The Sun. — London, England, 1844-12-25 00:00:00

LABOUR IN THE IVLST INDIES. In the early part of the present year, when the question of obtaining a supply of labour from the coast of Africa to the West Indies, became a para mount object, some of the colonies dispatched special agents to Sierra Leone, in order to make the neces sary inquiries on the spot, and faciaate the operation. In the file of papers received by the last mail, we find the substance of the information collected by air. Guppy, the gentleman who was sent for the above purpose from the Island of Trinidad, which being the latest authenticated account from the African coast, we give at length, under the impres sion that it possesses considerable interest in the pre sent state of the sugar question. It is taken from the Port of Spain Gazette. " The population of Sierra Leone may be taken to consist of two grand classes—the one, petty pro prietors or traders who have each one or more libe rated Africans apprenticed to them, and on whose labours they are mainly dependent for subsistence ; and the other, of these said liberated Africans. The former class are, generally speaking, averse to emi /trate, because they can find no purchaser for their huts and land, or their petty stock in trade. They are not in a position to make money, but still they can live with very little labour of their own hands, and such a mode of life i 3 quite satisfactory to them. .The class last above mentioned—the drudges of th e other class—would, no doubt, gladly emigrate, if they could see matters in their true light ; there are m an y thousands of them at. Sierra Leone, merely earning their victuals, and the privilege of sleeping in their employer's huts, but they are landed fro m the slaver with a well-grounded horror of white Men, as far as their own experience of that portion of the human family goes ; their fellow-countrymen in terested in keeping up that feeling, and in acting on their fears to obtain undivided command of their la bour, distort facts, and, if necessary, invent the grossest fal ,ehoods for the purpose of keeping them aloof from the white man—in the rural districts in which they are located, there is hardly a white man except the missionary, and his communicating with them during the first few years after their introduction into' Sierra Leone must naturally be very limited; so that between their fears and their ignorance it be comes a most difficult matter to get them to view the luestion of immigration in its proper light—black delegates, it is evident, are the only parties suited for communicating with this class ; and even they find considerable opposition on the part of the employers of these people, who are stated not only to follow them with menaces to the office of the emigation agent, but to try and force them away from on board the.vessel in which they had taken passage. " On the whole, as 'regards these two principal classes of sierra Leone inhabitants, it is very difficult to form any opinion as to the extent of immigration Which may take place to the West Indies; the mis sionaries, both Churchmen and Wesleyans, are de cidedly opposed to immigration, and exert all their influence to prevent any of their flock from joining in it. They openly state that they prefer seeing them return to their native slave state, to their proceeding to ; and the influence of these parties, especially on the upper of the two classes into which lierra, Leone society seems to be divided, is very great. "There remains, however, another distinct class to Which we have not yet alluded, and who, though a Portion of their tribe are to be found in Sierra Leone, can hardly be said to be of Sierra Leone, their habits, Manners, and feelings being so widely different f rom all the other inhabitants of the co . the Kroo We allude to the Kroomen, or men of Lne Kroo country, who are stated to exceed in , Personal strength all the other tribes of Central Africa. These people are remarkable for their patient ~durance of toil, and their eagerness of gain. 'hey would not, however, emigrate in any numbers Without the approbation of their head man, whose onsent must of course be bought, and a free pas sage must be ensured them whenever they wish to return. Of these people, it is believed, many thousand might be obtained—there are frequently 4 everal thousands of them at Sierra Leone, w orking at less than one bitt per day. The ad- Zantage, on the one hand, is, that they are all effective 'labourers, 100 of them being considered at any time Nual to 200 of any other description of African la nourers—the disadvantage, that they will not allow t heir wives to immigrate with them, not even t o S ierra Leone—thus tending to increase the dispropor tion of sexes which will be consequent on the Coolie - Mthigration. " Such are the prospects of African immigration, ati least, as far as Sierra Leone is concerned. The 7nator, on her next trip, is to try the Gambia like sZ.ise, where there is thought to be a better field for ;_ r exertions. On a review of the whole circum `anees of the case, the question of African immi ton appears to be still a grand problem yet un veil; -" ,aeerniogical table of statistics, relative to t he &ln of life of the animals at the Jardin des Plantes, ?Main s the fo llo w i ng :—" Th e avera ge length of I le of the panther, tiger, and lion, in a menagerie at Paris is six or seven years. A lion, however, has lived twenty-nine, and a lioness seventeen. Lions which are carried about and exhibited are found to live much longer, generally from 17 to 20 years. The w hite bear of Siberia lives only three or four years, but the slack bear, being of a more robust constitution, survives the age of 7or 8. As to the family of bears known by the name of Martin-monte-a-l'arbre, they live from ' 7 to 20 years, and behold a long series of !snerations. The hyena lives only four or five years ; 4 rornedaries and camels 30 or 40 ; the elephant, which '''hen free reaches the age of a century, only reaches a quarter of that space of time ; the giraffe, which is now 44 the Jardin des Plantes, has been there seventeen Sears, and still enjoys excellent health ; monkeys only s urviv e four or five years, and it is mentioned as a great ph enomenon, that one lived at Gibraltar for seventeen - Y e ars."