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

aces, care ly to at to triple ocial na of ,dian. aster Of teter. .ntry, sense ;e and trvoke d, and led on ) form !quest t be cer of 3 such cader, With happy sagacity, confined his instructions to the simplest rudiments, and succeeded, in some degree, in overcoming their horror of drill and dis cipline. A. serious obstacle presented itself at the Very outset, for when he endeavoured to form them into two ranks their pride took the alarm, and every one refused to go into the rear rank. At length the difficulty was disposed of by their arranging among themselves that it should be composed of men o f inferior position and family. This regiment specially distinguished April,itself in the a tt ac k on Nugeenah, made n 1 858, by G enera l J ones. After the enemy's infan try had b een d r i ven off the fi e ld, th e l t anees, i who h a d prev i ous l y dispersed the cava lry, prepared for further action. Nothing now remaining in his immediate front, Cureton, whichureton, confident of victory, and with that happy in made him 8 ) excellent a leader of irregular cavalry, avalry, de termined to ascert a i n the rebel's line of retreat. Swee p ing at a rapid pace across the plain, in rear of the enemy ' s position, h e cu t up man y scattered fugitives as h e went. The Hi n d oos t anee i s like a rat , when compelled to fight he will resist to the last, and many of these fugitives fought desperately; at length, on reaching a spot about five miles in rear of the enemy's extreme left, he perceived the foe in full retreat, while immediately in front was a party of chiefs mounted on six elephants, and surrounded by cavalry and infantry. To see, to charge, to defeat, was the work of a few moments. The elephants were captured, the chiefs killed, the party dispersed, and an English telegraph signally delivered. This man, who had been captured some time previously, and been taken into the field in order that he might be a spectator of the defeat of his countrymen, was rescued by Captain Cureton at great personal danger to himself. Scarcely have the victors time to congratulate themselves on their success, than they perceive that more peril, more glory, is in store for them. A large body of the enemy is discerned approaching, and the position of the little band— they do not exceed 200 sabres—becomes critical. Retreat, however, is not to be thought of, Cureton withdraws into a grove by the roadside, and there awsits the arrival of the rebels. On come the doomed men, inspired with a feeling of security by the sight of the captured elephants with the party, which they consequently deemed to be composed of their own people. Nearer and nearer they approach, hurrying to avoid the bayonets of the victorious British in fantry in their rear. They are now seen to amount to 800 infantry, 500 cavalry, and some guns; and Cureton, as he turns from them to gaze on his scanty host, feels that his is a desperate venture. On come the rebels, and the grove, containing their suppo se d f r i en d s, i s almost' reached. Still not a sound issues from the trees, not a greeting strikes the ear not a signal meets the eye. Suddenly a clear English voice rings out the word " Charge " and in an instant the Mooltanees are in the midst of the panic stricken foe. Taken by surprise, daunted by the fury of the onset, the rebels do not resist long, but flee in all direc tions, leaving upwards of one hundred dead on the ground, and a green standard and several guns as trophies. With this feat of arms end the gallant deeds of Cureton and his Mooltanees in the action of Nugeenah. They may well be proud of that day; for to defeat cavalry and artillery, then infantry, then again cavalry, artillery and infantry com bined, in the latter case contending against enormous odds, were exploits of which even a veteran corps might boast. How much more, then, a young regiment only three months raised, and engaged that uay in its se con d act i on I Prominent i n thi s ac ti on was a youthful volunteer of 18 years of age, a student of the Roorkee Civil Engineer College. He was severely wounded, but obtained an unattached commission as the reward of his valour. The devotion of the Mooltanees to their chiefs is great, and they esteem it a disgrace if their officers are slain. Lord Clyde's indifference to danger made them very uneasy, and they were much relieved when he left the camp uninjured. Many interesting particulars of this wild and dar ing band are given in this able paper, which cer ienly goes far to alter the doubtful estimation in which our native auxiliaries are too frequently held. " The Story of Elizabeth" brings to a happy conclusion its heroine's chequered course, We shall expect to meet its author again. There are several other papers of varying merits. _London Society. This light and lively serial appears before us in an aspect snitable to the season, the pretty fancy cover, designed for its Christmas number, having th'won se much favoar that it has finally superseded e old brick-dust colour. Its interior is in keeping with its exterior, although its close print and nar row columns somewhat detract from the vivacity of its appearance. It opens with the strange request Wanted, a Villain," which heads an amusing paper lamenting over the decadence of the villains of modern drama and fiction, as compared to the thorough ucompromising ruffian who scorned civil Words and smooth exterior, stalking through the world with dagger and revolver. A paper called "On the Ice" records the pleasures of skating, and gives some hints to inexperienced ambition. A dis consolate bachelor chronicles his dismal experiences of " Apartments to Let." A cricket lover gives us a disquisition on that fascinating sport, and an opera goer supplies us with a sketch of the most successful, if not the most eminent, musician of his ti me — .. Giuseppe Verdi. There are pages of romance, too, for the fiction lover, and a pleasant essay on flowers, which gives some hints on the art of decora tion, besides the customary liberal allowance of plate and woodcut. SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. TIMES.--There is no abler financier than the French Ch ance ll or o f th e E xc h equer , an d th ere is certainly no nation which possesses the power of logical arrangement and clear exposition in the s ame degree as the French. We might reasonably, therefore, expect that when M. Fould came for ward to explain to us the existing position of the finances of France, we should have arisen from the Perusal of his statement with a clear and complete "nception of the subject. This, however, is by no Means the ease. M. Fould considers the revenue and expenditure, the probabilities of a balance or a deficit in the years 1862, 1863, and 1864, but in no one case does he inform us what is the total amount of revenue or expenditure. M. Fould deals first With the Budget of 1862, which on the 6th of last October he flattered himself would exhibit a balance between income and expenditure. This will not, however, be the case. In addition to nearly two inillions and a half, which was estimated as the ex penditure of the year for the Mexican expedition, the sum of 24,000,000 f., or nearly £1,000,000 ster ling, will be required, raising the whole expendi ture for the year for this service to 83,000,000 f., or about three millions and one-third of a million sterling. This excess, together with the 11,000,000 f. for the deficit on beetroot sugar, makes up a total deficit for 1862 of 35 ,000,000 f. M. Fould argues with great truth that this money will be just as easily got by a vote of the Assembly which is about to meet as if it had been obtained by a credit Opened under a decree. We next come to the year 1863. For