The Sun. — London, England, 1844-05-28 00:00:00

THE EXHIBITION of NATIONAL INDUSTRY. (From Galignanes Messenger.) In our preceding articles we have noticed chiefly those productions in which the genius of French in dustry has struggled successfully to compete with the manufacturers of England. It was with great pleasure that we witnessed the progress that has been made in this honourable rivalry, for it is one that can be productive only of good to society at large, and we are sure that nineteen Englishmen out of twenty who visit the exhibition will reflect that if the amour pre pre of the French is flattered and encouraged by this progress, it is infinitely better that such should be the case, than that the struggle between the two countries should be one of destruction. How much better it is to find rival manufacturers en deavouring to outstrip each other in the race of pacific industry, that to see the inventive faculties reduced to no other study than that of the art of creating wea pons of warfare, and preparing instruments of strife, which must be fatal to the parties engaged in it, and worse that unproductive as regards the human race generally. We will not attempt to deny that the progress of the French in useful manufactures may, ere lOng, be injurious to the English in some of the markets which they have hitherto monopolised, but the world is large enough for the manufacturers of both nations, and in proportion as civilisation shall ex tend in countries which are still in a state of semi-bar barism, so will England and France be able to extend their markets, without either the English or the French being crushed by this honourable rivalry. It must also be borne in mind that whatever may be the progress of the French—whatever their equality, and we might even say their superiority as to execution — although to suppose that they ever can be superior to the English in the execution of the staple manufac tures, is to imagine an almost impossible hypothesis— France can never possess those peculiar means of pro duction which are possessed by England. In a country which has in resources of raw material and fuel, the progress, however rapid and remarkable, must still be comparatively slow. England has iron -in abundance ; she has an inexhaustible mine of wealth in her fuel; the cost of labour is little greater than in France, and consequently in all useful products she must continue to maintain a superiority. The minerals are, it is true, abundant in France, but with few exceptions they are inferior in quality to those of England, and it is only here and there that her coal approaches in quality to that of any portion of England. The Englishman who is so thoroughly English, and with so little of the spirit of evasmopolitism, that he could not see without a pang th e successful rivalry of another State, may be per fectly easy as regards those products in which hitherto the French have been so inferior, and he may ad mire without restraint the perseverance and genius which have enabled the French to approach to their present paint of excellence as compared with what existed a few years ago, and even at the pe riod of the last quinquennial exhibition. On the other band, the careful inspection of those pioducts of France which have hitherto enjoyed a well-merited preference may stimulate the English to the same rivalry as has distinguished the French manufactu rers in their efforts to compete with England. The ex libition of 1811 has this remarkable characteristic. There is nothing to ridicule. Where the French are inferior to the Eeglish, as they still are in many of the staple products, they are entitled to the highest com mendation for the advance that they have made within a short period ; and in some others, for which they have long borne the palm of victory, they command admiration. In the articles of bronze, under which general term are comprised all that re -letes to brass-work in the way of ornament, as well as articles of the compo•ition to which the name of bron::"! is particularly applicable, their taste is, as yet, unrivalle I. and it is impossible to execute with greater skill in Eag:%nd• We speak, of course, of the pro ductions of a h;.,:her order, for in the articles of in ferior price, and which are in general domestic re quest, although we have to record great progress, yet wye are bound to say that, price for price, the English must still command a preference in all foreign markets. ',This is remarkable, especially in all the cheap brass y: ark required for the purposes of gas-lighting, a Neel extensive branch of industry ; but, on the other ,band, elan, it must be observed, that some of the best ~•6.tterns ia g n iani are borrowed from this c o unt r y , I nd -nen" of the most costly articles continue.to be imp 4rteia _'"to gland, It is not very surprising that in u the articles or einel.:lse—those which are within the means of the orsiority cf consumers—the English should have a superiority. They have had double the experience of the French, and, consequently, there has been double the amount of competition 3n England, for time aryl experienee only lic produce :!,. Not s competition that is benefic ial to the 1. 10 years ago there were only two or three matiAc turers of brass articles for gas purposes in the whole .of France, who could be at all relied upon, and there were not, perhaps, ten perso ns in the tr ade—good, 'bad, or indifferent. Twenty years ago, competition In this branch had made such wrides in England, that jiondun, Birmingham, She ff ield, Wolverhampton , and ether places, had - manufactures of gas articles ; some safi!eem doing business to an enormous extent, and all stray glint,' for superiority in the excellence of nuanufaccare, as well as the price at which their at tide could be delivered to the public. In France, the .competion ha; been great, but it has not been the .competition of twenty year;, and, consequently, both an the execution of the products, and the prices at -which they are sold, they are much behind the English. This is not the case, however, in articles for domestic Ise in the old mode o f lighting. They are well exe cu,,ed and cheap, for during the last thirty years the 2nanufiteturers have been struggling against each mother to introduce economy to the consumer. Almost All the improvemente in lamps which have been in troduced into England are importations from this 'country, although they have been rarely acknow ledged as such; and in the execution of the Articles, the French are equal, if not superior, Ito the English ; whilst the prices, notwithstanding 'the greater cost of some of the raw material, are as flow, if not lower than those of England. The same eobeervation applies to the articles made for burning Sthe new light of self-generating gas, which may al must be said to be a French creation. The first lamp eordered of this kind that possessed any merit was evade at Hamburgh about eight years ago, but it was rather a toy than a useful article. The light that it Nave was very small, and the cost to the consumer ewes not only infinitely greater than that of coal igss , but thirty or forty per cent. greater than that fit elbe old lamp. Some of the self-generating gas l artiva exhibited this year are very beautiful, san d ar e remarkably cheap, considering the style in --which they are got up, whilst plainer lamps, quite as 'useful, are shown at prices much below those at •which common oil-lamps are sold in England. As ewe may not have another opportunity of alluding to this invention, we must observe that we leave great doubts of the success of this mode of 3i g h i t:ng, as regards economy, although the Le gislative has taken off the duty upon al seohol uss'd for this purpose. The mixture in general lase is co rwsosed of spirits of wine and spisits of turpen tine, and ttie light is more or less brilliant, according to the proportion of turpentine that is used ; but, if this Le in excess, the lamp smokes , and emits an unplea sant odour. 'By way of economy, some of thecomposi- Mans contain distilled essence of tar or petroleum. 'The light in this case is exceedingly brilliant ; but, linorder to be so, the distillation cannot be carried tto such a point as to divest the product of its offensive 'properties. If this be done, the carbon or illuminating power is reduced, and the light is comparatively faint. ,;oat of our readers are aware,perhaps, of the principle fifes 11s self-generating gas-lamp. It is nothing more than njoCcious application of the principle of all light, for in ( every case the flame is gaseous. A long wick of coos; plunges into the mixture. The top of the lamp oc bewner is perforated with holes like that of a common . gas.hurner, arid the fluid, being conveyed pap the wiok, gets heated as it rises, and gives out its Ls. It is necessary, on first lig ht ing the lamp, to et the burnez, by applying a flame to it, by means cif a.einall reservoir filled with spirits of wine, which is ignited, or by I sts o i D g round it cotton saturated with *white,. which is set on fire. The lamp, being thus (heated, 'generates its gas, and when it has burnt for a few part is kept h o t by its own se conds, the upper mune, , n 0 as the fluid rises it gives out its gas per manently as king as any of it remains. It is rather 'curious that this discovery should have bee n ma d e a t ro late a period ; fur more than twenty years ago we exhibited in the little sav r the principletubular g as _ upon oil, and winch was used as a night light.Owl, placed match , being he ld aver alig h te d In that case, eld sover the glass tube, heated the oil, and the gas , as i t rose, took fire, and continued to generate with the heat of the flame. Here was the whole is ret 0 ; the present self-generating gas-lamp. Whether like its unpretending little ancestor, is ilestined to are ephemeral existence, remains to be seen. :Le some one of t h e n umerous improvers up on the alamburgh limp should succeed in producing a fine cheap light, it must supersede not only the use of sense, oil, or tallow, but coal-gas ; for it would be in lainatorly preferable to the latter production, which, with %II its A dvantages as an external light, is attended wi t h inconvenience, and not 'infrequently with __ ait_,er. We shall- uow proceed to notice some of the most .. irpni ar k a bi e ai. ticles exhibited by the bronze manufac x\- ~.z,, viruterll`and s ii vt '' smiths. The first manufacturer of IS V. ' - '___. ---JY.loirki bronze a.r.