The Sun. — London, England, 1844-12-26 00:00:00

CURRENCY OF SCOTLAND. I • 'rom the Edinbu"gh Evening Post and Scottish Record.) Remarks on the Speeches made at the stated General Meeting of Road Trustees, Commissioners of Sup- Ply, and Justices of the Peace for the county of Mid-Lothian, held on Tuesday, the I9th inst., re garding the contemplated change by Government in • the Currency of Scotland. .; •• After perusing these speeches, it is impossible to refrain from expressing deep regret at the opinions entertained by some of the members of that meeting, 'which are evidently founded upon erroneous views, Misconceptions on various points connected with this very important subject, and a total misapprehension of the true and actual position of this country. A Noble Viscount held, that "it was idle for that Meeting to talk of what measures might be in con ' emplation " thereby, declaring, that at the moment he bad enti re l y forgot (for he is too high-minded a No bleman wilfully to misrepresent) that the Right Hon. ' rinronet at the head of her Majesty's Government had Intimated in his place in the House of Commons, on the 27th June last, "the intention of Government to *pply themselves, after friendly communications with the parties interested in the banking establishments of Scotland and Ireland, to frame and bring forward beasures for the regulation of the currency of these kingdoms, similar to the measure now before the ."douse." If such an intimation cannot be held as evidence of What are the intentions of Government (taken in con nexion with the formerly declared sentiments of the Premier, and the details of the measures passed for the regulation of the currency in England), it seems difficult to conceive in what less ambiguous language the Government can convey an intimation of its con tnplated measures, or of the objects it has ultimately M view. It would appear the Noble Viscount and the Noble Baron entertain the opinion, that although they see a giant flourishing his club, and placing him self in the attitude to strike his intended victim, it Would be much more magnanimous to await the blow than either to parry it or to use means for averting it antirtly. Such a course, it is to be hoped, the people of Scotland will not follow, but that they will heartily "-operate with those who have expressed their alarms, and their anxious desire that Government would let the Scotch system and currency alone, and who have - -1 ,:)Y such a procedure truly estimated the notice given 'b y the Premier, and acted the fair and open part of Making him aware of the general sentiments of the Country, and that as early as possible, thereby to in duce him to reconsider the subject, and, if possible, save Scotland from harsh and ruinous measures. • The :Noble Viscount, whilst he admitted "the sta bility and success of the system of banking in Scot livid and its great utility to the country," demurred )" to the statements that the system of cash credits depended upon the issue of one pound notes, and that their abolition would form an impediment to the sys tem of allowing interest on deposits." Now, the ad- Itission and the demurrer are so irreconcilable with each other, that it is apprehended there exists some error in the reporting—the more especially, when it is known and recollected that the same parties who have joined in his Lordship's admission are completely at Variance with him as to his demurrer, seeing that ouch demurrer cannot be supported by, but is con trary to, all the evidence given before the Committees of both Houses of Parliament, particularly in 1826, When, it was shown that the system and its utility 'depended upon the continuance of issue of one pound 'lutes, " which, if annihilated, would not only prove a complete alteration and breaking up of the system, but likewise cause the withdrawal of cash credits and force a diminution, if not total discontinuance, of in terest on deposited money"—a proposition for which Purpose, be it remarked, the public newspapers a short tim e ago stated had already been mooted, although successfully resisted by some of the banks. The Noble Viscount, in continuation, informed the Meeting that some statements had been made else where, leading to the conclusion " that notes ought not to be convertible ; again, there were others who nontended that although notes ought to be convertible, • still provided each bank has a total deposit to answer any demands upon it, that this is quite equal to a g° l fl circulation in the country." Now here it is cite evident his Lordship alludes to two very dif• lerent opinions. As to the first, it is notorious that he will find few, if any advocates for it in Scotland ; and with respect to the second, can there be anything tosetrtal in a circulation if the banks meet all the gitimat e demands made upon them, as they un questionably do ? What more can be required— why insist that our garments should be covered with gold when humbler and less costly vestments suit our means and wishes—when we are willing to leave the L i re expensive but not more use f u l a pp arel to others, - assent to its introduction and to its use ? . t. l, 4- he Noble Viscount, however, proceeded to state, ~- „ a , t Scotland should have gold, as it might be re i‘-t4,'"vd from various causes—to meet the drains aris spe , t hrough had harvests, foreign wars, subsidies, and th e "ntltions, when a drain of gold may take place— th having occurred, " and might occur again—and the it was the duty of a wise Government to see that 'le circulation of this kingdom was in such a state, that when any emergency shall occur, use shall be able to supply the deficiency caused by the outpour ing of the coin of the country ;"—and he emphatically mks, " What is Scotland to do in such a case ? Could she furnish her quota ?" No, says the Noble Lord, It not Scotland, but the Bank of England, and the People of England, would furnish the proportion ;" a nd, then, he further puts the question, " Was it fair tu ask England to bear the burden for us ?" which • .„, e Xpressions and queries were echoed by the Noble Aiaron. This declaration, these queries, and volunteered re- Vies, would lead very naturally to the belief that the Jmk of England, and the people of England are very I ' l used indeed by the people of Scotland, who are thus I nade to appear—the inference being unavoidable—as .1 1 cunning, selfish, unjust, and oppressive race ; but, ° efore such severe charges can be admitted, surely t hey should be proved—and, therefore, let facts be exa 'llllnsd so as to determine the point. First, then, as to the means which Scotland uses for procuring grain ken a defective harvest occurs :—Her merchants, e those in England, send out their orders to Dant- Petersburgh, Hamburgh, Odessa, &c., &c., for sh ipments of wheat, &c. These shipments are effected Ythes-resident merchants at the different ports, who b ey the grain and pay for it in the local currency ofbey'le country ; these merchants reimbursing themselves f or the value of the cargoes by drawing bills payable la London for their amount or cost. These bills are 13 ';'visled for and paid when due by the parties inter ested in these cargoes, through their respective 'linkers in Scotland, who, having available funds at all times in the hands of their London correspondents, l ady not only for the demands of their customers but for retiring their own various obligations, are th us, -N enabled to pay the bills drawn for the grain. ow, in all these operations, is it not self-evident that gold has not been employed, and is it not well "own that exactly a similar procedure would, and .. 11 tually does take place, whether the grain abroad . 1 " / purchased for and shipped to any place in :ltd -Lothian in Lanarkshire, in Middlesex, or :?‘_, l c l -Lothian ? Yet it is quite true that if a con ' "klerable number of such shipments be made simultane ‘ c usly then the effect would be, a turnieg of the ex changes against Great Britain, because so many extra bills drawn for the value of the cargoes must, at one and the same time, be thrown into the market on the exchanges, and consequently affect the ~e n urse of exchange betwixt the places where they are hrawn and London. But as such transactions are Well known and their effect upon the exchanges an ticipated, it therefore naturally follows that those Persons, whose business it is to conduct finance , t ' i Perations, watch events, and, foreseeing the more than probable fluctuations in the exchanges, acquire ld by converting the notes of the Bank of Eng and, which they possess, into that precious metal, and shipping the gold off immediately to the Conti nent, avail themselves of the profit arising through s uch 'finance operations. from this explanation, it appears that the people (4 ' Scotland do not lac; any burden upon the peopl e o f nftland, neither do • they' apply to the Bank of Eng land for gold, on account of their importations of Fain, and therefore the statements or assumptions, i at there was laid a burden upon the people of Eng -11.441, or that there exists a necessity for their furnishing any particular quota of gold (from th e circulation) for such a purpose, on account of i he people of Scotland is pure declamation, un ;llPPorted by any proof. Still, with regard to *tie finance