that Budget a surplus was anticipated of 3,300,000 E ; but M. Fould estimates by reference to the income of former years a surplus of 110,000,000 E, or nearly four millions and a-half sterling. M. Fould had reckoned on this surplus to meet the extraordinary Budget of 1864, but this is anticipated by the expenses of the Mexican expedition. He is, therefore, compelled to rely on a number of miscellaneous items, among which is the sale of certain Crown property, and even then the resources thus provided fall short of the estimate by 17,000,000 f. It should also be said that these estimates presume a continuance of peace, except, of course, with Mexico, and the stability of credit and internal prosperity. The total of the deficiencies up to the present time amounts to 848,000,000 f., for the de ficiency of 1861, amounting to 158,000.000 f. more, is bal anced by the operation of converting the F our-and-a-Half per Cents., which cannot, how ever, be repeated. It is certainly not satisfactory to find that, after we have strained our mental vision so far as to reach the end of 1864, all we obtain by the process is the sight of a deficit of 17,000,000 E, dependent on the continuance of Peace and prosperity for not exceeding that con siderable sum. M. Fould is a man of figures, and th ough he permits himself a little burst of enthu siasm as to the expenditure of the 83,000,000 f. Which goes to the support of those brave men who et th e di stance of 2,000 leagues are upholding the himself, o f F rance, to figures he mainly confines 'ialeelf. We, howev er , w h o are su bj ec t to no such it se rve, may be excused for pointing out how easy w ould be f or t h e Emperor of the French, w i th the aPPlause o f a ll E urope and the blessings of his o o subjects to convert th a t d e fi c i ency i n t o surp l us . T he art of fi nance does not consist in temporary ex pcedleats, such as th e reduction of the Four per de e fi n t t s- or the sa l e of Crown property, to meet a lita,ecurceit.of These are b u t t h e man i pulat i ons, the ' eger 'cle-m a i n of a skilful performer. The real prosperous fi nance i s someth i ng at once t.hee‘asinsigmleplweroraandemonuoiclim ye difficult. It lies in . If tho French B u d ge t peace IQ fo rmed on a cal culation of the contin u an ce o f tinP, why not g i ve peace the best chance of con ningin not Onlywarp the ins trument, but o f ten t h o cause of Ly I\TEW S . —Gold-digging is not the only Pneno me countrymen nen which draws the attention of our Lulealir to the Australian colonies, Our le operatives have now only too much leisure for r e 4 i ng the newspapers, and a letter which we published some time since from an " Overlooker" showed something of the effect produced on the minds of men in want by some of the facts of colonial life. Three thousand bullocks had been boiled down to make glue, and the poor fellows here who were sickening and pining over their dole of meal and soup natu rally longed to be living where beef was such a drug that bullocks could be boiled down for glue. We may remember something of the similar emotion excited during the distress of 1842, by the frequent notices in the newspapers of sheep being boiled down by thousands to make tallow. Legs of mutton were reserved at first, to be sold for any thing they would fetch, but all demand for them soon ceased, and the legs went into the cauldrons with the rest. Such incidents naturally set poor men asking whether there is no way by which the hungry of the mother country and the food of the colony can be brought together; and we need not describe how strong this inquiry has been of late, nor what efforts have been made to enable some few of our distressed workpeople to emigrate. There is, all the while, a way by which hundreds of fami lies might, with the utmost certainty, become easy in circumstances very soon, and before very long quite rich, if they had the requisite intelligence, good faith, and self •command, which are the quali ties by which men of business of all classes prosper and become rich. Those most concerned will see at once that we refer to the proposal of a co-operative agricultural settlement in Queensland, sent hither by Mr. Murdoch of that colony, and commented on by Mr. Holyoake in our columns on the 24th ult. That twenty families, as Mr. Murdoch says, or a thousand members, as Mr. Holyoake supposes, could make it answer to grow cotton and send it to Lancashire (or, indeed, to grow any crops suitable to the soil) there can be no doubt, if all the members were intelligent, industrious, and tho roughly public-spirited. The results of well managed and well-sustained co-operative associa tion are no longer questioned by anybody who has studied the Roehdale institutions, and some others elsewhere. The certainty of success in a country where land—the proper basis of such an experiment—costs scarcely anything, while the product of that land is in urgent request, is assured, if the people on the land are wise and faithful. There can scarcely be a doubt that means could be found to carry to Queensland that number of families which should be considered best for the experiment; the colony is eager to sell its lands on the easiest terms to respectable new settlers ; and we have the express assurance of those who should know that, for the production of cotton, men of the stamp of the Lancashire operative, with his intelli gence and ambition, are more suitable than the agricultural labourers, who are still very welcome in their way. The great question is whether the risk can be obviated by the terms of the association. If this can be done, all the rest really seems to be a thing within the men's own choice. HERALD.—The conclusion of the country jury who, on an indictment for assault, found the pri soner " guilty," with the appendix " served him right," is pretty faithfully reproduced in the ver dict of the jurors who sat upon the bodies killed by the explosion of the Edmunil's Main Colliery. They find that "they are unable to attach blame to any individual" for " the immediate deaths" of the vic- tims, and then go on to express " the unanimous opinion that the cause of the explosion was the in cautious and unsafe working of the dipbaard of the colliery," with the addition that " the mode of blast ing with powder was highly injudicious, and ought not to have been allowed by the under viewer." They find, in fact, that everything was nearly as bad as it could be ; that the deaths were made as nearly as possible inevitable by the character of the man agement ; and then, with that courtesy that befits even so short an official life as that of a juryman, smoothe down everything with the saving clause, "of course nobody is to blame for it." It is, how ever, a redeeming feature in jury history that there was found one in the number, a Mr. E. Par ker, to protest against so nonsensical an attempt to reconcile duty to the public with pretty phrases to everybody ; and no one who has read the evidence can doubt that the gentleman had excellent grounds for the independent position he thus assumed. We hardly know, indeed, in the whole history of colliery disasters, an instance in which a heavier culpability lies at the doors either of malingers or of their workmen. There was a reckless negligence and foolhardiness displayed by both actually in credible did we not know the facility with which ignorant men gradually learn to reconcile them selves after a time to positions of the greatest dan ger. Here the mine was well known to be an un usually dangerous one, the whole district being notorious in colliery records for the number and calamitous character of its explosions. But for some time past the stimulus of high prices which has severely tasked the powers of production in coal-mining