‘;°l6B' as regards delign and execu -- c Lion, isii • IM. D euie. re (1,333), of the Rue Vivienne. _____J *le exhi i some very • rich and beautiful articles, ~, *(..f ich the most st:.iiiing are those of a dinner lwrvic ; e for the late D l :lte of Orleans. These „ . , -,fitrittp,, in the highest deeet - to the eye, and lbe•-vvi.H bear the closest inspection. The figures --- bog, and the outlines os' an execui l .on hitherto Lie . ml\_ id vaned. There is a finish ,about them which did pot which ehtima var. ot cha vcterise the fp school, alit ticular distinction. At No. 1,345, Durand, we see some articles which claim the same notice. There is a chased silver dinner service of high execution, quite in the Cellini style as to boldness, but at the same time of infinite good taste and fine execution. We cannot say the same of a plateau for a tea foun tain, in silver, which M. Durand estimates at 36,000 f. and which if we mistake not, was exhibited in 1839. As a work of art it is unexceptionable in point of execution, but nothing more outrageously bizarre as to taste could well be imagined. The fountain is the tea urn, with four cocks, under each of which is a tea-pot, and under these are four cream jugs. The plateau contains at its edge a number of small stands for the cups and saucers. What is meant by having four tea-pots, unless it be to supply the company with four sorts of tea, we know not. The figures which sup port the urn are exquisitely sculptured, and we repeat that the execution is altogether beautiful ; it is of the taste, or rather want of taste, that we complain ; but all may not entertain the same opinion, and some foreign purchaser may perhaps be found for this strange article ; but we think it must be in a very distant country. The silver itself of which the fountain is made is valued at about 14,000 f., which leaves 22,000 f. for the workmanship and the profit of the silversmith. We confess that the price is not enormous to a rich amateur, who may differ from us as to the taste of the production. No. 1,356, Odiot, is a splendid exhibition. M. Odiot has been long at the head of his profession as a silversmith, and his articles this year show that he is resolved to re main so. The taste, execution, and solidity of his pro duction are alike remarkable. M. Lebrun, No. 1,344, exhibits some very pretty silver articles, amongst which are four champagne vases, ordered by Baron de Rothschild. They arc splendid productions, and the price, 5,000 f. each, is not excessive, considering the workmanship. M. Lebrun has also a magnifi cent plateau, very richly chased, and in excellent taste. His tea-urn is in the same good style, but the coffee and tea-pots. have a heavy appearance. No. 1,357, Aucoc, is a plateau, in very good taste, but nothing else out of the common way. M. Soyer, at 1,331, exhibits some pleasing objects, by the new pro cess of the electric current. At N 0.2,184, Gandais, the best manufacturer of plated articles in Paris, there are some specimens which show great progress in this art. Generally speaking, plated articles in this coun try, hitherto, although fine to the eye at a distance, would not bear a close inspection. There was always something about the edges to show that they were at tempts to imitate silver. The edges of most of the articles exhibited by M. Gandais are executed with as great care and neatness as the best articles in silver. No. 3,307 is an altar-piece, in good style, intended for the church of St. Robe, at Argenteuil. It is a mag nificent article for a country church ; the price of it is 14,000 f. No. 3,692, bronze and cut-glass cande labra, &c. The glass drops, instead of being long and pointed, have a fiat surface, and do not appear to reflect the light with the same brilliancy as by the old system. At N 0.2,349 there are some better specimens but there is a want of harmony in the arrangement. The chandeliers appear to us too massive for the number of , lights that they carry. No. 1,346 displays various articles of silver plate and jew ellery, all in very good taste. We may say the same of I,34o —bronzes. The bronze sta tuettes, figurines, busts, &c., at No. 3,321, are excellent. M. Ruing:), No. 1,225, has some fine canda labra. Thelarzecand ilahrum has a good effect from the general harmony of the style. The above are only a 'few of the exhibitors of bronze and silver articles, and have been selected by us as the most entitled to notice, but if our space would admit of it, we could mention several others with commendation. There are, as usual, many exhibitors of false jewellery. The general workmanship evinces more care than for merly, and, consequently, the imitation is the less perceptible. Since the discovery of the galvanic pro cess of gilding, there is a greater inducement for ex cellence of execution in the brass-work. Hitherto to gild well and permanently •vas too expensive for imi tations, and, therefore, the articles were got up so roughly that it was easy to detect that they were not real. Now, at a sea :11 expense, a durable caating of gold nply be put upon brass-work, and if that he well made, the eye cannot detect the difference until time has destroyed a perti - n of the gilded surface. The new process has open..d a vast field for the manu facturers of false jewellery, and it is not, perhaps, going too far to eseert that well gilded articles will he almost as valuable as half the articles miele in England of what is called jeweller's gold, which has no standard, and which, although charged originally at an enormous price, is almost valueless when offered for sale as old gold. It is not all uncommon in Eng'arel for a lady to pay ten guineas for a chain, the gold of which is not wort% two guineas. There is, fortunately, nothing of this kind in France, where all articles of jewellery must be of a fixed standard, consequently the purchaser on selling or exchanging an article loses only what is called the fe namely, the price of the workmanship and the fair profit of the ven dor, and in purchasing we hive only to get the arti cle weighed before us to know how much we are reJlly paying fur fashion. At No. 3,284 there are some exquisite specimens in false stones, and at 3,723, some false pearls of such close imitation, that it would be difficult for any but a connoisseur to detect the difference. SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. FROM THE EVENING PAPERS OF YESTERDAY. GLOBE—By a piece of paltry manoeuvring, in perfect keeping with their paltry tactics, the Tories managed on Thursday night to prevent Mr. Christie from bringing on his motion for inquiry into the constitution and present con dition of the two IThiyersities, with a view to assimilate them to the changed circumstances of the country, and thus ex tend their usefulness, in conformity with the design of their founders. The mode in which the Conservatives—of all abuses—effected this was explained by Mr. Christie on the following evening. To that explanation wo refer in justification of the term we hate used to designate their con duct. We do not charge this act of disreputable trickery upon the members of the Government. It was concocted and executed by honourable, but—except in such duties— very insignificant, gentlemen who occupy the third and fourth seats behind the Treasury Bench. These worthy in struments of the party seem incapable of any higher eleva tion of thought or act. In this instance they had just dis cernment enough to see that the statements by which the Honourable Member for Weymouth would support his motion for inquiry would open the eves of the public to facts they are unwilling should become known ; but without having sufficient foresight to discern the consequences of burking those statements. Those who plotted for the pur pose of stifling the motion may rest assured that the course taken to prevent the statements and arguments of the Hon. Member from meeting the public eye has tended to strengthen the generally received impression that z searching investi gation, with a view to an extensive renovation and reform In those institutions, is necessary, and must at no distant period be granted. Exaggerated apprehensions in the public mind, called up by the efforts at concealment, will tend to increase the demand for an extensive and salutary change. The motion for inquiry is merely postponed; the temporary de feat it has sustained will tend to facilitate the object, instead of suppressing the investigation. No expectation was enter tained that the inquiry would have been obtained, as the im mediate result of the motion. It is probable that but little discussion would have taken place upon it. The mo tion would have been negatived—it may be " without a division." What then ? The speech would, it is true, have been heard with impatience by those who are always pre determined to vote against inquiry, in proportion as the facts adduced prove the necessity of reformation. Such would only have "sat out" the discussion, that they might, if necessary, record their votes against the motion. But in the reports supplied by the public journals on the following day, the speech thus listened to with impatience, or with listless indifference, in the House of Comtnons, would have been read by hundreds of thousands. Sooner or later, the impression thus produced would operate within the walls of Parliament, and speak even there "with most miraculous organs." The days are long since departed when a Member of Parliament spoke only to those within the House of which .he was a member. Then the effect he pro duced upon those who immediately heard him was every thing; and the impression out of doors was scarcely worth a thought. The Tories know that another era has dawned upon the nation. Hence, whenever they can prevent a motion for inquiry from being brought forward, they do so— not so much from an apprehension of its effect within, as of dread of its results upon those without the walls of Par liament. To this apprehension we refer the trick to which they had recourse on Thursday night. By counting out the House on Mr. Christie rising to bring forward his motion for inquiry into the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, with a view to render them more beneficial . to the country; they hoped to keep the country in ignorance of matters which affect the character of the close corporations of learning and piety at Oxford and Cambridge. he t fallacy of that hope will become apparent. STANDARD.