operations above alluded to, and the pre , s e a ntation to the Bank of England of its own promis- PT notes, to facilitate such operations, that proce dure is not only just and legal, but is in entire ac cordance with the covenant entered into betwixt that est ablishment and the Government, for behoof of the i t il t l 'h public, by which covenant, on the one part, c i Is stipulated that the Bank of England shall on r : l hand (and irrespective of the cause for such de -4,11d0, furnish gold or bullion (but equal in amount o 1 hY) to any of her notes presented for payment; and, 11 tas the other part, and for such considerations, cer reh? privileges tending to very beneficial pecuniary were conferred by Government upon that o rPoration, so that, consequently, there is no ground Somplaint can he made for such demand, founded, la Just shown, upon a provision framed by the wis --!,131 il uf the L eg i s l a t ure . That the arrangement just noticed has proved most ' ,tableP to th e B an k o f England, is indisputable— ros to its nu merous heavy bonuses, and large divi "ls duri ng t h e l ast 40 years ) ; but, besid es th ese siffr e Prof its, consult the various returns made by it to the 1 82n r ent Parliamentary Committees of 1819, a 1 832, 1838, 1840, and 1 841 , and, at ce ,l'ance, it will be seen, that with few ex , bi r l ° l ls and these only very lately the de- W i ts, (publlc and private) in the hands of that a:nouxiit o (seeing of g ai theyhave at all times far exceeded the gold in the vaults) must be held as having furnished the means for procuring and exhibiting the stock of gold or bullion in the Bank, and so far as these deposits consisted of public funds, there was thereby a loss sustained by the empire, because the Bank does not allow any interest on deposits, so that thus Scotland shares in the expense of maintaining in England a gold currency, and in providing gold for the uses of Government. These facts, then, show that the Noble Viscount and the Noble Baron laboured under a misapprehen sion, when they gave it as their opinion that the burden of finding gold for Scotch purposes lay upon the people of England ; therefore the good people of Scotland may feel quite at their ease upon this point, the more especially as, had the views of these Noble Lcrds been correct, their effect, in short, would have been this—that the people of England would be obliged to collect throughout that kingdom, the amount (in sovereigns) requisite to pay for the cargoes of imported grain, consequently withdrawing that amount from the circulation and the ordinary uses of the country, a course, and a result, never desired nor contemplated by the Premier, as is proved by the Government having arranged with the Bank of England for valuable considerations to provide gold to pay its own notes when demanded. Then, with respect to providing means for meeting the payments requisite for carrying on war, paying subsidies, and sustaining foreign speculations, it ap pears unnecessary, as regards the last, to do more than refer to what has been already noticed, as to importations of foreign grain, which are in fact fo reign speculations, and therefore a similar procedure and the like observations are applicable to them ; but with regard to meeting the expenditure of fo reign wars and subsidies, it is surely only requisite to state, that so far as these are not provided for at home, they are met by bills being drawn on the Treasury, or on the different military and naval de partments of Government by the respective officers to whom are intrusted such details. And here, again, the remark occurs, that by such bills appearing nu merously in any particular part of the globe, the exchanges there may rule against Great Britain, and gold may again be demanded by the financiers for their operations in these quarters, but, whether they operate or not, it is evident that as less foreign money (at the place of expenditure and bill drawing) can be obtained for these bills on the Treasury, &c., owing to the increased de mand for local moneys, the sterling amount must also be increased, and a loss be thereby sustained. But who pays for that ? Surely not the people of Eng land alone, but the whole inhabitants of the empire who pay such losses and expenditure through the medium of taxation, whereof Scotland contributes 5,000,0001. annually, which sum, be it however noticed, is not remitted in Scotch notes, these being confined within that kingdom. The Noble Baron stated that the people of England "pay every shilling of the expense of maintaining a metallic currency, while Scotland benefits by the stability of the standard, maintained at the expense of England," and added " that this is the plain, the naked truth," but unfortunately he did not explain how the people of Scotland benefited by the people of England maintaining a metallic currency. That the people in England pay their bankers a very smart commission on account of the business transacted by them, is true, and that the people in Scotland have hitherto been spared that additional cost in carrying on their business is also true ; but it appears difficult to comprehend, how a Scotchman should be consi dered liable for supporting the expenses of his neigh bour's establishment, he being perfectly satisfied with his present state and comforts. Besides, the whole world is ready to deal with, and to tru s t hi m , to receive his orders , to receive his notes in pay men t of any furnishing s or supplies, knowing well th a t h e thereby secures the same sterling returns and facili ties as he obtains from his friends in the south ; and there carutot be a stronger illustration on this point, than by referring to the fact, that although the amount of the revenue of Scotland is upwards of s,ooo,ooo l— [See Finance Accounts I. viii. f or the year ended fifth January, 1844, ordered to be printed by , the House of Commons, 26th March, 1844, pp. 26 to 62] —and collected in Scotch notes, the Trea sury receives that amount from Scotland, in the very same materials as the revenue collected in England, nor does the Government experience the least diffi• culty in providing for its various payments in e v ery part of the globe , whilst it possesses such materials, convertible into gold, at the pleasure of the holders, by an agreement long settled and lately renewed by a wise Government. SCOTUS. Edinburgh, 30th Nov., 1844. OUR FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND THEIR REMEDY. (From the Sentinel.) When Sir R. Peel accepted office his dupe and his syeophants loudly and confidently proclaimed the return of national prosperity. Redeunt Saturnia regna, was the shout of the Commons and the echo of the Lords. Under his protecting aegis, the landed interest felt themselves secure. The moneyed men rejoiced when they beheld thee champion of the bullionists s c a o fe r safely domiciled is ofd ow theni tgo r o i n aa i go ng ed - havesmt r o e n e e t .y not But been e t de nr t u b g e realised. . T antici pationsh e l D 4 d s e o s n w . agricultural labourer starves and in desperation fires the rick. The tenant, through low prices, his taxes being undiminished, is compelled to pay rent out of capital, all profits having vanished. His accumulations ceasing, his consumption ceases, and other producers, who used to supply his wants, find their goods lying on their hands. Bankers cannot lend their money, since there are no channels of trade open to prudence ; and cautious bankers shun rash speculators. Where are the exponents of this state of things ? Where are the proofs of this stagnation and depression ? We refer to the farmers, who demand the repeal of the malt-tax; to the manufacturers, who insist on abolish ing the duty on raw cotton ; to those engaged in the soap trade, who pray relief from the Excise; to the dealers in c”lonial produce, who clamour for the re mission of the sugar duties ; to the holders of realised possessions, who complain of the infliction of the pro perty-tax; and to the struggling professionals of every grade, who protest against any further fiscal diminution of their incomes. Sir R. Peel asked for a trial ; he has had it, and proved himself to be a quack. It is not true, honestly viewed, that he has made the revenue equal to the expenditure; had he done so, by increasing consump tion and profits, he would have displayed the wisdom of a statesman ; but when he effects his object by ar resting progressive accumulations, he simply performs a trick of legerdemain, slipping the card from one hand to another. He has had the fair trial for which he asked, and there is not a class in society which is not sinking under the weight of financial difficulties. The farmers, gulled by his plausibilities, now see through his perfidy; and, while he has lost their con fidence, he has not won the support of the manufac turers. His acts disavow his principles. He pro claims theories, which he lacks the moral courage to reduce into practice. He has no faith in truth. All his hopes are based on his presumed tact, and what Lord Stanley called "his art of dreseing up a case." llis colleague knows him well, and compliments his chief on being an accomplished trickster. We turn from Sir R. Peel to Mr. John Taylor. We have seen the result of the Tamworth prophecies; let us refer to those of