generally, has acted here with an almost exceptional force, and the management, not content, by the payment of a respectable bonus, with securing the services of successive gangs of miners who keep working night and day, increased the celerity of the excavations by resorting to blast- ings by gunpowder. In other words, they did their best to accumulate gas in quantities dispropor tioned to their powers of neutralising it, at the same time that they were busy in applying the spark which might at any minute explode it. Everybody knows that the disaster at the Hartley Colliery was the unpardonable result of trusting to a massive cast iron beam after it had given unmis takeable evidence of unsoundness. At the Ed mund's Main Colliery we had an incompetent undet viewer in charge of between two and three hundred lives, and sacrificing some sixty of them, with his own, through a toying with danger as needless as it was systematic and foolhardy. We are unable, indeed, to understand how such risks can be daily incurred, if we accept the hypothesis that inspectors of mines are charged with duties or invested with powers. What are they for if they can interpose no veto on a system of incurring risks which is only another word for a system of committing jelo de se They are presumed by their appointments to be capable of thinking for the miners—it is surely not over-exacting to ask the correlative, that they should act for them_ But another inference that springs out of the needless and wanton immolations of useful workmen we are periodically experiencing points to the urgency of giving every class of miners a better and more scientific knowledge of the nature and dangers of their pursuits. We want such an extension in the number and working of our mining colleges that we may be able to indoctrinate these men with the general principles of safe mining, and secure our having those competent men as viewers and supe rintendents through whose ignorance so many of these accidents are now occurring. It is high time, indeed, that we should set about saving the annual thousand of useful men we are now losing as the result of our indifferent teaching and ineffi cient law-making. SKIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This Day. LONDON, Jan.. I.—Wind this day at noon—South- Westerly; strong breeze, and cloudy weather, with slight rain. PLYMOUTH, Dec. 31.—Wind N.W,—Arrived—Mary Lee, from London, for Syd ney. F A LMOUTH, N.—S a il e d—Bi anca, f or Calcutta. Dec. 30.—Wind (BY MAGNETIC TELEGRAPH.) GRAVESEND, Thursday M omin ., Arrived, Dec. 31—Oryx, from Al g oa Ba y; Phitoso pV „ City of Glasgow, and Liverpool, from Calcutta ; Hero, from Dunkirk. DEAL, Thursday Morning. Passed—Zingari, screw steamer, from London, for Bor deaux. The Nazione of Florence states that on the 26th ult. a disturbance occurred in the National Theatre of that city, some of the audience calling loudly for the hymn of Garibaldi, while others refused to hear it. The hymn being prohibited, the authorities of the theatre did not comply with the call; whereupon a tumult arose and the performance was interrupted, until the prima donna appeared and addressed the public with so much grace and presence of mind, inviting them to abstain from any fur ther disorder, that she was loudly applauded, and the per formance was resumed and brought to a closo without any further interruption. BRITISH FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK. 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 3 per Cent. Consols Annuities 921 5 New 3 per Cent. Annuities India Stock Ditto 5 per Cent lOB4 5 Ditto Enfaced Paper, 4 per Cent — D.tto 5 per Cent Ditto 51 per Cent. D . r I 0 Bond s £l,OOO — Ditto under £l,OOO .... 29 Consols for Account Exchequer Bills, £lOOO, 21 per Cent l3 9 FOREIGN FUNDS—ONE O'CLOCK. Brazilian 5 per Cent Ditto 45 pea Cent., 1852-58-60 Buenos Ayres 6 per Cent — Ditto 1 per Cent. (Deferred 3 per Cent ) 381 Egpptian 7 per Cent JS 1 Greek 5 per Cent., 1824-5, ex-Coup ms 165 Ditto Coupons Italian 5 per Cect. (Maremmana Railway) 745 Mexican 3 per Cent Ditto Account New Granada 2 per Cent Ditto ex over-due Coups, & Hectares 12 5 a Portuguese 3 per Cent., 1853 Ditto Account Ditto 3 per Cent. ; 1862 Ditto Scrip, £2O paid Russian 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St 9Bl Ditto 5 per Cent., 1862 Sardinian 5 per Cent. Ditto Account. B3 Spanish 3 per Cent Ditto Passive Spanish Cert. of Coup not funded Turkish 6 per Cent. 1854 — Ditto 6 per Cent. 1858 Ditto Account.. 7ll 5 Ditto 6 per Cent. 1832 Ditto Account 685 a Venezuela, Dp iittttoo AA c 3:: per t, Cent Jan. 8 235 241 Ditto 6 per Cents., 1862 (Scrip), £53 pd 15 dis Ditto 15 per Cent ... 115 Dividends on the above payable in London, TWO O'CLOCK. Consols, M oney 925 921 1 debt of Austria in the Vienna According to an official millions amounted at the vene i t rs of florins. The debt Gazette, the public ityr a i n os klngdom is comprised ofin T A b p o ril d l e a b s t t of the 9 th 4 e l end of June, 1862, to 2,445 t b n e l t o h n a g t i n s g u m t o for th e 71 ,0 Lombardo-Venetian of land, indemnity amounted on the Ist . millions of florins, and is not comprised the above named sum. The ex-King of Greece received at Mu nich, on the 29th December, Baron Sins , his representative at I Yzenus, who had arrived by railway that morning. DESERTIONS FROM THE FEDERAL ARMY.--Gen. Halleek's weekly reprimand produces no effect upon the delinquents whatever, and produces upon the army at large the worst effect possible, because it holds out the plain prospect of impunity for the greatest of military crimes. We commented a few days ago upon the preva lence of marauding among our troops. Desertion is another form of the same disease. Want of discipline is a worse one, indeed, because it weakens our resources. 'We are engaged in a struggle of unparalleled proportions; volun tary enlistment may be said to be exhausted ; draughting has to a great extent been found impracticable; and we have at home a large body of indefatigable agitators doing everything that perverted ingenuity can suggest to demo ralise and dishearten the country. Under these circum stances, we cannot spare a single man from his post ; and yet we aro informed that 20,000 at least have deserted, and the number is every day increasing. Twenty thousand men would in any other war be considered an army in itself a less number has on many a famous field decided the fate of nations, and before this campaign is over the presence or absence of that number in some encounter or other may save or lose the Union. ' . . And yet in our army there is absolutely no punishment for desertion. Tho worst that can happen to a man who deserts is to be sent back to his regiment. Hundreds of vagabonds who quit their camp without leave are picked up in Washington every week by the Provost Marshal's guard, and marched back to their posts with as much consideration and good nature as if they had been on duty ; so that our force in the field may really be said to be kept together either by the conscien tiousness of the men or the material difficulties in the way of running away.—New York Times. THE SOUTHERN FAITH.