—Our readers will have known that the Irish Court of Queen's Bench has refused the motion for a new trial, that has now occupied it for a term and something more. Mr. Perrin alone dissented from the refusal as regards Mr. O'Connell, and Mr. Crampton dissented in the case of Mr. Tierney; but as two of the judges agreed to refuse in every case, the rule for a new trial is refused to all, viz., re fused by the whole Court as respects six of the trayersers, Dr. Gray, Messrs. Steele, J. O'Connell, Dully, Barrett, and Hay ; refused by three of the judges to one. in the case of Mr. Da niel O'Connell, refused by two of the judges against two, in Mr. Tierney's case; but too equal division of the Court operates as a refusal, because, where the judges are equally divided upon an affirmative proposition, the negative always of course prevails. In consideration of the equal divi sleieasnt guiltyup in for M of Mr. Tierney's tdeeneei intimated that he would not call that gentle mangnt. t r s a t s r • r s T at i l; ern eoyn noti t s he ce e rt t a h i e n r ly han(, i the he appears to us the most criminal, after the master incendiary ; but no doubt the Attorney- Genera) l e a t k o e s o e sec the l\ir exercises a sound disc , e tion in bowing to the equal division of opinion on the bench. ' ewrhneic3h,,stheeseDapaeb.lin,lT'ree malt is n's ani Jo ils urn ing ai m t tries toh meanwhile most recent fashionable announcement respecting • the Irish Attorney-General was, that the learned functionary attended the Premier's last ball. He has just returned fro r ni London—his last lesson hi prowcution i 3 yet fresh in his memory, and we must, thercf..re, look upon his declaration yesterday, that he would at once demand judgment on the repeaters, as the carrying out cf orders issued by the head of the Cabinet. The wily Minister wishes to keep his hands off the clergy, and in defersnce to his known veneration' for Catholic priests,' he has instructed his calker not to demand judgment on the Rev. Mr. Tierney. We have no doubt but the snrpliced iutlians' will duly estimate his forbearance." Whoever reads the argument of Mr Jus tice Crampton, will see how notch Sir Robert Peel's instructions have had to do with Mr. Tierney 's good luck. We have copied from a morning Contemporary (the Herald), a review of the grounds upon which the Justices l'errin and Crampton respectively decided against their brethren in the two cases, in which they did so decide. As this article pretty wetly expreasep our own views, we shun ea) , uothing more upon that subject except that every one antici pated from the first day of Michaelmas Term, how Mr. Perrin would act ; such anticipation, however, being wholly unconnected with any doubt of the Learned Judge's integrity, and resting solely upon the practical proofs he had given, when Whig Attorney-General, of his erroneous views of the law of conspiracy. It were strange, indeed, if the Learned Gentleman should not, as judge, have some qualms at treating, as criminal, what himself had connived at if not encouraged, when charged with the vindication of the law as first law officer of the Crown. Mr. Crampton, too, had a difficulty of the same kind, though much less in degree, to contend with, for he also had been a Whig law officer, but it was in the earlier and better period of the Whig Administra tion. On Saturday the Attorney-General called upon the counsel for the traversers to offer their motion in arrest of judgment, if they intended to make one. Sir Coleman O'Loghlen, on the other side, declared that a motion in arrest of judgment was intended, but the traversers' counsel were not ready. Not ready, at the end of six months I The Attorney-General demanded to be at least informed of the grounds of the motion, and of the authorities by which it was intended to support it. in order that on Monday (this day) he might be prepared to reply instanter, without wasting more time ; but for this the traverser? counsel were not prepared at the end of six months. The Court interposed with more firmness and de cision than it had previously manifested, and told the learned advisers of the traversers that they must, in the course of the same evening, communicate to the Attor ney-General the information that be so reasonably re - quired ;—and there the matter rested. The motion in arrest of judgment being, as every one knows, designed merely for delay, will be spread over as many topics as possible; but as on such a motion there can be no apology for the tram sere being allowed separate and distinct counsel, and as the Court seems to have awakened to the duty of discounte nancing pettifogging quibbling, intended merely to con sume the public time, the whole matter may possibly be disposed of in the course of the present week. And whether it is or not, is a matter of little consequence, for the case is one of those that may be said to be forgotten before they are completed. Nobody now has reason to re gret the delay that has occurred, except the traversers, who have now still before them the whole of that punishment, a very considerable part of which would have been already ex pended, had they not resorted to the dilatory policy. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, MAY 28, 1844. FRENCH CONVICTS. At Toulon nearly three thousand of these unhappy beings are confined in the bane. In former times, Frenh convicts were placed as rowers on board the royal galleys ; but galleys are not now in use ; and though the felon, when condemned, is still spoken of as a galley-slave, yet these slaves are no longer employed in the naval service of their country, except to perform aow and then a little light labour about the arsenal. Like all slaves, they are of little value as workmen ; for the labour obtained by the fear of the lash is generally the most expensive labour that an employer can have. In the naval dock -yards of Toulon the convicts may be seen lounging about in groups, while the freemen, who labour for wages, are the only men who really work. It is the same all the world over. Where great exertion, either mental or bodily, is re quired, the man who labours on compulsion, will always break down. The Russian nobles, for instance, know by experience, that they dare not intrust their herds of wild horses in the southern steppes to the keeping of their serfs. No dregd of corporal punishment is sufficient to obtain from a li srdsman that unceasing care and vigi lance requisite in one who has a taboun of wild Tartar horses to look after. The French convicts wear a prison dress something like our own. The uniform at Toulon consists of yellow trowsers and red jackets. Those sentenced for life wear a green dress, and those who have escaped from prison and been re-captured, are distinguished by a yellow sleeve. Each man has a num ber, and that number is the only name he is known by in the bagne. Formerly the convicts were branded with a hot iron ; but this barbarous practice has of late years been discontinued. Not the least re markable feature of the system is the enormous number of officers to the prison, and their singular inefficiency. To supe intend less than three thousand prisoners, nearly all of whom are heavily ironed, there are five hundred keepers ; and these are constantly and painfully on the watch lest their interesting charges should misuse themselves by firing the arsenal, in the hope of escaping in the confusion that would probably ensue. The bagne is the regular lion to which all strangers are taken who come to Toulon. and the prisoners are in the habit of making articles of various kinds for sale to the visitors. The money received is not given to the prisoner, but is placed to his a •count, and he receives it when he has erved out his time.—Foreign Quarterly Review. THE FREE " ASSEMBLY. Up till the period at which we write, we have no account from the "Free " Assembly of the introduc • tion of any of the great questions which the public look forward to as the test-stones of the policy of the new Secession. There has been, as formerly, a great deal of talk about minor details, and much self-glo rification ; but nothing definite has been proposed, either in the shape of a constitution, or in regard to the management and division of the funds. It would appear to be the intention of Dr. Candlish and the other leadas to stave off, as they did in the first two Assemblies, all discussion of these important points, till the withdrawal of general attention from their proceedings enables them to secure a settlement fully in accordance with their own priestly notions. At all events, six days have been already spent in such a way as gives strong probability to this supposition. For another year, the members of the Free Church will be let in the dark as to the respective powers of the laity and the clergy—they will get no satisfac tion about the extent of their suffrage—whether it is to include females, or be restricted to males ; nor will they know whether their Church Courts have re served to themselves more power than is conferred on the Church Courts of the Establishment, even by Lord Aberdeen's Bill. As to money matters, beyond earnest injunctions to keep perpetually pouring into the treasury, they will be told little or nothing. But this, though it may disappoint, will not offend them. Faith in the clergy is more, blind, indulgent, and con fiding, than any other faith whatever. Two of the minor questions enumerated above as having come under discussion, are worthy of some notice, as indicating the intolerant character of the Free Assembly, and the selfish instinct with which it acts on the lawyer's principle of " the case being al tered, that alters the case.' All the speeches in which Unitarianism is mentioned breathe the fiery spirit of persecution, and the very men who are complaining of their own places of worship being taken from them, are indignant at the