards of six years ago a postal convention was agreed to between the United States and Great Britain, by which certain postal rates were fixed on cor respondence passing to or from the United States and other countries through England. From this arrange. meat French correspondence to and from the United states was excluded. The excluding cause was objected to by Mr. Bancroft, but the British Government stated that it was necessary to prevent complaint from France, and it was then agreed to. The report says that Mr. Lawrence, who succeeded Mr. Bancroft, found the statement of the British GovernMent to be incorrect. The United States claim that French and American correspondence shall pass through England, in closed mails, for 61c1. an ounce, the same as is charged for British and Canadian correspondence in transit through the United States. Lord Palmerston, however, in 1851, insisted upon charging a shillings& ounce for the transit rate, and Bd. an canoe for the At lantic rate. Until recently, the English Government charged 20d. an ounce on letters from France, conveyed to New York in United States' packets, by which lett ers received in America f rom F rance , in ollins's steamers, had to be charged double sea postage. Now, however, the Atlantic rate is not charged on correspondence from France, conveyed by such steamers ; but still the transit rate through England is such, that the postage on a letter from France for America comes to 3d. more by Collins's steamers than by Cunard's, which induces the French public to prefer sending their letters by the British Atlantic packets, to the injury of the American ocean postal revenue. The report announces that letters are conveyed now between New York and Port Philip in Australia, Havana, and Nassau, and between New Orleans and Havana, for an ocean postage rate of one penny the half ounce ; that newspapers are conveyed between those places at one farthing each, and pamphlets and magazines for one half-farthing an ounce. A postal convention between the United States and Mexico is on the eve of completion, which provides for the exchange of dead letters, and a reduction of postage on letters between the two countries. THE NET' POSTAL CONVENTION WIT. FRANCE. The following is the new portal convention between France and England, concluded Dec. 12, 1854 : His Majesty the Emperor of the French and her Ma jesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, alike animated by a desire to improve the means of correspondence by letter between the two coun tries, have named as their representatives—[Here follow the styles and titles of M. Drouyn de Lhuys and Lord Cowley]—who have agreed on the following articles : Art. I. The postage to be taken in France and Algeria on paid letters addressed to the United Kingdom and Ireland, as well as on unpaid letters coming from the United Kingdom and Ireland, shall be as follows— namely : On paid letters, 400. for every 7i grammes, or fraction of 7j grammes. And for unpaid letters, 800. for every 7i grammes, or fraction of 71 grammes. Reciprocally the postage to be taken in the United Kingdom and Ireland on paid letters addressed to places in France or Algeria, as well as on unpaid letters sent from France and Algeria, is fixed thus —namely : For every paid letter 4d. for every quarter of an ounce, or fraction of a quarter of an ounce. And for every unpaid letter, Bd. for every quarter of an ounce, or fraction of a quarter of an ounce. Art. ll.—The price according to which the French Post-office shall keep accounts with the British Post office for paid letters addressed to Great Britain, and delivered by the F renc h b ureau d ' echange to the British bureaux, as well as for unpaid letters coming from Great Britain, and delivered by the English to French bu reaux d'echange, shall be as follows :- 1. For paid letters destined for Great Britain, 60c. per 30 grammes, net weight. 2. And for unpaid letters coming from Great Britain, at lf. 20c. per British ounce, net weight. Reciprocally, the price at which the British Post office shall charge that of Franoe for paid letters des tined for France and Algeria, delivered by the British to the French bureau d'echange, as well as for unpaid letters sent from Franca and Algeria, shall be 1. For paid letters destined for France and Algeria, if. per British ounce net. half by 2, And or unpaid letters from France and Algeria, 2f. per 30 grammes net. Art. 111. The expense of carrying by sea the letters contained-in the despatches which the respective bureaux d'echange shall reciprocally transmit by the commercial thepackets French navigating and half theb by channel, the catalogues, the letter. rate of a penny or 10 centimes a captains or owners of these packets will be paid at the s t l ls a h n b r a os b t- o o rn ffi e ce h . gazettes, pamphlets,pe journls, 'semects s printed, litho music, prospectuses, or advert rio A di r c t a.l l w V e . rk il s lied, may be exchanged graphed, or autograp hed, between be the , h T he sewedter ms volumes, u b e s icy the two countries, shall subject of a special agree ment, which itself shall be based on the principle o compulsory prepayment, and of the abolition of the right to levy a charge on the receiver. Art . V . The present convention, which is to be con sidered as additional to that of April 3, 1843, shall be ratified as soon as possible, and shall come into action on the Ist of January, 1855. • TES (LO ON).--A CHURCH -EA a ehurch•rates made or refused in the respective parishes of the 36 re. gistration districts of London comprised within the return of Bills of Mortality during the years 185 1, 1852, and 1853, was i ssue d on Friday, on the motion of Mr. New degate, M.P. It hence appears that several rates were granted in public vestries during the periods in question, that in two parishes only (if we understand the answers to the questions aright) was a rate unasked for under a fear that the vestry would refuse it, and that in three parishes only was a rate actually refused. In the parishes without the walls there is no case of such refusal ; in the out-parishes in Middlesex and Surrey one case of refusal, and is the parishes of Westminster only one case. In many cases the repairs of the church are otherwise pro• vided for than by rates. A woman who bad stolen a breast of mutton fronithe shop of a butcher at Manchester, when taken before a magistrate the other day, assigned as her reason for corn. witting the theft, that she had had some angry words with her husband, and that she "did it fitc yention. She was coutraittcd for trig at the_ peligast I 16i "A i 90 77i 7 1,31 92 90 70 i 74i 4