—The Richmond Exa miner of December 8 thus conc:udes an article on President Lincoln's Message : -" The fact is, when the Creator established the different races of men, He esta• blished their position and adapted them to their places. That which harmonises with the Creative will is happiness. That which opposes leis discord and unhappiness. The negro, from the time of Cainan, has occupied the position of a servant. He has been fitted for it by disposition and instinct, and is therefore happy in it, and is not happy out of it. In his place he is useful. Cut of it he is a mere savage; and if out of it and in the bosom of a community of the superior race he is a pest. It is the effort of the Yankee States to dictate our institutions, and in so doing to ruin us by Attempting to amend a decree of the Creator so as to make it suit their ideas, that has caused the present troubles." Tne report," says the Independance, " that the Princess of Denmark, sister to the affianced bride of the Prince of Wales, was to marry the Grand Duke, heir to the throne of Russia, is now contradicted." TIIE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUAR Y 1, 1863. SHARE MARKETS--This Day. POLICE INTEL ,LIGENCE—This Day. BO W-STREET. ASSAULTING THE PoLl CE.—Martin O'Dowd, a power ful young man, was placed t at the bar charged with assault ing the police. Police-Sergeant 5 F, said b.e was on duty last night about half-past 11 in Great St. Andrew. street, St. Giles, when he was called by the landlord of a public-house to assist in putting the prisoner o utside. For tome time he resisted, but on getting int, the street he put himself into a fighting attitude and made a r wit at him. A struggle took place when both fell; and while on the ground the prisoner kicked him violently in. the aide. Witness held him until several other constables came up, when another attempt was made to get him to the station, but for some time the officers were unable to do so. The injuries he had received were very severe, and he felt the effects of them at the present time. Mr. Hall—What have you to say to the charge ? Prisoner—l don't know any thing about it. Mr. Hall—What are you? Prisoner—A labourer, out of work. Mr. Hall—And yet you got money to go to the public house 1 Police-constable 56 F also said he was assaulted by the prisoner. So great was the resistance offered by the pri soner, that a number of officers had to be sent off from the station to assist in getting him there without having time to put on their uniform. Mr. Hall—lt's a bad case ; I fine you 20s. for each of the assaults on the police. Philip Prendergast was charged with assault. Mr. Hames, the landlord of the George and Blue Boar, Holborn, said the prisoner, while in a state of intoxication created a disturbance in his house, and while he was being ejected he broke two squares of glass, worth about 20s. each. Holt, the waiter, said the prisoner's violence was occa sioned by his ale being removed from the coffee room,where he was corducting himself improperly, to the bar. He was struck by him. Smith, the porter, said ha was knocked senseless to the ground by a blow from the prisoner. Prisoner—l maintain they had no right to move my glass from the coffee room. It was a piece of impudence, and I presume any other person would have done the same. Mr. Hall—But you were conducting yourself improperly. Prisoner—l was impeded from going to my ale. I only acted in accordance with the law, as laid down in Black stones Commentaries. Mr. Fall—l dissent from your notion altogether. You were in a state of intoxication, and they were right in pre venting you going into the coffeoroom. I fine you 20s. or 14 days' hard labour for the first assault, 40s. or 21 days' for the second, and if you are brought hero again I shall put in force ono of the provisions of a late Act of Parliament, which gives me power of a more severe description. Prisoner-1 hat will be £3 for the assaults. Mr. Hall—Yes, and the value of the glass you have de stroyed, namely, £1 17s. 6d. By an Act of Parliament lately passed I have also the power, in addition to that of ordering y ou to pay for the damage, to inflict a penalty for the act, and I therefore sentence you to pay an additional 20s. or one month's imprisonment, to commence from the expiration of the sentence. Prisoner—Well, how much is the fines altogether ? Mr. Hall—Ls 17s. 6d. Prisoner—That's a good commencement for the new year. He was locked up in default. MARLBOROUGH-STREET. ATTEMPT TO ROB A RIFLE VoLuNTEm—Margaret Hastings, a woman well known to the police, was charged before Mr. Knox with attempting to steal a watch, of the value of £B, from the person of Mr. Fredk. Hewett, clerk, of 2, Westbourne-terrace. The prosecutor, who is a rifle volunteer, was passing along Oxford-street the previous night, about a quarter past 11 o'clock, in uniform, when the prisoner followed him and seized his bayonet. She then made a most determined snatch at his watch chain, but did not succeed in getting the watch, the chain breaking. Taylor, a constable of the D division, said the prisoner had been drinking, but was not drunk. Mr. Knox asked if anything was known of the pri soner P Barns, the gaoler of the court, said she had been charged with felony and loitering—the last time, he believed, for a watch. Prisoner was remanded. TUE FIRE IN PORTLAND STREET.—L. B has forwarded 2s. in postage stamps for Mrs. Spencer, six of whose chil dren perished in the fire in Portland -street, on Friday night last. The husband, for some time past, has been un able to follow his occupation from ill health. MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK. There is still an active demand for money, and a large amount of business will probably be transacted during the week, owing to the preparations for the 4th and other liabilities. A new provincial monetary establishment, bear ing the title of the Midland Counties Union Banking Company was brought out yesterday evening. Its nominal capital is to be £1,000,000 in £lOO shares, and the first issue will consist of only 5,000 shares, upon which £25 is to be called up. The objects of the company is to facilitate commercial intercourse between the metropolis and the Midland counties, throughout which district-branches will be estab lished. The principal aim of the directors will be to purchase the interests of existing private banks, and in furtherance of that view they have already secured on advantageous terms the old and valuable banking connection and prem'ses of Sir Francis L. Holyoake, Goodricke, Bart., at Wolver hampton, where business will be immediately commenced, The directors are this placed in the advantageous position of being enabled to hold out to their shareholders the prospect of a dividend within a short time after commencing operations. Nego tiations, it is stated, are also being carried out for the purchase of other private banks in the district, and the future prospects of the Company are, therefore, highly encouraging. The management of the bank's affairs will be entrusted to a London board, which includes many gentlemen largely connected with some of the principal metropolitan banks. The prospectus of the Anglo-Portuguese Bank, with a capital of £,1,0v0,000, has been recently published. The increase in the trade between this country and Portugal, and the further development of the resources of the latter by its new rail ways, canals, &c., render the introduction of another and larger banking house, conducted upon the English system, almost a neces sity, while the efficient management of such an establishment will no doubt form an ample source of profit to its shareholders. In Lisbon there is only one bank, and at Oporto three; and the premium of the shares which these four institutions command in the market is sufficient proof of the remunerative character of this de scription of enterprise. The capital is to be raised by 20,000 shares of £5O each, of which it is not intended to call up more than £25. The last week's railway receipts, ascertained up to this day, are in round figures as under : 1862. 