Legislature for interfering to pre vent a much grosser injustice of the same kind. The members of the Free Church think it hard that the quoad-sacra chapels, towards the erection of which they were the chief contributors, should be withheld from them ; but they have no hesitation in calling upon the Legislature to permit a few indivi duals to deprive numerous congregations in England of the property which they have held for years, which was left to them by their forefathers, and which they had every reason to believe was indisputably their own. A number of the English chapels, no doubt, might originally be intended for the use of Trinitarianism ; but., in the course of time, like other ecclesiastical muniments, they have fallen into the hands of a sect professing a different creed. This sect being numerous, and being the de scendants of the parties for whose use the chapels were built, is there any harm in so altering the law, that they may make the bequest really available for religious purposes, although not exactly according to the form or profession that prevailed when the be quests were made ? If there is—then, as we said last week, the whole Reformation in England, Scotland, and Ireland, was a grievous wrong. Henry the Eighth and Regent Murray committed foul injustice, and Latimer and John Knox were the instigators and abettors of robbery. When it suits themselves, the members of the Free Assembly are not scrupulous in insisting that Church property shall be held only in strict accordance with the deeds by which it has been created. It was on the very same day on which they petitioned against the Dissenters' Chapel Bill, that they pro tested loudly against the retention of the quoad-sacra places of worship by the Establishment. None know better than they—for they framed most of the constitutions under which these chapels exist—that they are strictly tied down to a per petual connexion with the Establishment. Now, if the Legislature, in its wisdom, were engaged in de vising some plan whereby such of these chapels as are useless to the Establishment, and of which the Five Church has need, should be handed over quietly to the new secession, what would they think of any sect of Unitarians who should come forward and petition against the measure? Yet this is just what they are doing to the Unitarians.—Aberdeen Herald. LATE FIRE AT LYME.—dt is now correctly ascer tained that 39 dwelling-houses, including the Cups Ho tel, and five other inns and public-houses, were totally destroyed by the fire on Saturday the 11th instant ; and there are also from six to ten houses, including one pub lic-houae, partly destroyed. There are besides this the Custom-house, a brew-house, a malt-house, the exten sive stabling and coach-houses of the Cups Hotel, a bonded store belonging to Mr. Goddard, the wine mer chant, the capacious salt stores of Mr. Prosser, and the coal stores adjoining, belonging to Messrs. Munden, Prosser, and Urquhart ; the large cellars and counting house in the occupation of Messsrs. Gundry and Co., the brewers, of Bridport ; and the stabling and coach houses in the George yard, belonging to that inn and the executors of the late Mr. Edwards, totally destroyed. We are happy to hear that most of the sufferers are in sured for the buildings, but some of the parties who have lost their furniture and wearing apparel are wholly un insured. A most liberal subscription, amounting to nearly 6001. has been entered. into by the gentry and tradesmen of the town and neighbourhood, which will be fully sufficient, when completed; to remunerate the sufferers to the extent of their several losses. Had the wind bl:uvn from the east or south-east, nearly the whole town must inevitably have been burnt down.—Sa liAb ury RoY AL COLLEGE OF SURGEONS.—The Court of Examiners admitted the following gentlemen members of the Royal College of Surgeons on Friday evening last :--Henry Kingsley, Guy's Hospital ; Nathaniel John Dampier, Guy's Hospital ; - Samuel J. Remnant, St. Bartholomew's Hospital ; Thomas Callaway, Guy's Hospital ; Robert Ellis, University College ; Edward J. Protheroe, University College ; Richard H. Donovan, Dublin ; James M. Moullin, Dublin ; John Cowburn, University College ; Thomas tlepwell, Dublin ; Wil liam C. Byass. Guy's Hospital ; George Frederick Wills, Guy's 11, spital ; Henry Fearnside, University College, SINGULAR CASE OF ABDUCTION. On Friday a young man, named Thomas Robins, dressed as a farmer's labourer, was brought before Mr. Baillie, the sitting magistrate, at New Brentford, in the custody of the police, on a charge of having stolen a quantity of wearing apparel, consisting of various silk dresses, shawls, body linen, &c., with a number of books, the property of Mr. G. Willavyse, an extensive farmer near Newbury, Berks, from whose employ he had absconded on the 7th inst. Mr. Willavyse stated that he had known the prisoner from 'his childhood, his father and mother, and other members of his family, having been for years in his employ. During the last five or six years the prisoner had also worked for him occasionally, and at Michaelmas last he hired him as a yearly farm servant, at nine shillings a week, and lodging, Sec. The prisoner gave every satisfaction until the night of the 7th inst., when he absconded with his (witness's) daughter, who was only fifteen years old, taking with them the articles in question. He did not discover the abduction until the next morning, when he galloped to Reading in pursuit, thinking they would probably have gone by the Great Western Rail way to the metropolis. At Reading he could learn no trace of them, and he consequently returned home. The next day, believing them to be in London, he went to town, and applied to the Commissioners of Police on the subject, but, after the lapse of a week, he again returned home. On the previous day, however, he received a letter from Mr. Green way, the landlord of the Drum public-house, Old Brentford, inquiring if any member of his family had improperly left home, as a young man and a young woman, who had every appearance of being respectably connected, had been lodging for a week at his house. Witness instantly started for Brentford, having first obtained a warrant for the prisoner's apprehension. On arriving at Brentford, he ascertained that they had taken lodging at the house of a shoemaker in the town. Having procured the assistance of police-constable Smith, T 92, he went to the house, where he found both his daughter and the prisoner, the latter of whom he imme diately gave into custody on a charge of felony. By Mr. BAILLIE—The value of the articles was consi derable, as his daughter had removed the whole of her ward robe, with all her books, including her Bible and Prayer book. Until he discovered their absence, he was not aware of there being the slightest intimacy between his daughter and the prisoner. The prisoner, in answer to the charge, declared all that had taken place between him and bliss Willavyse had been with her own free consent. Miss Jane Willavyse was then called in. She was a fine looking girl, about five feet four inches high, of considerable embonpoint, and about fifteen years of age. She gave her evi dence with reluctance. It'was elicited from her that, having consented to elope with the prisoner, she had at midnight, on the night of Tuesday, quitted her father's house by means of her bedchamber window, and descirded by a ladder, which had been placed for her by the prisoner, taking with her, of her own accord, the property the prisoner was accused of stealing. They started on foot to Maidenhead, where they arrived in the early part of the morning, and rested them ' selves. They then found that neither of them was in pos session of a farthing of money, and they were compelled to pledge some of her clothes to procure refreshment. Being fearful of discovery at Maidenhead, they returned to Brent ford, walking all the way, upwards of twenty miles, and took a lodging at the Drum, as has been stated. While at Brent ford, they supported themselves by pledging various articles, but the prisoner had got a situation to go to on Monday, as a farm servant, at nine shillings a week, at a farmer's in the ' neighbourhood of Brentford. BAILLIE said, after the evidence of Miss Willavyse, the charge of felony could not be sustained; and he sug gested to Mr. Willayyse the propriety, as his daughter was so young, and matters had gone so far, of arranging the affair. Mr. Willavyse refused to adopt the snggession, and de clared his determination to prosecute the prisoner for the ab duction, his daughter being under sixteenyears of age,which made his carrying her off a felony. Mr. BAILLIE said, under those circumstances, he had no alternative but to send the prisoner before a Berkshire ma gistrate to deal with the case. The prisoner was accordingly conveyed, on Friday night, by police-constable Smith, to Newbury, and on Saturday morning he was taken before a magistrate of Berks, where the charge of abduction was preferred against him. After the examination of several witnesses, he was remanded for the production of other evidence on Friday next, and was afterwards conveyed to Reading gaol. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. (YESTERDAY.S - Yesterday Ilfarga;e7kel7;, a ferocious-looking woman, was brought up for final examination, charged with stabbing John llynitnock, a carter, residing at No. 13, White Horse-court, Turnmill-street, Clerkenwell, with a knife, whereby his life was seriously endangered. The occurrence took place on the 6th of May, since which the prosecutor has been in St. Bartholomew's Hos pital. From the position of the wound it was feared lock jaw would ensue. Yesterday, however, the prose cutor, although not yet quite recovered, and having his head bound up, attende 1 in Court and gave his evidence. All the circumstances of the case were mentioned in our paper of the Bth inst. Mr. Cooper, the house-rar• geon of the hospital, deposed to the nature of the wound. The prisoner, who has throughout exhibited the most callous indifference, was fully committed for trial, William Barlow, an engineer, residing in Church street, Limehouse, William Brady, and William TVilson, genteelly attired persons, were charged with creating a disturbance In St. John's-square, at two o'clock on that morning. Constable 66 G deposed that he sawlliarlow and Ridley pushing one another against the doors in St. John square, and making a noise calculated to disturb the inhabitants. When he took them into custody, Barlow off,red him a bribe of ss. if he would set him at liberty. The prisoners were in liquor. P. C. Marryatt, 31 G, corrAoratei this statement. WhPn Barlow was arrested, he became abusive, and said he paid 15/. a-year taxes to support the police. Mr. GamExwoon ordered Barlow to find bail ; fined Ridley 10s. ; and ordered Wilson to put a sum in the poor-box, which he did, and expressed hia regret for the misconduct. James Connor was charged with assaulting police constable 35 G. vv The prisoner quarrelled with his sister, in Bleeding hart-yarJ, Holborn, on the previous evening, and gave her a blow, which rendered her insensible, and caused her to bleed profusely from the nose and mouth. The constable took him into custody, whereupon the prisoner knocked him down, and tore his uniform coat and trowsers so as to render them useless. Committed for twenty-one days. WORSHIP-STREET. Yesterday a man named Thomas Patterson, and Eliza beth Patterson, his wife, were placed at the bar before Mr. Bingham, on the following charge of robbery and attempted murder, upon a young man named George Allen, a linen-glazer, residirg in Monkwell-street, Fore street, Cripplegate. The prosecutor, whose face was a mass of cuts and contusions, and in other parts of his person bore mani fest evidences of severe ill-treatment, stated that as he was passing through Allersgate street, at eleven o'clock on the night of Sunday, the 19th inst., he was accosted by a young woman, with whom he ultimately went to numerous houses, and lastly to a very wretched one, where he was attacked, robbed, and then wounded. The whole proceedings were of the lowest and fiercest cha racter. At last the prosecutor made a violent struggle, and succeeded in breaking away and running into Ar thur-street, where he met a policeman, and while telling him of the ferocious attack that had been made upon him, the' two prisoners passed the end of the street, and were immediately pointed out by the prosecutor as two of the persona implicated. Henry Tarpin, an officer, who searched the prisoners' house, deposed to finding the outer case of the watch and the prosecutor's money-bag there, and to the floor of the room being in several places dyed with coagulated blood.—Both prisoners were fully committed to New gate for trial. Brown and Smith (officers) stated in the course of the examination that the female prisoner had belonged to a desperate gang, which had been routed out by the parish authorities from Granby , -street, Waterloo-road, where they had located themselves, and afterwards distributed themselves in other parts of the metropolis. The male prisoner' was stated to be very respectably connected, but had been discarded by his relatives in. consequence of his marriage with the other prisoner. SUICIDE.—John Leaman, aged 60 years, an inmate of the workhouse in this borough, whose habits and conduct had obtained for him the bestowal of privileges not usually granted to the paupers, was detected on Sa turday last, under circumstances which gave assurance that he had been guilty of a most •atrocious violation on the person of a child only nine years of age. This girl it appeared had been allowed after school hours on Saturday, to remain with her father in the man's yard as an indulgenco to her parent. Having missed her, the father in the pursuit of an inquiry, went to a room in that part of the yard in which Leaman worked, but was unable to enter it, as the door •f the room was fastened on the inside. He asked Leaman if his child was there, when the girl cried out " I am here, father." The father then went away, and presently the girl came after him, and in answer to close interrogatories he elicited confirmation of his most painful surmises. Subsequently he encoun tered the wicked object of the child's pollution, and visited upon him the indignant scorn of a man dis honoured and wretched, and informed him that he would cause his imprisonment. The charge was not given to the authorities of the establishment until the next day, when, preparatory to other proceedings, the master stopped Leaman's leave at the gate. On his presenting himself, as usual, on going to church, Leaman was in formed that his leave had been checked. He turned away, and was not heard of for an hour-and-a-half afterwards, when it was discovered that he had secured the door of the room ita before, and finished his career by self-destruction. He was suspended by the neck by a rope, and apparently had been dead some time. An inquest was held on the body on Monday, when a verdict of " Feb de se" was returned. His remains, according to law, were interred on Monday night, at Stoke Church, between nine and twelve o'clock, without the rites of Christian burial.—Devonport Independent. CHURCH-RATIM—Lord Denman's decision and sound reasoning upon it, in the church-rates' cases, set the points at rest. That Dr. Jennor Fust should hay given the decisions he did, astonished every reasonable person ; and that his decisions were completely opposed both to the spirit of the law and former decisions, was as clear as that one and one make two. Church bigots will be quiet now it is to be hoped.—Front a Correspondent. It has been ascertained that the pressure of the at mosphere is, on an average, 15 pounds on ever square inch of surface. The extent of surface on the body of a man of mean stature, is computed at 2,160 square inches, which sum, mul tiplied by 15, gives 32,400 pounds as the total amount of weight or pressure he ordinarily sustains—a weight so pro digious that, did it not admit of the most indubitable de monstration, we could not well credit it. Now, suppose the mercury in a barometer to rise or fall an inch, this will make a difference of exactly a quarter of a pound of pressure on every square inch of surface, and hence will either add to or remove 1,080 pounds from the average weight pressing on the body.—Dr. 11. Weatherhead on headaches. " DOG EAT DOG."—Nearly all the Nisi Prius cases this term were cases in which attorneys were either plaintiffs or defend a nts.-- Dubin Paper. CIVIL WAR IN SWITZERLAND. • The New Gazette of Zurich, of the 22d May, contains a circular letter of the Vorort, dated the 13th of the same month, and addressed to all the cantons of the Confe deracy. Its object is to acquaint them with the steps_ it has adopted in order to maintain tranquillity in the 'Va lais, by ordering the various corps of the federal troops to march into that canton. To this document is an nexed a dispatch from M. Meyer, the Federal Commis sioner sent into the Valais. This report, which is dated 17th May, says in substance : " The Grand Council assembled this morning, and will meet again this evening. Order prevails in appearance, but in reality the country is placed on a volcano, which must explode either to day or to-morrow. Both parties are preparing, and there is much talk about gunpowder having been distributed in Lower Valais to Young Switzerland,' and of orders issued to keep ready. The same has been done in Upper Valais. The impending arrival of volunteers of Old Switzerland is even men tioned. Thus a collision is to be apprehended." M. Meyer writes at ten at night " A catastrophe is preparing; the debate in the Grand Council has been a most stormy one. Violent scenes are stated to have taken place. The Opposition and some members of the Conservative party have left the hall. It had been beforehand resolved to propose the occupation of St. Maurice, and to appoint a comman dant of the troops. The Opposition were aware of that project. To-night, or to-morrow, Young Switzerland will march. Under these circumstances I have notified to the Executive Council that I should assume the title of Federal Commissioner, if matters required it. " Quarter to Eleven.—The Grand Council have just ordered the occupation of the communes that have re belled, and the appointment of a commandant of the Landwehr in the person of M. de Kalhermatten ; it has issued extraordinary powers to the Executive Council. and appointed a Committee of three members of the Council. These resolutions haveebeen adopted by a ma jority of forty-two votes." " The communications," says the Ami de la Consti tution, of Berne, of the 22d May, " are intercepted ; the priests direct the movement. Great and serious dis orders are committed. Young Switzerland' is in want of arms, and ammunition. Letters from the Canton de Vaud state that the whole western part is stirring. The arquebusiers of that part of the canton have proceeded to the assistance of Lower Valais, without waiting the Government orders. Provisions have been sent. The people of Vives are coming to the assistance of the liberals. Never have the affairs of Upper and Lower Valais presented so much importance as at this moment. What determination the Vorert will come to is not known ; but Berne and Vaud have resisted and will not let any troops pass." The Paris Quotidienne, a Legitimist and High Church paper, gives the following account of the cause of these disturbances, and infers that the civil war will extend to every canton : " It is reported that the government of the Valais had been victorious, and that the people of the Lower Valais, beaten by the Conservatives, had been obliged to sub mit. However great may be the truth of this news, the affairs of this Canton are undoubtedly in a deplorable state, and order can be no longer maintained. Catholics and Radicals are in arms against each other ; and al though the first are the more numerous, the others are better organised, and have little or nothing to lose. To this we may add, that the latter are sustained by the Radical States of the Confederation, and that these States, with Berne at their head, have already proved, as in the affair of the convents of Argau, how little it costs them to adopt illegal and violent measures in ob taining a triumph for their principles, or rather for their wilfulness. What is passing in the Valais is, in a de• gree, the faithful image of the state of all Switzerland. In every part there is