Mr. Taylor. In 1833, this gentleman published a pamphlet, entitled " Currency Fallacies Refuted," in which we discover the follow ing prediction, which has been fulfilled to the letter. We earnestly implore every , man, whose mild is not locked up and barred by prejudice, to ponder well on the prophecy, and on its fulfilment. "If we are to adhere to a metallic currency on the present system, it is certain that heavy taxes cannot he paid much longer by the producing classes. They have found that out ; and this makes them so cla morous for the repeal of the house and window taxes. Whenever these are abolished, others will remain, equally obnoxious to the supposed cause of their dis tress ; they must also he reduced ; till at last the Minister, driven to extremes, will consent to, if he does not originate, a property-tax, in lieu of all other imposts pressing particularly on the industrious classes. Let this be agreed to, and what then will be the condition of the landed interest? With corn at 40s. a quarter, to which we shall come when the taxes are commuted, it will take nearly the half of every man's property to pay his share of the public debt. Will the remaining half suffice to discharge his other private obligations, all of them enhanced in the ssme degree ? Even if it should, what a prodigious revo lution will have been quietly effected, in a few years, by that Bill for restoring cash payments, which was passed with acclamations by the wealthy members of the State, but which has brought with it so much misery to the productive classes. And how truly does it illustrate the remark of a late eminent Christian philosopher (Robert In the moral system it is a part of the wise arrangements of Pro vidence, that no member shall suffer alone ; that if the lower classes are involved in wretchedness and beggary, the more elevated shall not enjoy their prosperity unimpaired.' " This is the language of a statesman and a philan thropist, of a philosopher able to trace the relation between cause and effect; and, assuredly, the day will come when John Taylor will take rank among the most signal benefactors of the human race. The cause of all th e distress is the monopoly of gold. We cannot admire, nay we cannot even comprehend, he logic of those pseudo free-traders, who would throw protection round a particular metal. All com modities, say they, should be left free to the in fluences and action of supply and demand, the com modity, gold, excepted. We should be glad to hear the reasons for this preference explained by some member of the League at Covent-garden Theatre. It would be edifying to be told, why the manu facturers, who desire to push the foreign sale of their goods, offer every possible inducement to foreigners to take away gold and leave the I goods in our warehouses ; for, certainly, if • gold is cheaper than goods, the foreigner will take the gold in payment for his imports. And when he has drained us of the cherished metal, the Bank con tracts its issues, refuses discounts, compels the holders of all commodities to rush simultaneously into the market, to compete against each other as vendors, and, by a glut, to reduce prices below the cost of pro duction. It is the monopoly of gold which creates panics, and arrests progressive accumulations of real wealth ; thus the fund of wages diminishes, as popu lation advances, and pauperism demoralises the race of operatives, makes bankrupts of the middle classes, and compels affrighted property to vote more soldiers and more police. Let us endeavour to simplify this complex ques tion. Eight pennyweights and a half of gold, thirty-four shillings in silver, and a quarter of wheat, are all reciprocally natural equivalents. Impose a tax on the wheat, and it rises in price. If, then, you do not -allow the gold to rise, you disturb the rela tions that formerly existed. Keep gold at its natural, or untaxed price, and how can it any longer he the just measure of the artificial and taxed price of wheat ? The consequence, then, is, that you drag down the taxed wheat to the price of the untaxed gold, and thus throw that tax on the producer, which ought to be paid by the consumer. And as all branches of in dustry are equally affected by the monopoly of gold, all taxes necessarily fall on labour, and property goes scot free. This is the cunning device of Sir R. Peel, who has liberated the aristocracy from paying their just contributions to the revenue. Hence he is their pet statesman. But, if these principles are true, as we firmly be lieve them to be, how blinded the manufacturers must be to their true interest, while, in waging war against the corn and sugar monopolies, they show such an extraordinary desire to protect a metal. Let us see how it affects them in that foreign trade on which they have set their hearts. Prices, we shall suppose, have risen to a remunerating rate, and are continuing to rise ; the foreigner comes into our market, and offers his goods for sale ; he inquires what he can get hack for them in barter or exchange, and ascertains that gold is the cheapest of all commodities against which he can exchange his wares. Of course he takes the gold. Then the terrified Bank of England puts on the screw. Money becomes scarce ; interest on loans is increased, and with it the rate of discount. Bankers draw in their accommodation. Why is all this ? Because the Bank of England, the prime mover in the whole system, must redeem its notes on demand at the Mint price, not at the market price ; therefore it keeps in circulation the smallest amount of notes pos sible. It is the foreigner who has abstracted our gold, because gold is cheaper than goods. and he causes all the mischief. What is the remedy ? Let the gold rise, and then the inducement to its export is removed, and the goods go instead of the gold. How is this to be effected ? By abolishing the mo nopoly of the precious metals. lt is to this simple point we would direct atten tion. If gold must be cheap, place everything else on the same footing. Cheap Queens, cheap bishops, cheap landlords, cheap soldiers and sailors, cheap fund holders ! To do this, you must abolish the debt, and reduce the whole expenditure. Be it so, the bullion ists like this system ; but let us no longer be insulted by the barefaced cruelty of compelling industry to pay high taxes out of low prices. dini=t~ xpect e ie „ d a et dr. hE:I be another ii:tir g $ ito tl'e to joi" nputt 39l d unie 4 be *4 ailleo l ,If the less Pr il. Frio ° tbei r a iTri Npnce ll33 paper', Abe e t he said le d t° $ 0 Coo" of the zange aid '3' ~ ovvi ert rt ft°lll nd 14 . 11 P c ' urscl ° 4 104° St D r 9 0, Do, tskf il $: a perlp ° inche [l d 0: t date [ s tso o ' 1 COP rint SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, DECVMfiER 26, 1344. ARTESIAN WELL OF GRENELLE The most remarkable example of an Artesian well is that recently formed at Grenelle, a suburb at the south-west of Paris, where there was a great want of water. It cost eight years of difficult labour to perforate. The surface at Grenelle consists of gravel, pebbles, and fragments of rock, which have been deposited by the waters at some period anterior to any historical record. Below this layer of detritus, it was known to the engineer, by geological induction, as well as previous experience, that at Grenelle marl and clay would be found, instead of the limestone which generally forms the immediately subjacent stratum. He was aware that he had to bore about 440 yards deep before he should arrive at the sheet of water which flows in the gravel below the limestone, and supplies the wells of St. Ouen, St. Denis, and Stains. Underneath the marl and the clay the boring rods had to perforate pure gravel, plastic clay, and finally chalk, which forms the bottom of the general tertiary basin, as we have seen. No calcula tion from geological data could determine the thick ness of this stratum of chalk, which, from its powers of resistance, might present an almost insuperable ob stacle. The experience acquired in boring the wells of Elbeuf, Rouen, and Tours, was in this respect but a very imperfect guide. But supposing this obstacle to be overcome, was he sure of finding a supply of water below this mass of chalk ? In the first place, the strata below the ohalk possessed, as we shall see, all the necessary conditions for producing Artesian springs, namely, successive layers of clay and gravel, or of pervious and impervious beds. M. Malot confidently relied on his former experience with Grenelle. M. Arago had shown that the water of the spring here would necessarily rise to the !surface, because in the well at Elbeuf, which is nearly 9 yards above the level of the sea, the water rises from 27 to 29 yards above the level of the earth, and, consequently, from 36 to 38 yards above the ocean level. Now, as the orifice of the bore at Grenelle is only 34 yards above the same level, it follows, that if the identical spring be met with, the water must rise above the earth's surface at Grenelle. But one other condition is requisite to ensure the rising of the water in an Artesian well, namely, that the feeding level of infiltration should be higher than the orifice in the bore above which the water is to ascend. This, however, turned out to be the case en and te E r ibe ha u d f' be found 'below the