1861. Great Western North-Western South- Western Brighton Midland South-Eastern 21,481 21,012 Great Northern Lancashire and Yorkshire 32,363 32,909 Bristol and Exeter Great Eastern North-Eastern 41,936 39,932 Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln 14;437 14;208 Edinburgh and Glasgow Glasgow and South-Western Great Western of Canada 12,739 10,849 Northern of France 51,084 53,224 These returns are in most instances of a very satis factory character. On the Great Western there is an increase of £3,841, on the North Western of £9,666, on the South Western of £2,406, on the Brighton of £1,406, on the Midland of £1,819, on the South Eastern of £469, on the Great Northern of £4,061, on the Great Eastern of £587, on the North Eastern of £2,004, and on the Great Western of Canada of £1,830. The Lancashire and Yorkshire, however, shows a decrease of £546, and the Northern of France of £2,140. Two O'CLOCK. There has been no increase of business to-day in the market for Public Securities, but the few trans actions that have taken place to-day have aug mented rather than diminished the firmness of quo tations. The approach of the settlement will pro bably tend to induce greater quietude, as specula tors are disinclined to operate freely, while the investing classes can scarcely be expected to augment their operations until after the payment of the dividends. Consols continue firm at 922- for money, at 92a I for the Bth instant, and at 92i for the February settle ment. The New Threes and Reduced remain firm, at 921 t. India Stock has advanced to 227 ex div., for the opening, and the 5 per Cent. ditto continues at 1081;. The 5 per Cent. Enfaced Paper is 1051 I, and the 51 ditto 1121 I. The Bonds remain at 295. premium, and Exchequer Bills are firm at 9s. to 13s. premium. There is a fair amount of business in the Foreign Market, and prices exhibit very little alteration. Mexican, however, have receded to 32 32Z ; and Turkish Consolides to 411 g ; ditto 6 per Cents., 1858, are firm at 711 a ; ditto 1862, at 681 ex div. Venezuelan 3 per Cents. have improved to 231, 24k, ex div.; and the New Loan Scrip to 11 die. Sardinian have advanced to 83 ; Spanish 3 per Cents. to 54/, ex div.; ditto Passive to 24k; and the Certificates to 91 ; Egyptian are heavy at 95; but Greek are buoyant at 16k, and the Coupons at 7/ ; Italian 5 per Cents. (Maremmana Railway Loan) brought 74/, ex div; and Greanda Bonds, ex all, 121 1- being steady; Portuguese New Loan is 461 ; and the Scrip 31 prem., without the divi dend in both instances; Russian New Loan has risen to 95 _ _ The dealings in the Railway Share Market con tinued limited, but a firmer tone prevailed in prices. Great Westerns and South Easterns improved 55., North British 101., and North Westerns 155.; Lon don and Brightons, however, have declined 10s. The foreign and colonial undertakings are a shade firmer, Dutch Rhenish being dealt in 17a- ; Ottoman, at 121-; East Indian, at 107 to 1071 ; and Great Indian Peninsula, at 106. Joint-Stock Bank and Miscellaneous shares gene rally maintain previous quotations. Ottoman Bank realise 34a 35Z ; Allianceof London and Liverpool, at 20i ; and Australian Agricultural, at 251. BRITISH POSSESSIONS. 1 Closing Share! gailways Paid.f i Price. Business done 100 Atlantic &St Lawrence all 67 69 itt 1 Bom.,Baroda&C,entlnd 100 104 105 xn Gu. 5 per Cent........ 20 Do. New 201 Buffalo and Lake Huron all 5 . / 51 10 Do. Preference . t •• • • all 8 81 100 I Buffalo,Brant,&Godrich 100 77 so 6 p. Ct. bds. Aug. 1, 1872 100 Do. do. July 1, 1 873 100 75 78 100 Do. do. June 1, 1 874 100 72 75 75 st Cleutta.NS.Eastn. (Lir ) 100 104 105 xn st Cape Town ,16 Dock Scril 100 108 109 Stock Eastn. Bengal gu. sp. C 100 1041 105 i; xn stock East Indian, gu. sp. c. 100 10 6 k 1671' 1071 7 1 xn 20 Do. do. G Ext... • • 5 1 lip xn 20 Do. do. II do. • • 2 1 ip xn stock Grand Trunk of Canada 100 22 221 100 Do. 6 per cent. Pref.. all 74 76 75 100 Do. 2d Pref. 6 per ct.. all 64 66 100 Do. 6 per ct. Debentr. all 35 87 35 100 Do. 7 percent. 1862 .. all 48 52 100 Do. do. 1867 . • all 34 86 100 Do. do. 1872.. all 3 4 36 stock Gt.lndiaPenln.gua.sp.o 100 105 106 106 xn 2 0 Do. New gua. sp.c. • • 12 1 lip 20 Do. January, 1862 • • 4 i lip. 5 xn stock i Gt. South.of I ndia (Lim I guaranteed 5 per cent. 100 103 104 201 Gt. W. of Canada Sharer - all 13 131 131 201 Do. New 100 Do. 6 p.c. '73 wlth't opt. all 99 101 10 100 Do. 51 p. c. do. '77-8.... all 90 92 10 Indian Branch Limited t id ip 2 stock Madras guar., sp.c. .. 100 103 tut 104 xn stock Do. 41 p. c. Extensioi. 100 97 9 p stock Dc. 4+ d 0.... _.. 100 13 , 5 20 Do. Fifth Extension. 2 21 xn stock Melb.Coru. op. o. Bnds. 10 0 50 Melb. & Hobson's Bay. all 51 53 100 Do. 7p. c. along. Bds. all 20 New Brunswick zt Cand, Class A Capital Share all 3 6 20 Do. do. B Capital d 0... all 3 c N.Rl.C'daG pc Ist )1 bds 100 83 65 stock Scinde ......... (100 1( 4 106 et Do. Delhi t Do. do c• E. 2 &1 p 2/ xn 20 Do. Punjaub .... i ( Li . 15 l I P et Do. Do. - ...... , a.,1; , 110 103 104 stock Do. In dus.St. Flo.) 100 99 101 xn ORDINARY SHARES ANT) STOurtS, Share Railways. I r a i d. i Closing Business , 1I Price. done. 13.14 Bir., Wol., and Str. Val i all 8 84 25 Blythe and Tyne. all 10 flost.,Sleaf.,andMid.kio all (I 6/ at !Bristol and Exeter lOO 81 46 st ; f7alalonian 50 C , J41.. and Bandon all 20 Col:mall all f 10 Do A A pets no ) all 10 Do. B till 6)) e- P amb " i been paid to B. 50 Dublin & Belfast Juno. all 41 43 25 111m.,Perth,& Ab. Juno. all 13 14 st Edinburgh & Glasgow. 100 87 88 87 st Glasg. and S. Western. , 100 105 107 at ;GreatEastern, Ord. stk 100 46 47 st Ditto A stock st Ditto East Anglian st 100 24 25 st GreatNorthof Scotland , 100 et. Great Northern lOO 125 126 1251 st Do A stock lOO 129 130 st Do Bdo 5 Do. £5 shares all st (')t. S. an sW. of Ireland, 100 104 108 at 'Great Western ..... . 100 681 681 68} 8 at I Do Str Val gua. stock 100 st ,Laneashire & Yorkshire 160 1091 1091 1021 4 / st ! Loudon and Blackwall 100 714 724 71t st Lon., Bright.,& S. Coast 100 118 119 1184 st Lon., Chat., and Dover 100 38 39 at Lon. & North Western 100 97 174 98 71 ; at Lon. & South Western 100 101 10 102 st Man., Shef., & Lincoln. 100 40 41 50 Maryport and Carlisle. all 124 Do } shares all 10 Metropolitan all 9 04 9 111 et Midland 6.4.0 Do New at Do Birming. & Derby 100 06 98 50 Mid. Gt. W. of Ireland all 25 Do. k shares 25 Mid Kent 10 Do Cray Line st North British st Edin., Perth, & Dundee 100 25 27 • st Nth. Eastern—Berwich 100 994 100 25 Do, G.N.E. purchase 16.13.4 d st Do Leeds lOO 56 57 at Do York at Do Carlisle lOO 125 127 st North London 10 o New 19.16.4 N'oDrth Sta ff ordshire 10 N. and S. W. Junction all 11 114 at Scottish Central at Scot N. E., Aber. stock 100 474 484 st Do Scot Mid. stock lOO 104 106 10 Shrews, and Welchpool all at Shropshire Union 100 47 19 st South Devon lOO 334 344 at South Eastern tit South Wales at S. York. and River Dun 100 100 103 20 Staines,Wok.,andWok all 7 8 25 Stockton & Darlington all 39 40 25 Do l5 10} 10/ 25 Do New, 1860 6 74 71 at Taff Vale.. 10 Do 13 8 44 5 p 10 Do C 3 24 3 p 50 Ulster 25 Do 2O 24 34 p 12.10 Do at Vale of Neath at Victoria sta. and Pim i 100 140 145 at Waterford & Kilkenny' 100 st West Cornwall lOO 29 31 at W. Hartlepool Har.&R lOO at West Midland -Oxtordi 100 43 45 at Do Newport 100 35 37 364 at Do Hereford 100 94 26 951 COLONIAL GOVERNMENT SECITRITIEg. t-au.l,uv.6p.c.JaSLJ uly 1877-St Do. 6 p.c. Feb. As Aug'. Do. et p. c. Mar. ac Rept., Do. 5 p. c. Jan.&July. Do. 5 Inscribed stock i Cape G. 1 I ope, 6p c,187:1 Do.Ap & Oct. 1880 Do. 1890, Do. Jan. & July, 1891..1 Ceylon, N0v.1861, 8 p N. IS.Gov. 6 p.c. J a.&Julyl Do. 6p. c.Ap. & Oct., N. S. W. G ov. 5 p c.,1866 Do. S p. c.,1871 to 1876 Do. d0.,1888 & upwde New Zealand 6 p. cent. Nora Scotia Gov. 6 p. sterling, 1875 Queensland Gov. 6 p. c B.Aus Glip.c.lB7&& up Vic. Gov. 6 p.c. Ja.&July, , Do. to , "109 , 110 'I CO 108 106 118 99.4 100 93 100 .0s 110 111 113 112 114 114 116 1071 lesi! 1011 1024 1014 1024 101} 101 f 111 113 I 'lOB 109 111 113 111 113 logic WESTMINSTER. A COMFORTABLE VlSlTOR.