division and disorder, if not fla grant, at least in all hearts and in all the governments. The most anarchical doctrines are set up in opposition to Conservative opinions, and in face of the Conference of the Catholic States we find a haughty league of most of the Protestant Cantons. It is in vain that Bale Town and Neufchatel endeavour to keep up some appearance of order ; men's minds are too much excited, and the present President of the Directory, M. Siegwart Mul ler, is as ready to carry his ideas to the extreme as ever was M. Neuhaus, the late Radical chief of the Con federation." SUPPOSED MURDER and SUICIDE. Yesterday, considerable sensation prevailed amongst the inhabitants of the neighbouring village of Bootle, in consequence of a rumour that a child had been mur dered by its mother, and that the latter had then com mitted suicide. Upon inquiry, it turned out that the report was not without foundation, and that there was but too much reason to believe that both these horrible crimes had been perpetrated. The facts appeared to be, that about nine o'clock on Saturday night, a remarkably fine male child, with long brown hair, and apparently between seven and ton months old, was taken out of the canal, near Coffee house-bridge, Bootle. When first taken out, he showed symptoms of life, but soon afterwards died. He was very respectably dressed, having *had on a striped printed frock, flannel petti coat, linen shirt, dark check gingham pinafore, black and white netted worsted handkerchief, blue and white worsted socks, and a brown bonnet, lined with blue silk. The canal was afterwards dragged, and the body of a female, supposed to, be the mother of the child was speedily found. She was rather delicately formed, and was apparently between twenty-one and twenty-four years of age. She was five feet one or two inches in height; and the colour of her hair was brown. She, also, was rather respectably attired, having oh a dark printed cotton dress, lilac printed apron, plaid worsted handker chief, stuff shoes, not much worn, black worsted stock ings, and a black stuff merino bonnet. A golf ring was found on the fourth finger of her left hand ; and she was supposed to be from Liverpool. There appears very little doubt that the female was the mother of the child. She was, at all events, its nurse ; for, in the earlier part of the evening, she was seen suckling it on some steps near the canal bridge. There were no marks of violence on the infant, but there were a couple of large black spots on the right leg of the female, and a contusion under one of her eyes. The child was first discovered by a gardener named Edmund Smeahurst, who happened to be passing along the canal at the time, and who states that his atten tion was directed to the spot by having heard something like a person moaning in the water. He succeeded in getting the infant out, and then ran and in formed the police, who, upon their arrival, found Mr. Reid, surgeon, in the act of endeavouring to restore ani mation. The bodies were conveyed to the Rising Sun public-house, where they remain at present, and where they were visited by some hundreds of persons yester day. The female was recognised by several, who stated that they had seen her frequently in and around Bootle. A carter; amongst others, said ha observed her nursing the child on Saturday, near one of the Bootle turnpike gates.—Liverpoo Albion of Monday. ANDOVBR,—Rumour states that our borough is likely soon to become the arena of another political con test, by the anticipated resignation of Lord W. Paget. Mr. H. B. Coles, of Middleton House, has for some time past aspired to the honour of a seat in Parliament by the suffrages of the electors of Andover. An agent of the Conservatives has paid a private visit to the town, making the fullest inquiries confidentially, doubtless hoping " to catch the weasel asleep;" but we can assure them the Liberals are stirring and quite prepared for the struggle, come when it may. The present stat e of the register is highly satisfactory, and leaves no doubt of a triumphant majority.—Hampshireindependent. DEATH BY CLIMBING.—On Saturday, an inquest was held before C. Collins, Esq., on the body of John Harry, of Rhossilly, Gower. It appeared that on the Wednesday previous he called at Stouthall, the seat of J. N. Lucas, Esq., for the purpose of gaining permission to get down some young rooks from the trees adjoining the park. Not being able to see that gentleman, he was requested by the housekeeper to call on some other day, when he would very probably gain permission. It is supposed that the deceased must have proceeded imme diately to climb the trees, and that he laid hold of a decayed branch at a considerable distance from the ground, which gave way, for on Friday morning he was discovered quite dead in the road, his head, on the back part of which was a wound, having evidently come in contact with a stone. Verdict, " Accidental death."— Catniorian. . DESPERATE ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE PROM PORTS MOUTH GAOL.--Within the last fortnight, a plan has been organised by three desperate prisoners in the above gaol, to liberate themselves. Tneir names are, Dennis Kirby, a private of the 49th regiment, committed for trial for a robbery with violence; William Allyn, for stealing a piece of print; and John Maclin also for felony. It ap pears from information communicated to Mr. Hunt, the governor, that the prisoners intended to have put their plan into execution on a Sunday, and that last Sunday was the day fixed upon for the purpose; but on Sunday they were all secured. It is usual for the prisoners all to pass into-chapel before the turnkey, who counts them as they pass, and when the whole number have gone in he turns the key upon them, and awaits the conclusion of the service before he unlocks the chapel door ; thus all the tenants of the prison are locked in, including the governor, and every person con valescent. It was the intention of the three prisoners above named to have lingered until the last in going into chapel, and then to have turned the key upon the whole community, overpowered Mr. Hill, the turnkey, and possessed themselves of 'the keys, by which "leans their liberation would have been easy. When the plot was discovered, Marlin offered to turn Queen's evidence, but Mr. Hunt being already, through a secret age ri cy, possessed of the facts, di s p ense d w ith Mr. Maclin 's ser vices. Kirby, the soldier, was promptly sent off to Winchester gaol, there to await his trial at the next assizes. Allyn and Maclin were both ironed ; and their irons will not be removed until their trials, nor then, un less ordered out of the country. — Hampshire Advertiser TRAGICAL EVENT.—Shortly before the royal mail steamer Trent, now in harbour, sailed from St. Jago ie Cuba, a very fine-looking black slave went on board, who on being reported by the purser to the captain, was told that he could not be taken off the island without a passport, and therefore must go on shore again. To this he strongly demurred, and on being urged, he replied in broken English, " Me go shore again ?" and drew a knife from his pocket, with which he nearly severed his head from his body. The unfortunate man had in his posses ion 200 dollars, three boxes of cigars, and a copy of " Gil Blas," which were taken ashore along with his body by the Spanish authorities. It was understood, adds our informant, that he had the misfortune .to belong to an unkind master, and that, finding his hope of escape thus baulked, he had committed the rash and fatal act above described.—Jamaica Times, March 22. The Conservative members of the House of Com mons propose to entertain the new Secretary of War, Sir Thomas Freemantle, at dinner, after the recess, as a mark of the high estimation in which his courtesy, frank ness, and obliging disposition are held 17 thew. GENERAL ASSEMBLY. EDINBURGH, FRIDAY, MAY, 24. UNIVERSITY TESTS. The overtures on the subject of the University Tests were read, when Principal MACPARLAN said—lf ever there was an oc casion when it was justifiable to allude to a subject so unimportant as the personal feelings of an individual, I be lieve that this is one. Sure lam that I never rose to ad dress the General Assembly or any other body with such a distressing consciousness of my own inability to do jus tice to the subject which I have now taken the liberty to bring under your consideration. The extent and the im portance of the subject appals me. The apathy, to me unaccountable, which prevails in some parts of the Church and the country requires no common effort to dispel; but I take encouragement from the well-known kindness and indulgence of the Assembly, to which I have been often and deeply indebted, . from the intelli gence of the members, and from the zeal with which I know, when they are convinced of the importance of the cause, they will embark in a measnre which involves the great interests of a national and Christian education in our beloved country. The overtures upon the subject show that they have been called forth by a variety of measures which have been recently adopted by dissent ing bodies, by the Universities, and by municipal cor porations, for an alteration of the law of the land in respect to the connection between the Church and the Universities. And in proceeding to lay before you my views in connection with thi s topic, perhaps the best method of doing so will be first to read the resolutions which I mean to propose to the Assembly. I may mention that it was my original purpose to have moved that we present a petition to the Legislature. Had the question remained in the same state that it was two months ago, when a legisla tive measure was in dependence, I should have persisted in my resolution ; but as it is well known that a motion was made for leave to bring in a Bill upon the subject, and that that motion was refused by the House of Com mons, I think that we should be deficient in consideration for that respectable branch of the Legislature if we were now to trouble them with unnecessarily any direct application. But I think it proper that the Assembly should adopt a series of resolutions expressive of their view of the importance of this question, and should cause these resolutions to be circulated, not only within their jurisdiction, but that they should be communicated in some shape or other to the Legislature. Theresolutions I mean to propose are as follow:- 1. That tho General Assembly regard the moral and religious education of youth in universities, public institutions, and parochial schools, as a national object of unspeakable importance, and productive of the highest benefits to every country in which it has been success fully conducted and maintained. 