chalk, between similar strata of clay of the borings w h where e a b o u f n d the an t wells supplies of w a and gravel. The necessary works were commenced with boring rods 'about 9 yards long, attached to each other, and which could be raised or lowered by mechanical power, while an ingenious method was adopted for giving them a rotary motion. inches. The diameter of the bore was about 6 The instrument affixed to the end of the lowest boring-rod was changed according to the different strata which were successively attacked ; the form suited for passing thr oug h the softer materials near the surface being unsuitable for boring through the chalk and flint, as a hollow tube was used for the former, while a chisel-shaped tool was employed to penetrate the latter. The size of the rods was lessened as the depth increased ; and, since the subterranean water was not reached as soon as was expected, it be came requisite to enlarge five several times the dia meter of the bore, in order to permit the work to be successfully prosecuted. Accidents occurred which tried the patience of the projectors. In May, 1837, when the boring had extended down to a depth of 418 yards, the hollow tube, with nearly 90 yards of the long rods attached to it, broke, and fell to the bottom of the hole, whence it became necessary to extract the broken parts before any further progress could be made. The difficulty of accomplishing this task may be conceived; for the different fragments were not all extracted until after the constant labour of 15 months. Again, in April, 1840, in passing through the chalk, the chisel attached to the boring rod got detached, and, before it could be recovered, several months were 'pent in digging round about it. A similar occur rence created an obstacle which impeded the work for three months; but, instead of withdrawing the detached part, it was forcibly driven down among the stratum of gravel. At length, in February, 1841, after eight years' labour, the rods suddenly descended several yards, having pierced into the vault of the subterranean waters so long sought after by the in defatigable engineer. A few hours afterwards he was rewarded for all his anxious toils ; for lo ! the water rose to the surface, and discharged itself at the rate of 600,000 gallons per hour ! The depth reached down was 602 yards, or about three times the height of St. Paul's. The pipe by which the water reaches the surface has been recently carried to a height nearly level with the source of supply. The portion of the pipe above the ground is surrounded with a monumental pagoda of ornamental carpentry, and it discharges a circular cascade of clear water continually into a circular iron reservoir, to be thence conveyed by a l a t era l p i pe t o th e g round. The water is well adapted for all domestic uses, and it will be unfailing, being supplied from the infiltra tion of a surface of country nearly 200 miles in dia meter. The Artesian wells of Elbeuf, Rouen, and Tours, which were formed many years ago, over fl ow in never-varying streams ; and the ancient Artesian well at Liners, in the Pas de Calais, has for about seven centuries furnished a constant and equable supply. The opportunity of ascertaining the temperature of the earth at different depths was not neglected during the progress of the works at Grenelle. Thermometers placed at a depth of 30 yards in the wells of the Paris Observatory invariably stand at 53 deg. Fahrenheit. In the well at Grenelle the thermometer indicated 74 deg. F. at a depth of 442 yards, and at 550 yards it stood at 79 deg. At the depth finally arrived at of 602 yards, the temperature of the water which rose to the surface was 81 leg., corroborating previous calculations on the subject. For a descent of 572 yards there is an increase of temperature equal to 28 deg. F., which is 20'4 yards, or 6P2 feet for each de gree of that scale. Now that the skilful labour of so many years is terminated, the Parisians regret that the subterranean sheet of water had not lain 1,000 yards beneath the surfac e , th a t they might have had an overflowing stream of wa t er a t 104 'deg., to fur nish a cheap supply to their numerous hot-bath esta blishments.—Dr. Ure's Supplement to his Dictionary of Arts, Manufactures, and Mines. Lord Thynne, Sir John Johnstone, Bart., Hon. B. R. Lawly, George Lloyd, Esq., and the members of the York and Ainsty Hunt, gave a sumptuous dinner on Friday last, at the Black Swan, York, to Ralph Creyke, Esq., on the retirement of that gentleman from the.mas tership of the hounds. • MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. (From the Limerick Chronicle, Dec. 21.) Royal Artillery in Ireland—Captain Stokes's com pany of the 6th battalion, at Ballincolig, is ordered to embark per steam-vessel for Woolwich, then- to join head-quarters. Brevet-Major Bawnsley, ditto at I3anagher, and on the Shannon, Limerick district, is ordered to be relieved. Two companies 69th Regiment are ordered to march from Templemore ; one company to Borriso kane, and one company to Borrisoleigh. 14th Depot—Her Majesty's steam-vessel Dee, which sailed from Kingstown for Liverpool on Satur day, with this depot on board, returned on the 16th, in consequence of easterly winds and rough weather. The troops disembarked and occupy billets till further orders. 35th Depot—The detachment stationed at Por tumna with Lieutenant Henry and Ensign Morton is ordered to join head-quarters at Nenagh. A com pany is ordered to march for Moneygall. 61st Regiment, Buttevant—Major Verner is in command of two companies of 5 sergeants and 133 rank and file; at Dunmanway, under Capt. Thomas, 1 company; at Ballincollig 1 company, Capt. Bligh, of 3 sergeants and 40 rank and file; at Millstreet, 1 company of 4 sergeants and 60 rank and file ; at Bandon, 1 company, under Capt. Campbell, of 2 ser geants and 42 rank and file; recruiting, 2 sergeants and 6 rank and file. Total effective strength, 57 sergeants, 21 drummers, and 1,063 rank and file. Lieut : -Colonel Burnside commands. 65th Regiment, Castlebar—Major Wise is com manding two companies at Galway. Brevet Major Patience is stationed with a company at Westport. Captain Murray is at Outerard in command of a company. Captain Smith is at Ballinasloe with a company. Lieutenant-Colonel H. Senior is com•• manding at head-quarters. Lieutenant Cook is re cruiting at London. 73d Regiment head-quarters and right wing, five companies, band and colours, Scc., under the com mand of Brevet Lieutenant Colonel Vander Meulen, moved from Richmond Barracks, Dublin, to the Royal barracks. 36th Regiment, Newry—Captain Routh's company is stationed at Belturbet ; Captain Maule's company at Cavan. sth Fusiliers—Captain Guy's company is stationed at Omagh barracks, having relieved Brevet Major Mortimer's company of the 36th Regiment. Re cruiting parties of the .sth are stationed at Norwich, Ballyshannon, and Aylesbury. Captain Warde has joined the brigade of Royal Horse Artillery in this garrison. Lieutenant-Colonel Slade, 30th, went to Newport, on Thursday, to engage barrack accommodation for a company of that regiment from this garrison. Captain Capel's company 15th, Brevet Major Ged des's and Heard's companies 30th, are in orders for out detachment at Newport, Castleconnell, and O'Brien's-bridge. A detachment of the 4th Dragoon Guards is ordered to Newport Tip, and Killaloe. The Second Bays, detach to Mohill and Ballinamore. Captain Donald Stewart, 92d, has arrived at Ros common, on appointment as staff officer of pensioners in that district. Colonel Alexander Munro, K.H., sth battalion Royal Artillery, Portobello barracks, Dublin, has returned from leave of absence. Ensign Wemyss, 93d Highlanders, has received leave of absence until the Ist of January, 1845. This officer is to proceed to join the service com panies in Canada in spring. The regiment returns to this country from Canada, in the autumn of 1847. One company 67th Regiment moved from Rich mond Barracks to Islandbridge barracks, to relieve a detachment of the 32d Regiment which moved from Islandbridgo to Portobello Barracks, to relieve two companies of the 16th Regiment under Major Brand, which embarked for Cork to join head-quarters. The undermentioned non-commissioned officers of the 55th Foot, were lately admitted as out-pensioners of Chelsea Hospital, on the following pensions : Quartermaster Sergeant James Ryde, ls. 10id. per diem; Colour Sergeant James Traner, for length of service and good conduct, 2s. 3d. per diem. Mr. James Fitzgibbon, of Kingston, Upper Canada, who distinguished himself in the 49th Regi ment during the American war, and subsequently as a volunteer officer in the Canada insurrection, has received 2001. from Sir Charles Metcalfe, the Go vernor, towards relieving his embarrassments. The " Parliamentary Committee" of the Repeal Association has just issued a report, in pamphlet form, upon the army estimates of Great Britain and Ireland for the year 1844-5. This speaks intolerable assurance for a self-constituted, irresponsible, and disaffected junta, who are still working to destroy that mutual alliance and consolidation of both coun tries, which the solemn Imperial contract of 1800 declared to be one and inseparable. The legislators of the Conciliation-hall have analysed every branch of our military department, from the War-office, Horse Guards, and Mutiny Act, down to the re cruiting sergeant's bounty money and recruits' neces saries. What next—a review of the Queen's house hold, Privy Council, Cabinet administration and expenditure ? Nothing more probable. We must be egregiously mistaken if the attention of Govern ment is not directly turned to this audacious cabal in the next Parliamentary session. THE 11TH REGIMENT.