—William Hardwick was charged with being drunk and creating a disturbance at the house of Mr. Charles Buckingham, Neville's-terrace, Chelsea. Complainant said that an annoyance had been caused twice at his house yesterday by the defendant, wha came there drunk 'and refused to leave. Alr. Paynter—What is he ? Do you know anything of him ? Complainant—He is a tinker, and has been employed to do same repairs by my family. These were done a short time ago, and on his coming agaip, it was pointed out to him that the work had come to pieces, upon which he undertook to mend it again gratuitously, but having done it insisted upon payment again, which was refused. Mr. Paynter—Did he then go away ? Complainant—No. H e seated himself in my passage and behaved very offensively. Mr. Paynter—What did he do? Complainant—He filled his tobacco pipe, end then called for a light, that ho might smoke and enjoy himself, and had the impudence to inform my family that he was sorry I was not there, that if I was I should have so much plea sure in taking a pipe with him. He had been there in the morning, and then came again at half-past nine at night. I found him making a great disturbance at the latter named hour, and as I could not get rid of him I was obliged to givee him into custody. John Dutton, 315 B, said he found the defendant making a great noise, and he was drunk. He said that if the gen tleman did not pay him, he would pay the gentleman. Prisoner said he was very sorry. He was drunk. Mr. Paynter—lf you have any claim against this gen tleman you can go to the County Court, and not conduct yourself in this disgraceful manner at his house. He was ordered to find bail. MARKETS--This Day. MARK LANE. IMf ERIAL WEEKLY AVERAGES. Wheat, 45s 7d ; barley, 34s ld ; oats, 20s 4d ; rye, 33s ld ; beans, 36s 4d ; and peas, 37s 11d. THE SIX WEEKS' AVERAGES. Wheat, 47s Od ; barley, 34s lld ; oats, 20s 10d ; rye, 34s Od ; beans, 38s Od ; peas, 40s 2d. ENGLISH GRAIN SOLD LAST WEEK.—Wheat, 77,529; barley, 99,408 ; oats, 16,308 ; rye, 34 ; beans, 4,417 ; peas, 1,477 quarters. METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET. There was a fair average number of beasts in to-day's market, in but middling condition. All breeds sold heavily at a decline in the quotations, compared with Monday of 2d per 81bs. The'top figure for the best Scots was 4s 10d per Sibs. Sheep—the show of which was limited, ruled heavy ; nevertheless, prices were well supported. The best Downs realised 58 10d per 81bs. We have to report a very dull sale for calves, and a reduction in the currencies of 4d to Gd per Sibs, The highest price was 4s Gd per Sibs. In pigs and milch cows very little was doing at barely late rates. Per Sib. to sink the offal. s. d. B. d. s. d. s. d. Crse. &inf. beasts 3 2 3 41Primecrs-wool d 0.5 0 5 6 Secondquality do. 3 6 3 10 Pme. S'thdowndo.s 8 5 10 Prime large oxen 4 0 4 6 Large crse. calves 3 8 4 2 Prime Scots, &c. 4 8 4 10 i Prime small do 4 4 4 6 Urse. & inf. sheep 3 8 4 2 Large hogs 3 8 4 4 Second quality do. 4 4 4 10 Smal porkers ... 4 6 4 8 Suckling calves, 12s to 20s ; and quarter-old store pigs, 19s to 295. TOTAL SUPPLY. Beasts Cows 94 Sheep Calves Pigs ... 304 FOREIGN surrLy. Beasts Sheep Calves Pigs ME AT MARKETS. NENVGA.TE AND LEADENHALL.—The supplies of meat are somewhat extensive, and the trade is heavy, as follows :• —Beef, from 2s 6d to 4s Od , mutton, 3s 2d to 4s 6d ; veal, 3s 8d to 4s 2d; and pork, 3s 2d to 4s 6d per 81bs, by the carcase. SOUTHALL, December 31.—There was only a moderate supply of stock here to •day, nevertheless the trade ruled heavy. as follows • Beef, from 3s 6d to 4s 10d; mutton, 4s to 5s 8d; veal, 4s 4d to 4s 8d; and pork, 33 10d to 4e 8d per 81bs, to sink the offal. ROMFORD, December 31.—Each kind of stock moved off heavily, and prices had a drooping tendency, as follows Beef, from 3s 4d to 4s 10d; mutton, 3s 10d to 55 10d; ea! 4s 2d to 4s 8d ; pork, 4s to 4s Bdper Sibs; s uckliuger,2 lOs to 18s ; quarter-old store pigs, 19s to 29 e ; and wm cows, £l4 Os to £lB Os each. little change jal . c i, and all other provisions PROVISIONS. Good and fine quualities of Irish butter are in steady request, at very full prices, but other lands are a slows in quiry. Foreign parcels move off atesdil,on rathe gher prices. terms. In toe value of English very has taken place. Hams, cheese, are dull, at barely stationary lir. Hunt, h i g h sheriff of th e c i ty of Li mer i ck, visited th gaol on Tu es d ay wee k , an d f rom his private Purse pad off the debts d ue o f a ll th e p au p e r debtors, who wer e th en lib erated, in order to enjoy the e ity Chrismas with their families; and, in addition, he placed at the disposal of the governor of the prison a sum of money to assist the outgoing debtors in enjoying their Christmas, BRITISH MINES. 2 'Cambrian Consol. Gold , 1 i iP IChtlord Amalgamated 21 23 !Devon G. Cone. (Taoist ) 1 500 510 East Bassett (Illogan) 30 52 64 1 East Clogau Gold. Ltd ss. p fp ;East Caradon ...... 2.14.6 42 43 435 I Fast Carn Brea... ] 3.0.0 11 115 W'l Russel (Tavistk.;, 7.19.0 21 1 4 (3am.dzSt.A.ubyu(Gwen.)' 574 15 17 Great South Tolgus Us 7 74 .]. \Vheal Vor (llelston 40 6 65 !Grenville I llerod's-Foot 8.12 47 49 :11ngston Downs 4 ., 7.0 21 21 Lady Bertha Margaret (tiny Lelant' 94 41 (3 Illarke Valley.. 4 , Myndy Iron Oro (Lim ) 2, 1 ds pr New Seton l9] 135 145 North Downs 24 25 Ilaseetallo4!an t 17.0 25 8 North Wheal Crotty Par Consols (St. Blazey 15 5 6 20 Providence(Uny Lelnt.) 10.11.7 '1 43 South Caradon(St.Cleer) 11 380 30) 3. Carn Brea (Illogan) 5.15.6 25 21 7 7 ..13 7 heal loran. (IlloganllB.l -.9 90 95 {Stray Park 5 Visa mar Silv.(l6 Lead Min 45 5 1. 10 I'M Crott 9 13 14 %Vest Basset (Mogan).— 15 13 14 W Caradon (Liskeard) 5 26 23 West Seto Wheal Basset (Mogan) 55 774 824 Wheal Buller(Redruth) 5 475 525 Wheal Kitty (U.Lelant) 2.0.6 78 85 WhealLud ott 1V heal NI aryAnn (Men ) 8 lb 16 Wheal Seton 585 190 195 203 .‘' heal Trelawney (Lis ) 7 17 18 - , Wheal Union ' 3.13 51 65 Anti-Slavery Demonstration at Manchester. MANCHESTER, Wednesday Night. A crowded meeting was held in the Free-trade Hall this evening, to express sympathy with the Federal emancipation policy and detestation of slavery. Mr. Alderman Heywood, the mayor, pre sided. Mr. J. C. EDwALDs moved the following resolu tion :—" That this meeting, recognising the common brotherhood of maukiud and the sacred and inalien able right of every human being to personal free dom and equal protection, records its detestation of negro slavery in America, and in the attempt of the rebellious Southern slaveholders to organise on the great American continent a nation having slavery as its basis." Mr. EVANS, an operative, seconded the resolution, which was carried by acclamation. Mr. E. HOOSEN moved the second resolution, as follows :—' That this meeting, composed of thein dustrial classes of Manchester, desires to record its profound sympathy with the tfforts of President Lincoln and his colleagues to maintain the Ameri can Union, and also its high sense of the justice of his proclamation of emancipation, and other mea sures tending to give freedom to the slave, and re store peace to the American nation." In the course of his observations Mr. Hoostn praised Mr. Lincoln as a constitutional ruler. He (Mr. Hoosen) had no fear of a war between England and America, if civility and friendliness were observed in the ex change of diplomatic relations. Far better Ntould it be that this country should spend 20 millions in feeding the operatives of Lancashire than that a peace should be concluded in America which should make slavery a permanent institution. (Cheers.) The resolution was seconded and carried unani mously. The third resolution, which was read and carried amidst