2. That for this purpose the religious and educa tional establishments of Scotland have at all times been closely connected, to their mutual advantage and secur ity, and their connection kept up by a number of Le gislative enactments, particularly the Act of Security, 1707, providing, among other safeguards of our national Church, that professors in Scottish universities " shall before, or at their admission, acknowledge and profess, and shall subscribe to the Confession of Faith of the Church of Scotland, as the confession of their faith, and that they will practice and conform themselves to the worship presently in use in this Church, and never en deavour, directly or indirectly, the prejudice or subver sion of the same." 3. That this Act is not an ordinary statute, but part of a solemn national compact, insisted on as an indispen sable condition of even treating for an union with Eng land, engrossed in that treaty as " a fundamental and essential condition thereof," in all time coming; of, vital importance to the prosperity and existence of the Church of Scotland, and not to be altered or abrogated without endangering the constitution of our country in Church and State. 4. That the Church of Scotland has hitherto reposed unlimited confidence in the security and protection af forded by this law, confirmed as it has been by the sa cred oath taken by all British Sovereigns on their ac cession to the throne, and no less by the assurances so often given and repeated to this Assembly by our pre sent beloved and most gracious Sovereign, of having their rights and privileges, as established by the laws of this kingdom, inviolably maintained and preserved. 5. That while the General Assembly rejoices is un disturbed tranquillity the fullest confidence in the fulfil ment of those assurances, they cannot but view with some measure of anxiety the attempts which have been recently made in various quarters to deprive the Church of an essential element of its security, by dissevering from it the most important establishments of public edu cation,—the petitions which have been presented to both Houses of Parliament for the repeal of that part of the Act of Security which relates to professors in universi ties, and the motion actually, though unsuccessful:y, made for leave to introduce a Bill founded on those pe titions into the House of Commons. 6. That under these circumstances the General As sembly feel called on to declare, that they would consider the repeal of the clause referred to in the Act of Secu rity, as a direct attack on their most valuable rights and privileges, as a fearful obstacle to the training and edu cation of young men for the holy ministry in our land, as inflicting a deadly injury on the Universities of Scot land, by shaking the confidence of the public in the principles of their professors, and as a measure fraught with peril to the ecclesiastical establishments and educa tional institutions, not of Scotland only, but of every part of the British empire. Such a change they must earnestly deprecate and oppose on every occasion by all lawful and constitutional means. 7. That these resolutions be printed, and copies of them transmitted to all the Members of both Houses of Parliament. After a speech from Mr. BREWSTER against the reso lutions, and speeches from several other Members in their favour, Mr. BREWSTER said he had intended to move a counter resolution, but as he felt that the whole of his brethren would be against him, he would lot trouble them. The resolutions were then agreed to. MINISTERIAL COMMUNION. Dr. Coon, after a few observations, in which he urged the necessity of • ministers taking care not to open their pulpits to any one who did not entertain the principles of the Establishment, otherwise the minds of the people would be bewildered and unsettled, and some risk in curred of rooting religion altogether out of their minds —proceeded to read the following report of the Com mittee appointed to consider this subject : " The Committee are deeply impressed with the im portance and desirableness of promoting unity, and maintaining friendly relations with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity and truth. They feel that it is of equal importance to maintain the purity of Christian doctrine and discipline, and to guard the great principle of an Established Church. To secure those important objects, the Committee would respectfully recommend that admission of those other communions to the bene fits of the Establishment shall not be left to the discre tion of individual ministers, nor granted to those of the soundness of whose faith we cannot be fully aseured, but that in every case it shall be required that permission be asked and received from the Presbytery of the bounds, or a standing committee of their number, who shall in any case report to the Presbytery ; and that it shall be borne in mind by every Presbytery, that such admission is to be granted only to those who, by the recognition of, and subscription to a creed or symbol of faith, give un doubted evidence that they maintain With us the vital doctrines of the Christian faith, and the principles which, as an Establishment, we are bound to maintain." Mr. Balfour of Clackmannan, Dr. Muir, and Mr. Clau•k, of Inverness, having expressed their approbation of the report, it was unanimously agreed to adopt it in the meantime, and to send it down to Presbyteries for their c•nsideration. The Assembly adjourned at six o'clock till half-past seven in the evening. EVENING SEDERUNT, The Assembly met again at half past seven, and pro ceeded to take up THE CASE OF BANFF. The Acts of this case appear to 'be these;—On the 10th of August last, a presentation in favour of the Rev. George Henderson, minister at Cullen, by the Earl of Seafield, was given into the Presbytery of Fordyce, and sustained by them, and the usual steps ordered to be taken towards a moderation in the call. The Presby tery met for the moderation of the call on the 24th of August—Lord Aberdeen's Act having received the Royal assent seven days previous. The call having been signed by twenty-six persons, heritors and mem bers of the congregation, the Presbytery, in terms of, and in the spirit of, Lord Aberdeen's Act, intimated that, if there were any objections to be offered, they were then ready to receive them. A list of reasons and objections, amounting to fourteen in number, were ac cordingly given in, signed by forty-four parishioners ; and included objections to " the exuberance of hie ani mal spirits"—to his preaching being , " incoherent, un connected, and ill-deduced"—to hie natural defect of utterance"—to his want of " a musical ear"—and to the sordid motives which they believed had influenced the presentee in accepting the presentation. The Pres bytery, without giving any opinion of the relevancy of the objections, allowed a probation of the same. After a very tedious procedure, the Presbytery, on the 28th of March, came to the opinion that many of the ob jections were very frivolous, and that those objections only were relevant which related to the alleged fut. of Mr. Henderson's preaching being " incoherent, n,n= connected, and ill-deduced," and of his net tieing distinctly heard because of a defect in his utterance ; but that in regard to the former of 'these, the evidence was extremely contradietnry. The Presbytery, how ever, resolved, because of the novel situation in which the recent Act of' Parliament had plaeo.l the law, to refer simpliciter the case to the Synod of Aberdeen. The matter having come before the Synod in April last, the Synod referred the case to the General Assembly. Mr. Pyper, ad voca t e , appeared for the pres e nt ee ; - Mr. Penney, advocat e , f or the objectors; the Rev. Dr. Mourns and Mr. W. Grant for the Synod. There was a preliminary point which occupied the House for a considerable time, viz., an appeal by th e presentee against a judgment of the Synod, dismissing a petition and complaint against the competency of the Presbytery to treat this case under Lord Aberdeen's Act, which was not in existence when the appellant's presentation was granted and sustained. The Assembly repelled the objection, and ordered the parties to pro ceed to state the merits of the case, whioh they accord ingly did. Parties being removed, a discussion ensued, when Mr. GIBBON, of Lonmay, moved—" That the Assembly sus tain the reference from the Synod of Aberdeen ; find that there is full evidence that the people of Banff will not wait upon the ministrations of Mr. Henderson—that the people of Cullen are affectionately attached to him ; that he is useful in his present charge ; and that there is no prospect of greater good to the Church by his translation to Banfl."—(Laughter.) Dr. COOK then addressed the Assembly, and after acme remarks said he wished—he did not make a motion —that the utter should be seht back to the rroialtery, with instructions to proceed in the constitutional deed of ascertaining whether there is ground for the transla tion, and to report to the Commission, which meets in • August, and let them pronounce a decision upon it. Professor ROBERTSON, of Ellon, said he could come to no other conclusion than that they should send the eh' jections back to the Presbytery, remitting to the Pres bytery to cognosce and judicially decide upon the ob jections, and in the event of appeals or complaints, tha t the whole case should be brought up to the Commissio n in August, when it should be ready and ripe for decision. In this motion the Assembly concurred ; after whic h they adjourned at two o'clock in the morning. NOMINATION AT KILMARNOCIC. (From the Scotch Reformers' Gazette.) , KILMARNOCK, SXTURDAY.