--this regiment, stationed at Brompton, near Chatham, only requires thirty men to complete its strength. Furloughs are granted to the well-conducted men under the authority of his Grace the Commander-in-Chief: to those who are allowed to proceed to Ireland and Scotland, the indulgence of six weeks, and those in England, to the extent of four weeks. FRENCH ACADEMY of SCIENCES. SITTING OF DECEMBER 16. One of the first papers read was from M. Lefevre, giving a description of a new break applicable to rail road carriages. This is about the hundredth commu nication received by the Academy containing new in has yet been mad e respect i ng ventions of break s , b ut we do not find that any repor t them. A letter was re ce i ved f rom the Marqu i s d e Jouf froy, complaining o f t h e extraordinary d e l ay o f th e commission appointed to report on h i s new system o f railway. We are by no means convinced that the system of M. de Jouffroy is so perfect as he considers it to be, but it is impossible not to admit that his com plaint, considering the very great length of time that has elapsed since the commission was named, is well founded. If the opinion of the Academy of Sciences on new inventions relative to subjects of public im portance be of any value, it ought assuredly to be pronounced as speedily as possible. The opinion of such a body, if favourable, is a recommendation for inventors to which they are entitled; and, if it be un favourable, it is a guarantee against the adoption of useless or dangerous innovations. A paper was read on a new atmospheric motive power, by M. Sy, which he calls perpetual. A letter was read from M. Descoinbes, calling the attention of the academy to the necessity of founding a practical school of agriculture in every department of France. The Secretary announced that M. Remieu, prefect of the haute Marne, had sent to the academy a pam phlet, in which he recommends the creation of a ge neral direction for the sciences. Letters were read from MM. Arthur, Clerge, and Peltier, on the electrical theory of whirlwinds, and the effects of lightning. On this occasion, M. Arago observed that the academy had already appointed a commission to report on this subject, and especially on the recent storm at Cette, which is ascribed to electrical causes. M. Elle de Beaumont made some observations on a question submitted for consideration, vix., " What relation exists between the progressive cooling of the earth and that of its surface. Elle de Beaumont thinks that the experiments made by M. Arago, in the gardens of the Observatory of Paris with thermo meters sunk in the earth at various depths, furnish the most essential elements which are necessary for the solution of the problem. Availing himself of the prin ciples laid down by M. Poisson, in his inquiry as to the cause of the wasting of terrestrial heat, M. Elle de Beaumont has calculated that the annual cooling of the surface of the globe has been greater than that of the globe itself during a period of 38,359 years. Accord ing to this solution, the antiquity of the period when our globe was entirely incandesce n t i s o f a remoteness hi m c lipt defieso fix age calculation, and sh ows t h at persons who teof our pl ane t b y geo l og i ca l de ductions must still be very di s t an t f rom a per f ect knowledge on this subject. Som e recent di scover i es the in geology have, indeed, shown th a t th e eart h i s muc h attempt older than the earlier discoveries have led us to sup pose ; but if, as is generally believed, the globe was at one time incandescent, the rate at which M. E. de Beaumont calculates the progressive cooling of it, in relation with the surface, would give to it an antiquity far greater than has hitherto been assigned to it. A communication of some interest to the lovers of fat geese was made by M. Persoz. Our readers are aware of the extent to which experiments in the fat tening of these birds has been carried by various pur veyors for the gastronomic world. M. Persoz appears to have gone into the affair con amore, and to have been fully imbued with the importance assigned to it. A hundred modes of fattening geese have been con ceived, but most of those who have engaged in the speculation have been of opinion that it was neces sary the food should contain the elements of fat to be eliminated by the goose in the process of diges tion. M. Persoz is of a different opinion. He contends that it is cf no consequence whether the food be of the kind alluded to or not, as the goose, he says, forms in the process of digestion fat from any food, if it contains a certain proportion of azote. We hope M. Persoz will also show that it is not necessary, in the fattening of geese, to expose them to the tortures practised by many of the feeders, such as nailing them by the feet and confining them in a narrow space to prevent motion. We have no objection to partake of a good fat goose, if the feeding be merely the result of abundance of of wholseome food, but we confess that we never see a fat goose, and, above all, a large goose liver, without thinking of the atrodious inhumanity that is frequently resorted to in order to make the feeding of these poor animals a successful speculation. M. Baudrimont read a paper drawn up in concert with M. Martin Saint-Ange, on the organic develop ment of the embryo in animals. These gentlemen show that the egg in its process of development ab sorbs oxygen and emits carbonic acid, and that respira tion is essential to it. A paper was received from M. Amussat on the treatment of wounds of the blood -vessels. It was not of a nature, however, to interest any other than professors of surgery, but to them the observations and experiments of so scientific a man as M. Amussat must be invaluable. M. Bonjour, a chemist, at Chambery, sent an account to the academy of two cases of gangrene, produced by the eating of ergoted rye, but both of which were cured by proper treatment. Cases of poisoning by rye which has the ergot are by no means unfrequent, and we think the authorities should devise means of preventing spoiled grain from finding its way to the bakers. The sufferers are always the poor, for with them bread made wholly or partly of rye is the ordinary food, and it would be but an act of humanity to protect them as much as possible against the use of a deleterious substance. NEW ZEALAND. (Concluded from our paper of Dec. 13.) REPORT FROM THE SELECT COMMITTEE. The observations already made will enable yOUr Committee very briefly to express their opinion on the question which has led to so much discussion, as to whether the New Zealand Company are entitled to call upon her Majesty's Government to put them in possession of a large extent of land without reference to the validity of their supposed purchases from the natives. If the view which we have taken of the right of the Crown to the whole of the unoccupied soil of New Zealand, and of the nullity of all private pur chases of land from the natives, be a correct one; and if this were also the view of the then Secretary of State at the time that the arrangement with the New Zea land Company was concluded; it follows, as a matter of course, that by that arrangement it must have been intended to give to the Company a claim binding, in good faith, upon the estate of the Crown, to the number of acres awarded to them by Kr. Pen nington ; and that this claim could not in any way be- affected by the character of those supposed purchases from the natives, which it was the very object of the whole arrangement to set aside as altoge ther null and invalid. We have already fully stated our reasons for the conclusion to which we have come with respect to the rights of the Crown ; we hare therefore only to add, that we cannot doubt this conclusion to be completely in accordance with what were the views of the then Secretary of State, since we find that the charter under the great seal, by which New Zealand was erected into a separate colony, and the original instructions under the royal sign manual, which were drawn up at nearly the same time that the arrangement with the Company was under dis cussion, were couched in terms which, as we have already observed, clearly imply that the ownership of land by the natives was regarded as being confined to that which was " actually occupied and enjoyed by them," and that all unoccupied land was vested in the Crown; while the acknowledgment of any claim of right on the part of Europeans to land, in virtue of supposed sales from the natives, was in the most ex plicit terms denied. Upon these grounds we have come to the resolution which stands 4th amongst those which will be found at the close of this report. The error in policy which your Committee have pointed out as having in our opinion been fallen into by the officers who have held the Government of New Zealand, in not asserting the right of the Crown to all