great enthusiasm, embodied the fol lowing address to President Lincoln :- - "As citizens of Manchester, assembled at the Free-trade Hall, we beg to express our fraternal sentiments towards you and your country. We re joise in your greatness, as an outgrowth of England, whose blood and language you share, whose orderly and legal freedom you have applied to new circum stance, over a region immeasurably greater than our own. We honour your free States, as a singularly happy abode for the working millions, where in dustry is honoured. One thing alone has, in the past, lessened our sympathy with your country and our confidence in it—we mean the ascend ancy of politicians who not merely maintained negro slavery, but desired to extend and root it more firmly. Since we have discerned, however, that the victory of the free North in the war which has so sorely distressed us as well as afflicted you will strike off the fetters of the slave, you have at tracted our warm and earnest sympathy. We joy fully honour you, as the President, and the Congress with you, for many decisive steps towards practi cally exemplifying your belief in the words of our great founders, All, men are created free and equal.' You have procured the liberation of the slaves in the district around Washington, and thereby made the centre of your Federation visibly free. You have enforced the laws against the slave trade, and kept up your fleet against it, even while every ship was wanted for service in our terrible war. You have nobly decided to receive ambassadors front the negro republics of Hayti and Liberia, thus for ever renouncing that unworthy prejudice which refuses the rights of humanity to men and women on account of their colour. In order more effectually to stop the slave trade you have made with our Queen a treaty, which your Senate has ratified, for the right of mutual search. Your Con gress has decreed freedom as the law ever in . the vast unoccupied or half-settled territories which are directly subject to its legislative power. It has offered pecuniary aid to all States which will enact emancipation locally, and has forbidden your generals to restore fugitive slaves who seek their protection. You have entreated the slave masters to accept these moderato offers ; and after long and patient waiting you, as commander in-chief of the army, have appointed to-morrow, the Ist of January, 1863, as the day of uncondi tional freedom for the slaves of the rebel States. Heartily do we congratulate you and your coun try on this humane and righteous course. We assume that you cannot now stop short of a com plete uprooting of slavery. It would not become us to dictate any details, but there are broad prin ciple of humanity which must guide you. If com plete emancipation in some States be deferred, though only by a predetermined day, still, in the interval, human beings should not be counted chat tels. - Women must have rights of chastity and of maternity, men the rights of husbands, masters the liberty of manumission. Justice demands for the black, no less than for the white, the protection of law—that his voice be heard in your courts. Nor must any such abomination be tole rated as slave-breeding . states and a slave market—if you are to earn the high reward of all your sacrifices, in the approval of the universal brotherhood and of the Divine Father. It is for your free country to decide whether any thing but immediate and total emancipation can secure the most indispensable rights of humanity against the inveterate wickedness of local laws and local executives. We implore you, for your own honour and welfare, not to faint in your Providen tial mission. While your enthusiasm is aflame, and the tide of events run high, let the work be finished effectually. Leave no root of bitterness to spring up and work fresh misery to your children. It is a mighty task, indeed, to reorganise the industry not only of 4,000,000 of the coloured race, but of 5,000,000 of whites. Nevertheless, the vast pro gress you have made in the shcrt space of twenty months fills us with hope that every stain on your freedom will shortly be removed, and that the erasure of that fool blot upon civilisation and Christianity—chattel-slavery —during your presi dency will cause the name of Abraham Lincoln to be honoured and revered by posterity. 'We are certain that such a glorious consummation will cement great Britain to the United States in close and enduring regards. Our interests, moreover, are identified with yours. We are truly one people, though locally separate. And if you have any ill wishers here, be assured they are chiefly those who oppose liberty at home, and that they will be power less to stir up quarrels between us, from the very day in which your country becomes, undeniably and without exception, the home of the free. Ac cept our high admiration of your firmness in up holding the proclamation of freedom." Mr. BAILEY, M.P., and Mr. S. POPE supported the adoption of the address, and expressed strong opinions against this country being longer depen dent for the supply of the raw material for her greatest branch of industry on slave-grown cotton. The meeting closed with a vote of thanks to the Mayor for presiding. Foreign Mail Packet List. . via M MAILS DUE. t o n.„ Dec, AuKralia and Mauritius, via Southae2P . Jan. 12 .8, a nse drazil and Cape Verds, by . 13 ri t anc i 1 ,st. Helena Feb. 1, woos, Cape of Good Hope, Asee._re, via Southampton. Dec. China, Penang, and Sing via Marseilles Jan. 12. _ ...........Jan. 4. Falkland Islands .. A , •;,,,,' F lo' n ........... .. Jan 2 1 Gibraltar, Via Su u _ d Ceylon, via Southampt . o . n..Dec . . --. . India (Calcutta), a.. . via Marseilles.... Jan. 12. bo , ) , via Southampton I n dia ( 13 " a via 1 arseilles .. Jan. 4. l, Portuga -.• • • t ~ . , Jan. 4. Malta, .tgyp , anu aux), via Southampton J an. 2. via Marseilles Jan, 4. Newfoundland Jan. 4. Oporto and - Vigo U. S. and British N. America, ty But. packet.... Jan. 7. by U.S. packet.... by Canadian packet. Jan. 2. W.C. of Africa M- adeira and Teneriffe Jan. 10 . Bahamas, vi a New York Jan. 15. Mexico ....Dec. 29. All parts of West Indies, including Chili, Peru, Dec. 29. California, and British Columbia.. On the 20th ult. a number of the officers who were exiled after the Nauplia affair gave a dinner at Athens to Captain Brock and to some of the officers of her Majesty's ship Pelican, as token of the esteem and gra titude for the courtesy shown to them during their journey to Smyrna on board the Pelican. According to the capitals- tion of Nauplia all those who wished to go could embark on board of either the French or English men.of-ff" which were in the harbour. 