—This was an exciting al in Kilmarnock. By Mr. Robertson re ti r i ng , the grotto remained clear for the Hon. Edward P. Bouverie, Refor mer ; Mr. Henry Vincent, Chartist ; and Mr. Henry T. Prinsep, Tory. Shortly after 12, as these gentlemen approached the Council Chambers, and appeared on 1 . 138 balcony, they were severally loudly cheered—Mr. Illn" cent, as a matter of course, coming in for a double shar e of popular favour. The windows of the opposite buildings were filled with the beauty and fashion of the district ; and the house-tops were clad by a number of anz l ° lll and daring adventurers. of Mr. Sheriff Bell officially commenced the business the day. Mr. Sheriff-substitute Jameson was also oil the platform, as was also Provost Brown, Bailies Blot wood, Wilson, and Young, Sir J. C am pb e ll, Sir J. Fairlie, Charles M'Allister, Esq., E. H. J. Craufurd, Auchenames ; J. Pattison, Esq., Cunningham head; • Cowan, Esq., Ayr ; G. Mitchell, Esq., Glasgow; Andrews, Esq., writer; L. Lamond, Esq., writer, 30. Mr. HUGE CRAIG, ex-Chartist, in a highly laudatorf, speech, proposed Mr. Henry Vincent, with the confiders , expectation that ere long he would be the Right fl? „ 1 . 1 ; Sir Henry Vincent, Prime Minister of England ! T i auspicious announcement was received with loud cheers. Mr. GEORGE OSBORNE seconded the nomination. Provost BROWN came before the meeting, not, to oa k ; a long speeeh, but simply to propose the Hon. T. Bouverie as a fit and proper repretentative. Bailie YOUNG seconded this nomination, and expresso(' his conviction that Mr. Vincent's appearance would 0 011 divide the Reform interest. Mr. WM. WALLACE proposed Mr. Prinsep, the Cer servative candidate. Mr. J. THOMSON seconded the nomination. Mr. VINCENT then stepped forward, and in a long s O , highly popular manner addressed the m ultit u d e , eschl: ing all party feeling—appealing to th e sense of jusn and conviction of his hearers—and leaving the result o the contest in the hands of the Reformers themsel le 4 He denied the assertion that had been made, thatL'A came to divide the Reform constituency, and asse t that he witc the only candidate who could honestly CO' forward, anti appeal to the people. The Hon. P. BOUVERIE then addressed the meetil and stated that, respecting as he did the character , % e honouring the abilities, and appreciating nearly all the political principles of Mr. Vincent, he could not go whole length that that gentleman was prepared to In reference to his other opponent, Mr. Bouverie dered that he was totally unfit to represent the 101 ) . d Mr. Bouverie then defined the true meaning of the te'; Conservative—that a Conservative is truly a 1.0 . 1.1 ' opposed to the alteration of the corn-laws, and the los: provernent of colonial interchange laws. Having lli ti o a trated at length the evils of these restrictive laws- --4 0 dwelling on the absurdity of rejecting slave sugar, a le accepting slave-grown cotton and tobacco,—Mr„ Bouj er concluded by a hearty appeal to the numerous asserobw which was favour ably received. Mr. PRINSEP then addressed the assemblage, but b b le4 ij Conservative opinions were far fro m b e i n g ali' S • e i and he was accordingly but indifferently received , frequently interrupted by loud and repeated mark dist , approbation. t fet The SHERIFF then took a show of hands—firs; f o r Mr. Vincent, when a whole forest was shown—nex t Mr. Bouverie, when comparatively few appeared as for Mr. Prinsep, we only observed a stout gentleol"" in the centre holding up both hands I The SHERIFF then declared Mr. Vincent elected d b el show of hands, but intimated that a poll was dons° oti by the other two candidates, which would take placed, Tuesday, commencing at eight in the merning.—"S c° Reformers' Gazette. GATHERINGS EXTRAORDINA.- - • A venerable pair, man and wife, and both toff A respectable people, died lately in Galloway, wine, day of one another, whose effects, if brought to ion would furnish matter for one of the most curicion catalogues that was, perhaps, e v er su b m itted by auctioneer to the attention of the public. Ainld s ' to popular reports abroad on the subject, it is difficu lt ke n arrive at the exact truth; but as we have to the some pains to inquire into the facts el i i. case, the following will be found a close spr motion : —Deposits of siver coin, secreted places where no one would have ever dres!l', of looking for such articles—one parcel caref ll wrapped in a piece of rag, found in a corner of lumber-drawer, others in paper crammed into an basket, or hid in outhouses or some equally unprol e ing corner. These coins appear to ha v e been shut e from the light of day for a number of years, froth : 0 different values they represent, such as ls. 6d., 19.9 0 t 2s. 6d., and 55., and had become in consequences il if. only tarnished, but nearly as black as soot i l e b, There were also gold coins, foreign as well as Brit s of very small values, up to 51., with a great t he riety of very different articles, the fancy °f inB parties appearing to have been, to have a soinno of everything. Of these, let the following sPec a iw u r suffice richly-mounted ridi ng - w hips; l° 90 broken pieces of linen ; 30 pairs of good sbeets;od, dozen of towels ; about 250 rich-col o ured silk i hti 30 kerchiefs ; 3 dozen thimbles, of divers meet, of pairs of scissors, and 1 gold pai r ditt o ; 100 1 )1 ` 16 silk stockings ; 30 gowns, made and unmade' 1 women's bonnets ; a lot of shoe-makers' vas threads, with bristles attached ; coffin -lacing ; 5 , 1 11 great number of bottles of w i ne an d spirits c o t, qualities. Part of these were found in an old teac h he a supposed to contain nothing but rubbish; but iu the assistant to a- professional gentleman, engst o ut inventorying the effects, was directed to thy"' de of he drew from their hiding-pl acea seve nteen hot: . .„ 0 0- wine and spirits, some of the Amer- charnc#o But there was an endless array of other nicloni c o uch enumeration of which would occupy t °° „ 00 01 11 , space, if not exhaAst:. the patience - of the -ler g res` reader. The husband, in thi s , case , Was pigeon-fancier for many years, and Pes se— e• gr very large collection of these birds, which h e A sa larly fed and cleaned with his o*n han,f lsl • 0 111 which included nearly all th e var yi ng ,breeds Y•1!"od bas the world ; and, although a lengthened Pe ll ot intervened, *e still recollect him pointing t evel curious fact in natural history—namely, tbst. time the turtledove 000 s, it lifts its right fo o t fer had also number of fine canaries • but thered favourites have been dispersed, since lus hin t he among friends and acquaintances residing W,,,i t ., fs frid s locality which knew him so long and well Courier. ISLINGTON LITERARY AND SCIENTIFIC —The junior members of this Society met 0 0 0 0 0 , evening, at Highbury, to commemorate el° ~„013°, Birth-day, W. H. Butterfield, Esq., son of .Adm i ' droll teruald, in the chair. The usual loyal toasts w er : u re That of Prince Albert, connexion with litert, A s, t) ; art, was received with enthusiasm. The Chs' l ; the navy being proposed, took occasion to obsery if the wooden wall s o f Old E ng l an d had been h e ti Ito!, Maintain the supremacy of the seas, surely, l v . ty : of V, and steam came into play, the skill and ingenu i c essPr e , engineers and artificers would be equally t o plo lll This allusion to a recent brochure elicited por ,h The Cheviots and other high grounds tome 7 co pr and west have been, during the present week , with snow.—Newcastle Journal. BIRTHS- raw" On the 25th inst., in Upper Berkeley-stre et, of square, Mrs. Edmund Batten, of a daughter. t b lea On the 25th inst., at Thedden Grange Hants! --. , , P C ' John Wood, Esq., of a son. Dr . On the 24th inst., at East Retford, the lady o f . Hall, of a son, of On the 24th ghh in In s E t ss . t , q., a ., t ao b tf f aL e n da a au li b u igtlhlol,e daughter. Cornwall, Rectory, th e lady ,j. , thanA •l O ? i enn the the f a 1 1 a 2 2 1 5 5 e s ti t o h n. inst, ~ ?It B i c este. , 4 , On the 26th inst., G r o te , den, Esq .,of A 4,amsgate, of 9, son. o at the c w i i i f igw e of Thomas. ommrass. George _-_. _ itio sn 7 p BarP rw da o ug n h t te h r e . Giles, Es Ott the ~Civ il 26th i nst., A , of 2 stlt hist at Southampton, the law ,04, En weer, of a son and heir. i h drif' - at Wharncliffe-terrace, St. '''‘' P 0 road, Mrs. T. Southey, of a daughter. , ha F P- g On the 26th inst., in Finsbury-square, M. j° ,' of a daughter. ~....I z , 14° ' Ou the 26th inst., at Alperton-place, Midw" -- )0 0 ' Alder, of a son. , I- 0 4, On the 27th inst., in Porchester-place, UP Henry Fyne, of a daughter. j o lt , MARRIED. ~n gd oili,a s or On the 23d inst., at St. Helen's Church , 0-1.411, d on '' Henry Wescar Peel, Esq., of Watlinzton, 0 , 1 ,,, e A, , rine, eldest daughter of J. T. Hester, Esq. , ° f j " . "1, - e0t...,,, 1 / 1 .- °' On the 25th inst., at St. Pancras, Mr. Henr y e tt, -r . ''' ' Ann, youngest daughter, of the late G. 1 ,0 6. for Bay a the 27t h in ham-terre, st., at e Croydon, Surrey, n-town. lir' Ge °r Sea r tescue, of Smith fi eld-bars, to Elizab eth Bristorr, 01(1.6t ter of W. Taylor, Esq., of Croydon. DIED. 13, 13514. to ft° On the 29th ult., Sir John Hamilton Li gTilliso a° On the 21st inst., at the Hague , Holland, l' o bi Frederick, tenth Earl of Athlone. ,r P l° pr . On the 25th inst., at Kemp-town, Bnlb t "' the nsss of Bristol aged 69. Ti , trips bire , 0 0. ii o On the 23 1 inst., at Romsey, in 1-.11 that to vs. Toting, sen., Alderman of the Corporation of L%fibat„ * , el On the 24th inst., at Dose-hill, Wizoe, betlif Nottidge, Esq., aged 82. Elli S _ il l. widow On t b or e t2h•totiliaitnes J. Anderson, Aatnildeorlsolanm, Esq. House, r On the 24th inst., at Carlton Howie- Crockford, Esq., aged 69. Captain a°ll. On the 24th inst., at Bethnall-gree n, vo tsedtP mer, aged 43. On the 25th inst., Harbut John Ward , E g g" °f 0 1 ; 11 : 1 0(0 4. Islington. d 5 0 On the 25th inst., Samuel Sarage, on latt, Holborn-hill. gam s, rijim- . no p 10 4 15 ' . jI A P London: Printed and Published byl l— oArt;;;;4 '- No. 112, Strand, Printer, at "I s JIM Strand. is bki Presiact of the WV', 'll Tussday, 2S, IM. 1.1.340Ritc The c hw It ßll,r.r The r n " r aIF qonsbnr _CA I % ot "nue, o n ' e ar a "4(4411 ij SRei Particui, "ItrYi TUE Ite, it pt A / 4 114 "(1 a, Di Dot tit t :; l % 4tl A 1"It