the unoccupied soil of these islands, is very closely connected with another, to which we also feel it necessary to advert. It appears to us that there has been a want of vigour and decision in the general tone of the proceedings adopted towards the natives; measures have not been taken, as we think they ought, for making the original inhabitants understand that they are now to be considered as British subjects, and must therefore abstain from all conduct inconsistent with that character. The local authorities may have been guided by a desire to treat the natives of the soil with the most scrupulous justice and with the greatest consideration; but we are not the less persuaded that, not only in what has been done with regard to the ownership of land, but also in showing too much respect for native customs, they have been led to pursue a line of policy which in its consequences must be injurious to the true interests of those out of consideration to whom it has been adopted. We agree in the opinion expressed by one of the witnesses we have examined (Mr. Earp), that the rude inhabitants of New Zealand ought to be treated in many respects like children, and that in dealing with them firmness is not less necessary than kindness. In the first instance, there was on the part of the natives a disposition to defer, with almost superstitious reverence, to the authority of the Government ; and had this authority been firmly and judiciously exercised to suppress intestine war and all savage and barbarous customs, and to enforce between different tribes and between individuals the great principles of justice and respect for property, no serious resistance would probably ever have been attempted. But from an over-sensitive fear of in fringing upon native rights, the authority which, had it been decidedly assumed, would, there is every reason to believe, have been willingly sub mitted to, has been lost, and the consequence has been that murder and cannibalism have been allowed to be committed unpunished, and that very serious hostilities have broken out between different tribes, while the right of the British Govern ment to interfere has been repudiated by the more powerful party, and the want of the promised protection loudly complained of by the weakest. Your committee are persuaded that an enlightened humanity and a re gard for the real welfare of the native tribes require that British power and authority should be resolutely exerted to put a stop to such a state of things, to main tain internal peace, and to prevent native customs and usages from being acted upon in a manner incon sistent with good order and morality, and with the progress of civilisation. We would beg to refer to the report of Captain Grey, the Governor of South Australia, on the best means of promoting the civili sation of the aboriginal inhabitants of Australia, which was transmitted by Lord J. Russell to Captain Hobson, for his guidance, as containing an able expo sition of the policy which ought to be pursued upon this important and difficult subject. It is necessary to observe, that the policy we re commend requires for its safe adoption, in the present state of affairs, that the Governor of New Zealand should have at his disposal more power than he now possesses of enforcing obedience to his authority. We see no reason to apprehend a successful attempt by the natives to overturn by force the power of the Government; we concur with Major Bunbury in thinking that " the jealousy and rivalry of different tribes amongst themselves would pre vent their acting with any effect against the European population," and we have no doubt that civilisation and intelligence, in the event of a struggle, would maintain their accustomed superiority; still we consider that it is of the utmost importance, in order to avert the calamities which must ensue from even an attempt at resistance to the authority of the Governor, that he should be armed with so obviously superior a power as to prevent any such attempt from being made. Additional means of enforcing obedience to lawful authority are required, not merely against the natives, but against the lower class of emigrants ; an account of whose insubordinate proceedings at Nelson, which from the want of force could not be properly put down, will be found in the Appendix. Adverting to the scattered situation of the settle ments which have been formed, and to the importance of their all being not only promptly protected when ever an emergency may arise, but also frequently visited by the Governor in person, we conceive that by far the most useful addition which could be made to the force at his disposal would be that which would be afforded by placing an armed steamer of moderate size under his orders. In addition to this, we think that a militia composed of the settlers should be or ganised, from which we would by no means exclude such of the natives as should so far have adopted the habits of civilised life as to be fit to bear arms in the same ranks with Europeans ; we need also hardly observe that such a force should always be kept under the complete control of the Governor, and that he should always have such a proportion f re gular troops under his command as not to be entirely dependent upon the militia for support. We are further disposed to believe that advantage might re sult from endeavouring to create a permanent native force under European officers, but in which their own chiefs might also, perhaps, hold commands ; such a force would probably afford, not only a cheap addition to the military power of the Governor, but also a valuable instrument for gradually training the natives to habits of order and subordination. Your Committee cannot offer these recommenda tions, tending to what may be thought a more severe enforcement of authority over the natives, without, at the same time, expressing their strong sense of the duty incumbent upon the Government of adopting the most effective measures for their welfare and improve ment. With this view, we conceive that every effort should be made to amalgamate the two races ; more particularly, the utmost attention should be paid to the education and training of the rising generation of the aborigines ; whenever their improvement in intelligence will admit of it, the natives should be placed in every respect on a footing of perfect equality with their white fellow-subjects, and as soon as possible, they should be employed in the civil service of the torernment in any situations in which they can make themselves useful, We also attach much importance to the adoption of a good system of makini, reserves of land for, their benefit. 'these reserves ought, in our opinion, to be of mode rate size, and interspersed with the lands destined for the occupation of. settlers ; the natives should be en couraged themselves to occupy and to cultivate the land thus reserved for their benefit, and only those parts of it for which they might have no immediate occasion should be allowedlo be let on lease to Eu ropeans, the leases being restricted to a moderate term of years, and the rents so obtained being con side'red as applicable only for their advantage. By this arrangement the natives established upon such reserves being scattered, a few together, amongst the European population, would be more likely, than under any other plan which has been suggested, gradually to adopt the customs and ways of life of their civilised neighbours; whereas, if the land re served for them were in large blocks, and they were collected together in considerable numbers, the proba bility is that they would cling far more pertinaciously to the habits of savage life, and, if so, this interesting people would too surely melt away.before the advanc ing tide of European settlement. It is an evil of which the experience of other colo nies affords frequent examples, that the progress of settlement is impeded by land coming into the pos session of persons who endeavour to derive a profit, not from its improvement, but by suffering it to lie waste until it acquires value from the labour and capi tal expended in the surrounding district • it therefore appears to us that means s h ou ld be taken to guard against this abuse in New Zealand. This will, we trust, be to a great extent effected by the regulations, which will prevent property in land from being ac quired, otherwise than by purchase ; but, as a further security, we would recommend that some part of the colonial revenue should be raised by means of a tax upon land. On the North American continent, when a tax has been imposed upon land with the view of cheeking its being held by persons not actually in tending to make use of it, we believe the tax has gene rally been laid upon wild land only. Looking, however, at the difficulty of accurately determining the degree of improvement which should exempt land from a tax applying only to that which is designated as wild, and to the facility thus afforded for evading the burden, it appears to us more advisable that such a tax should be imposed on all land, whether wild or otherwise. If the tax were low (we think it ought not to exceed 2d. an acre) it would be unfelt as a practical burden on land really turned to profitable account, while even this small payment recurring annually, would powerfully tend