1 7 3 availed t h m tves of the offer, and 170 of them went mit Bard the Fellow:I. Naval and Military Intelligence, THE NAVY. The masts, yards, and gear for the iron-cased fri gate Royal Oak, 50, 800 horse power, completing for sea at Chatham dockyard, are being prepared at that establishment by a numerous party of riggers. A considerable portion of the lower or standing ri,ging, the whole of which will be of galvanized iron wire, has been already sent up and fitted to the lower masts, and very fair progress has been made in the work. The shed under which the line of-battle screw steamer Bulwark, 91, 800 horse power, is building—the progress of which is for the present suspended—is being used as a workshop by the riggers. The Royal Oak, like the Defence and others of our large iron ships, will be what is termed bark rigged, and will carry comparatively little sail aloft, while, on the other hand, she will spread a larger extent of lower canvass than many of the largest line-of-battle ships. This arrange ment will, it is expected, do away in a great mea sure with the rolling propensities of large iron ships, so apparent in the Warrior and Black Prince during a gale. To correct the same defect, the machinery of the Royal Oak has been placed as near her " floors" as possibl e . I n three or four weeks the plating will be compl eted. Considerable addi tional strength has been im parted to the ster n post by partially doing away with the s crew we l l, or aperture, for lifting the screw to the upp er d ec k. In the case of the Royal Oak the screw will only be raised as high as the main deck, and then only on occasions when it is necessary to repair it. The whole of the machinery has been fitted on board, and, so far as the engineering department is con cerned, there is nothing to prevent the Royal Oak steaming out of harbour to-morrow. The engines have horizontal double piston rods, and are direct acting. They are of 800 horse power (nominal), but are capable of being worked up to 3000 horse power. The operation of testing the engines by means of hydraulic pressure was effected a few days since under the superintendence of Mr. Warriner, on the part of Messrs. Mandalay, Son, and Field, the contractors„'when, with a pres sure o f 401b s . to t h e square inch on the whole of the boilers, condensers, and cylinders, not the slightest flaw could be detected. The ordinary working pressure on the engines will be 201 b. to the square inch, so that the trial was made with a pressure they will rarely, if ever, be called on to sustain. It was originally in tended to fit the Royal Oak with what is termed a telescopic bowsprit, which would admit of its being either lengthened or shortened as occasion required. This plan has, however, been modified, and she will now be supplied with an iron bowsprit, which will be so fitted as to be drawn up in a perpendicular direction should it be necessary to use the Royal Oak as a steam ram, for which her enormous size and weight well qualify her. Although called a 50 gun frigate, the Royal Oak will, in reality, mount only 33 guns, nearly the whole of which will be the largest Armstrongs. All, with the exception of two guns, will be placed on her main deck. Her portholes—which are comparatively small, being only 3ft. 10in. in length, by 2ft. in width —are, in fact, embrasures, which allow of the guns having a play of 32 degrees in each direction—thus working in a radius of 64 degrees. Her Majesty's screw steam corvette Pylades, 21 guns, 1,278 tons, Capt. Arthur W. A. Hood, was taken to the measured mile off Maplin Sands, for a final trial of her machinery, previous to her depar ture to the West Indies. The vessel was in charge of Capt. T. P. Thompson, of the steam reserve, and the machinery under the superintendence of Mr. Rumble, inspector of machinery afloat, and Mr. Baker, chief engineer of Chatham dockyard. The Pylades is fitted with Penn's horizontal direct action trunk engines, of 350 horse power, which worked extremely well. There was an entire ab sence of all hot bearings, priming, or any percep tible vibration from the machinery, The results of the trial were :—Average speed, 10.373 knots per hour; revolutions of engines, 63 per minute ; vacuum, 25 ; pressure of steam, 201 b. Griffiths's screw, pitch, 20ft. ; diameter, 15ft. 9in. Draught of water—forward, 15ft. 10in. ; aft, 191 t. 7in. The results were everything that could be desired. The vessel will leave Sheerness for her destination at nine o'clock this morning. The hired t ransport Istamboul,l,3lo tons register, Capt. Alex. Dueller, belonging to Mr. G. Duncan, of London, from Bombay, Aug. 27, has arrived at Plymouth. She brings Capt. Beresford, 72d High landers, in command, and Dr. D. C. Taylor in medi eal charge of two sergeants, two corporals, 22 pri vates, one woman, and four children ; and with:her general cargo are 300 cases and casks of harness on Government account. The Istamboul reached the Cape of Good Hope on the 20th of Oct., and left on the 27th ; crossed the line on the 21st of Nov., and arrived off Gravesend Dec. 29. She spoke on the sth of Sept. the Golconda and the Bates Family, both from Bombay for Liverpool; Oct. 7, the Earl of Hardwicke, from Madras for London; 9th, the Liverpool, 61 days from Calcutta to London ; 14th, the Lord Macaulay, 152 days from China for Lon don ; 13th, the City of York, from Calcutta for Lon don ; Nov. 11, lat 3 48 S., lon. 18 35 W., the Ve teran, from Tuticorin for London, which reported the Lord Raglan in distress off the Cape ; 23d, the Dutch bark Australian, 24 days from Amsterdam, for Batavia ; and the English bark St. Dunstan, 24 days from London, for Adelaide; Dec. 4, the City of Tanjore, 92 slays from Calcutta, for Lon don ; 7th, the Roscoe, from Nassau forPernHopambeu, 70 days the Dutch brig Bengalen, an d the ship dsys from Callao for Cowes; a lll h r 0 , the a io ; 2 American 3d ship Blandina Dudley, 84 the Hurripeedemsey and the Negotiator from Bom bay for Liverpool—the latter 89 days out; and Dec. 24, the Garland, 102 days from Singapore for Fal mouth. The Termagant, screw frigate, 25 guns, Capt.'R. Hall, having taken out her powder and shell at Spithead and been officially inspected, yesterday steamed into Portsmouth harbour to dismantle and be paid out of commission. She will join the 3d class Steam Reserve. The Prometheus, 5, 200 horse power, which was undocked at Chatham Dockyard a few days since to allow of the iron paddlewheel steamer Recruit, 6, 160 horse power, being placed in the same to undergo some very extensive repa irs , s ;vith the is ordered to be thoroughly surv e y ed of the master-shipwrights connecte d b r of h deo r e r k e y p a a r i r d . i n that vessel ar e o f various dockyards, with the view to asee tain whether the defects air. g uring the o Tl fficials, the time the Prometheus was in dock she such a nature as to allow underwent a hands of the survey at the ban result of which the Ival . discovery that mos t o f h er timbers were exc eedingly rotten and her planking ver y defective. H er engines and machinery have ta ken out been and placed •the l ad the in dockyard, and fib° special report to the Admiralty be un favourable she will either be broken up or sold out of the service. The Promethus is not an old ves sel, and nearly the whole time since she was built she has been employed on the coast of Africa. Private letters received from her Majesty's screw troop-ship Adventure, Commander Lethbridge, dated Jamaica, Dec. 2, announce her arrival at that place on the 28th Nov., 28 days from Gravesend, after a pleasant voyage, with Royal Artillery,which had been landed there. The Artillery relieved at Jamaica by those disembarked from the Adventure were to embark, with 200 of the 2d Native Infan try, in the Adventure on Dec. 3, and proceed _to Barbadoes and others of the West India Isltul sta dst relieving the various detachments of troops tioned at each in their turn. The Adventure was expected to be absent from Jaw fact' on this duty from four to five weeks. On Nov. 19 a heavy thunderstorm was encountered. The following appointmen ts have been made at the H Admiralty :—Lieut. Heaton, Edward S. Ri c h ar d s , to the Forte ; Lieut. WilAiaW H. to the Russell ; Lieut. Francis P. Renshaw, to the Firefly; Valen tine F. Johnson, master, to the Malacca; George J. Willes, surgeons to the Egmont ; Dr. G. David son, surgeon, to the ATeeanee; J: H. W. Bowman, paymaster, to th e Egmont ; John Freshfield, pay master, additional, to the President; J. C. Payne, ua rnaster, additi ona l, to the Meander ; Henry Yohnson, nominated to a naval cadetship; Charles Hobart, midshipman, to the Royal Adelaide; R. S. Gray, second muter, additional, to the Fisgard; John W. Lecombe, clerk, to the Impregnable ; and Gilbert J. Boys, clerk, to the Hawke. .- , ; 100 100 100 100 100 toot 108 :108 97i i 1051