to discourage the retention of land by parties deriving no immediate advantage from it. Such a tax ought not of course to apply to land now occupied by the natives, of to that held as re serves for their benefit. The lands granted to the New Zealand Company ought also to be regarded in a different light from that held by private indivi duals ; they have obtained that land in the character of agents for the public in carrying on the work of colonisation ; so 'long, therefore, as they adequately discharge the duties belonging to that character, they ought not to be subjected to the tax in respect of land they hold for this purpose; at the same time, care should be taken that no privilege capable of being abused should be given to them. We would, therefore, suggest that the lands remaining un sold in the hands of the Company should be freed from the tax, so long as the extent of land so held should not exceed that which would remain to them, sup posing that from the commencement of their opera tions they had, one year with another, sold one twenty-fifth part of the land assigned to them by the Crown. Should their sales upon the whole fall short of this, they might fairly be required to pay the tax upon the difference. It might also be proper to insist, as a condition for their enjoying the proposed exemp tion, that a fixed proportion of the proceeds of their land sales should be applied to the promotion of emigration. Your Committee having now stated very fully their views upon those parts of the subject referred to them which have the most important bearing upon the practical measures which ought now to be adopted, and having in their' resolutions adverted to some of those measures which do not seem to require any par ticular explanation, had originally intended to have offered some remarks upon the complaints which the servants of the Crown in the colony upon the one side, and those employed by the New Zealand Company on the other, have mutually made against each other; but, upon further deliberation, it has appeared to us that the unhappy differences which have prevailed are most likely to be allayed by our forbearing to pro nounce an opinion which must of necessity involve an expression of blame on some, if not all, of those who have taken part in these proceedings; we, therefore, have thought it most expedient to abstain altogether from entering further into this part of the subject; even as to the unhappy affair at Wairau, by which so many valuable lives were lost, we will add nothing to the resolution which we have unanimously adopted, and which will be found amongst those subjoined to this report, and we will only express our earnest hope that all classes of. settlers, and more especially those persons to whom important duties in the newly-esta blished colony have been entrusted, either by her Ma jesty's Government or by the Company, will feel that the interest and welfare of all requires that harmony should be re-established, and that this can only be accomplished by mutual forbearance and moderation. In conclusion, we beg to submit to the House the following resolutions, as containing a summary of the opinions we have formed on the whole subject :- 1. That the conduct of the New Zealand Company, in sending out settlers to New Zealand, not only with out the sanction, but in direct defiance, of the autho rity of the Crown, was highly irregular and improper. 2. That the conclusion of the treaty of Waitangi by Captain Hobson with certain natives of New Zea land, was a part of a series of injudicious proceedings, which had commenced several years previous to his assumption of the local Government. 3. That the acknowledgment by the local authori ties of a right of property on the part of the natives of New Zealand in all wild lands in those islands, after the sovereignty had been assumed by her Ma jesty, was not essential to the true construction of the treaty of Waitangi, and was an error which has been productive of very injurious consequences. 4. That the New Zealand Company has a right to expect to be put in possession by the Government, with the least possible delay, of the number of acres awarded to it by Mr. Pennington ; that the Company has this right as against the estate of the Crown, without reference to the validity, or otherwise, of its supposed purchases from the natives, all claims derived from which have been surrendered. 5. That the Company, in selecting the land to be granted by the Crown within the defined limits, can. not claim the grant of any land not vested in the Crown. 6. That means ought to be forthwith adopted for establishing the exclusive title of the Crown to all land not actually occupied and enjoyed by natives, or held under grants from the Crown ; such land to be considered as vested in the Crown for the purpose of being employed in the manner most conducive to the welfare of the inhabitants, whether natives or Europeans. 7. That in order to prevent land from being held by parties not intending to make use of the same, a land tax, not exceeding 2d. an acre, ought to be imposed ; that all parties claiming land should be required to put in their claims, and pay one year's tax in advance, within twelve months. 8. That such tax ought not to be considered as ap plying to the whole estate of the New Zealand Com pany, so long as they shall continue to sell not less than 1-25th of the land granted to them annually, and to expend a fixed proportion of the proceeds in emigration. 9. That • such tax ought also not to be considered as applying to lands now actually occupied and en joyed by the natives, or to reserves set apart and held for their benefit. 10. That reserves ought to be made for the natives, interspersed with the lands assigned to settlers, with suitable provision for regulating their alienation, and preserving the use of them for the natives as long as may be necessary; and that these reserves ought not to be included in calculating the amount of land due to that Company. 11. That, as it appears by evidence that the non settlement of the lapd claims has been productive of great confusion and mischief in the colony, it is expe dient to adopt measures for granting legal titles with the least possible delay to the actual occupants of land, unless under special circumstances of abuse. 12. That the prohibition to all private persons to purchase land from the natives ought to be strictly enforced, except that land which may have been pur chased by natives they should be at liberty to sell again, provided the transaction be sanctioned by the Protector. 13. That it is highly important that the Governor should have more effectual means of enforcing obe dience to his authority, and also greater facility for visiting frequently the different settlements; and that with this view it is expedient that an armed steamer, of moderate size, be placed at his disposal. 14. That it is expedient that the settlers should be organised as a militia, under the orders and control of the Governor. Natives, under proper precautions, being allowed to serve in it. 15. That it is expedient that an attempt should also be made to raise and discipline a native force of a more permanent character, officered in general by Europeans, but in which any of the natives who may be found trustworthy may hold commands. 16. That the employment of natives in the civil service of the Government in any situations in which they can be useful is highly desirable. 17. That efforts should be made gradually to wean the natives from their ancient customs, and to induce them to adopt those of civilised life, upon the prin ciple recommended by Captain Grey, in his report on the mode of• introducing oivilisatiou amongst the natives of Australia. 18. That the princ!ples in which the New Zealand 'Company have acted in izAking the reseryes for the Datives, with a view to their ultiz. , ate.as well as present 'welfare, and in making suitable •proid4ii,ert for spiritual and educational purposes, are sound a&l, judicious, tending to the benefit of all classes. 19. That the Committee, upon a reviesiqif `flie docu mentary evidence relating to the'loss of itlirairaur (without offering any opinion upon the lit* of the case), deem it an act of justice to tbe , ,,inetnory of those who fell there, to state, that ft .appe 4rs th a t the expedition in question was undertaken for a purpose believed by the parties. to be lawful and desirable, and which, also, example in analogous cases had unfortunately led them. to expect might be effected without resistance from the natives. The Committee cannot withhold the expression of their regret at the loss of' life which occurred, espi-cially the loss of Captain Arthur Wp.kefield, whose long and distinguished services' iii the British navy are recorded in the papers before the Committee, and of Mr. Thompson, the stipendiary magistrate ; Mr. Richardson, the Crown prosecutor ; Captain England, Mr. Cotterell, Mr. Patchett, and Mr. Howard. BANK CHARTER ACT. On Tuesday and Wednesday next, the 31st instant and Ist proximo, two more portions of the Bank Charter Act (7th and Bth Victoria, cap. 32) will come into operation. By the 21st section it is en acted that every banker in England and Wales shall, on the Ist of January in each year, or within fifteen days thereafter, make a return to the Stamp office of his name, residence, and occupation ; or, in the case of a company or partnership, of the name, resi dence, and occupation every person composing or being a member of such company or partner ship, and also the name of the firm under which such banker, company, or partnership, carry on the business of banking, and of every place where such business is carried on ; and if any such banker, com pany, or partnership, shall omit or refuse to make such return within fifteen days, or shall wilfully , make other than a true return, every banker or com pany so offending shall forfeit 50L The information so required to be furnished is to be ''ptikished on or before the Ist of March in every year, in a news paper circulated where the parties respectively carry on business. The other portion relates to forty three banking establishments, and to 3;1.5 many as come within the provision. By the 23d section, it is declared that the bankers mentioned in the schedule who have ceased to issue their own notes under certain agreermants with the Bank of England, should have their agreements de termined on the 31st instant, and that bankers should receive, by way of compensation, a composition. From and after the day mentioned, the Bank shall pay to the bankers, so long as they shall be willing to receive the same, a composition after the rate of one per cent. on the average amount of the Bank of England notes issued by them, and actually remaining in circulation —to be ascertained on some day in April next. The mode to be adopted is set forth in respect to the manner in which the notes in circulation are to be ascertained. Similar accounts are to be taken in suc ceeding years, and the compositions are to be paid by the Bank of England out of their own funds. In the event of a dispute the matter is to be determined by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, or a party whom he shall appoint, whose decision is to be conclusive. The bankers set forth may discontinue to receive the corn position, but no such banker is, by such discontinu ance, to acquire any right or title to issue bank notes. The twenty-fifth section provides that the composi tions shall cease in August, 1856, if not previously determined. On the days mentioned, the whole Act will be in force. THE FEES OF THE CHURCH IN FRANCE The following scandalous scene .is described in a Paris paper of Saturday last :—lt appears that during the past week the subaltern officers of the 14th Light Regiment assembled at the military hospital of the Gros-Caillon, in order to render the last melancholy offices to a deceased comrade. All were in the church, and the almoner having arrived, were waiting for the funetal rites to commence, when the Rev. (! ) ecclesiastic turning towards the assembled throng, exclaimed, " I will perform the duty most willingly, but I must first know which person amongst you-is to be the paymaster ?" " All of us," was the reply. The al moner, however, holding out MAJaand, cried out, " Very well, let us see !" The assistantalere some what taken aback by this strange demand, and not being provided with the requisite sum, they promised to satisfy his reverence's pecuniary desires in the course of the day. " Oh, I have nothing to say to that," replied our priest, " the cash must be paid at once ! No money, no Swiss !" In fact, he at once announced his intention not to pronounce a syllable of the ritual until the price of the funeral ser vice (11 francs) was safely lodged in his breeches pocket. One of the officers then said, " You may begin the service, for I promise to pay your fee on the word of an officer and a gentle man." One would naturally have imagined that the abbe would, upon this, have given way, but not he, nothing could soften his obdurate determination, and the subalterns were at length compelled to send a messenger to the military school , for the money so im periously exacted. But the best remains to be told. In the meantime the dissatisfaction - of-Ake assembled officers increased to such a height that ibiy deter mined not to avail themselves of the prayers of the Church at all, the value of which this truly disgraceful conduct on the part of the priest no doubt greatly con tributed to lessen. .uNJY D COMMERCIAL NEWS A large quantity of Cotton was sold at,Liverpool again on Tueeday, at prevrieus rates, the market, however, being well supplied. Speculators took 4,000 bales American, and the total sales were 8,000 bales.—The transactions in Railway Shares were numerous, and prices met with full support. Birmingham and Gloucester, 94; Bristol and Gloucester, 373 1; Chester and Birkenhead, 34 ; Churnet- Valley, 31. 18s. 9d.; Dublin and Belfast, 43 3 ; Eastern Counties, 141 ; rand Junction, 225 ; Ditto, Half, 1123 ; Great Western, Fifths, 284; Liverpool and Manchester, Quarters, 513; London and Birmingham, Quarters, 271; Ditto and . Brighton, 52 ; Ditto and South-Western, 76; Ditto and York, 4 1. 9s. ; Man chester and Leeds, 121; Midland Counties, X 133; South- Eastern, 401 3; Trent Valley, 103; Lyons and Avignon, 21. 135.; Paris and Lyons, 3L Bs. 6d. ; Paris and Strasburg, 21. 198.; Orleans, Tours, and Bordeaux, 8 ; Sambre and Meuse, 3i; Boulogne and Amiens, 51; Central. of France, 113. We had no news in the City yesterday. MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, _DEC: 24.—The market continues strong, and a fair amount of business has been transacted to-day. Eastern Counties Perpe tual, No. 2, 24 ; Manchester and Leeds Half Shares, 51* ; Ditto, Sixteenths, 4 5-16ths ' • Manchester and Birmingham, 521 • Ditto, Quarter Shares, ; 4045 k ; Sheffield and MancheAn f 97* ; Cam bridge and Lincoln, 2/. 6.5.6 d.; ChurnftValley, 3i; Hud dersfield and Manche s ter Railway and Canal, 4t, ; Hud dersfield and Sheffield Junction, 3i• ' • Leeds, Dewsbury, and Manchester, si; London and Yor k, 4 7.16 4k: Shef field and Lincoln, 19s. ; Trent Valley, 101 ; West York , shire, 6* ; Paris and Strasburgh, 3 1-16. , THE ALPACA TEXTURES.—(From a Correspond ent.)—As a proof of the beneficial effects of royal pa tronage bestowed upon any particular branch of our manufactures, I may mention that the handsome recep tion at Windsor given to the Bradford deputation who carried up the dresses made from her Majesty's alpaca fleece has thrown fresh life and activity into this new branch of trade. Orders for alpaca cloths are pouring in, many intended for exportation, this article having become a . great favourite in (~'ermany and the United States, owing to its cheapness and extraordinary dura bility. The black plain lustre, of the natural colour, is particularly liked by the Spanish ladies for their soya, or church dress, and as in softness, gloss, and pliability it exceeds silk, it is becoming fashionable among us for clergymens' and lawyers' 'gowns. To show you how much the manufacturers in ,this quarter are on the qui vice, I may add that from the description only of the apron manufactured by Messrs. Gregory, imitators are now setting up looms, coming as near to the platen, as they can, some in inferior materials—that j.s, in common wool for the weft and cotton for the warp. Messr. F. and T. Ellison, of Berkinshaw, have taken an order for 700 pieces, equal to 22,000 aprons ; and Mr. Cowling Arkroyd, of Horton (both near Bradford), for 500 pieces, or 18,000 aprons. Considerable orders for fec similes of the Queen's dresses are also coming in to the original manufacturers, Messrs. Fison and Gregory, several of the nobility being anxious to have them. This new branch of manufacture may therefore now be con sidered as firmly established, and therefrom I leave you to judge of the public service rendered, and the number of additional hands thereby employed, with families dependent upon them of at least three members each. We have also now a new article,to send to the foreign market, and it is to be borne in mind that with the com petition against which we have to contend, variety in articles is of moment. S atur day E X TENSIVE FIRE AT LEITIL — EarIy on morning the premises belonging to the Leith Candle Company were discovered to be on fire. From the con fined situation of these works, it was with some difficulty that the town engines could be brought to bear on •the conflagration ; and, from the-inflammable nature of.the materials, the work of destruction went • speedily , on— vats, coolers, and tallow warehouses were soon in one general blaze. About two o'clock the roof of the build ing fell in, when the scene that opened• up to the spec tators was one of melancholy grandeur. Towering and untamed the lurid flames rose high in the air; contrasting beautifully with the wintry appearance of the 4cenery around. The Fort engines, which are -at all times promptly turned out, had now arrived, and assisted emi nently in confining the fire to where it had originated, although the main safety of the adjoining propetty,,con sisting of wine vaults and grain stores, was chiefly bveing to the opening up of the fire-plugs, which are now prltty general over the town, and attaching lengths of Bose, which,when available, offer the surest mane tf.sttbdilukg flames. The Edinburgh engines were , also opOn the ground, but were not required. About five, o'elock the fire was got under • and we understand the property is insured.—Edinb4h Journal. >lli