—Gulignani. DIED.— O n Tuesday, the 3d inst., at Bishop's tithato, Hants, very deeply regretted, Captain Charles "iehard s , R.N., C. 8., second son of the late Rev. W. t ichards of Little Chiverell, aged 47. He had been 33 ears in the navy, of which period not less than 30 years Vad be en s p en t in a ctive service. He was present at the u kttle of Algiers, and had been the constant companion 1%41%r Edward Parry in his expeditions to the North and had been employed on every station except W e West Indies. His last service was in China, where Was very actively engaged, being the commander of he r Majesty's ship Cornwallis, bearing the flag of Vice- A :lttir a l Si r W. P ar k e r, Bart., by whom he was selected, 1 , 4 the termination of hostilities, to bring home the dis patcher, For these services he was promoted to the o 'arlk of Post Captain, and received the decoration of 1 - 2 nt 1 . In him 11:at. country has lost the services of a gal and well-tried der. NARROW F ESCAPE Fito4 BURNING TO DEATH.— named Jackson, Ye sterday morning black - wozan, ne arly eighty years of age, who, for many years past, b og resid e d i n B u t c her-row, Deptford, nearly opposite to th e Pier, an d who has carried on the lucrative business e ' a diviner of future events, was nearly burned ! . 0 death, i i et tsiN:l by a spark having flown from the fire, N Thilst aw are it, on to her dress, and of which she was nOt proceeding at the time. Having lighted her fire, she was premises, along the . passage . to the back part of the muses, when coming in contact with the air, her ) - : (411 ea suddenl burst out into a blaze. Her cries r e ached a mannamed Freshwater, who, with his wife, resid ed i n one o f th e upper rooms in the same house, b u t 1 „! 1 ° Was so alarmed that, instead of endeavouring to Ft out the flames, he called to his wife to bring him eewn a knife for the purpose of cutting her clothes off r back. The woman, however, with more presence of mi nd than her husband, snatched up his great coat, and but it over the sufferer, extinguished the flames, ' not before the wretched creature was burned in a 'lst dreadful manner. FOG IN GLASGOW.—On Friday we were ;sited blur one of the densest togs we have had for many e l l ng the week the weather was rather broken, te i Thursday night, when the frost set in with great in it,tlaitY, and on the day following the city was enveloped te fog so dense that it was scarcely possible to see r °BB some of the streets, and lights had to be used in sill . th.P Lees of business. In the evening the fog became 'ni4r, The traffic on the river was entirely sus• t r l,led--only one steamer, the Invincible, Captain Aellar, was able to make way up, after a deten -1,(/it' of nearly five hours. Several vessels, including two 14 41 , one Stranraer, and three or four river steamers, t the Broomielaw in the morning, but none of them, 1 e believe, were able to make much progress. The do Ner vessels are aground near Govan, only two miles t h l vll th e river, while two or three of the others found th e ir Way to Renfrew, only a few miles farther, where th 'Y deemed it prudent to remain. We regret to state fo i tt three men were drowned at Port Dundas during the i l'', About six o'clock, as Alexander Buntine, master tne Christian, belonging to Dumbarton, was proceed to his vessel, after having been in the city on busi ea a s during the day, he unfortunately fell into the t h a ll al directly opposite the Track Boat station. Itnme st,,telY on the accident becoming known, a vigorous o g - t en was made, and in about 15 minutes thehody was got i h ° ,41Y and taken t o th e coll e ctor's office, where Dr. Adams r h afterwards arrived, and tried every effort to .01‘ure aniation, but most unfortunately without effect. 1 1 41 deceased has left a wife and two children to lament t es o ss. He was long known about the port as a most Peetable and industrious man, and his death is much ~,,Ar:tted. On the s ame evening, shortly after six w4r o lc, as Robert Maitland and Colin Campbell, who e in the employment of Messrs. M. Macfarlane and d istillers, Port Dundas, were leaving their work, l e s had not proceeded many yards from the distillery dr :la they stumbled and fell into the canal, and were r u o u w : ed. The bodies of the two unfortunate men were sh, u ut up linked together, rather in a stooping posture, th e ; ln g that they had been cautiously walking toge the endeavouring to avoid the very danger into which 0,4 8 _ 0 suddenly fell. Maitland has left a wife and two re tl• Colin Campbell was unmarried.—Glasgow Qun a j . THE at ; RivEn.--Yesterday the surface of the Thames k e 00 (1 and t!hb tide was partially covered with floating but not such as to cause any material obstruction to t , ll , ill 4 vigation. The docks are still clear of ice, but the it `l s s are partly frozen. Owing to the prevailing a ve . tet lY winds, which have now lasted upwards of three w „_ts, there are no fewer than 120 sail of vessels, out- bound, detained in various parts of the river. 1 4 1Ylt CURRENCY OF SCOTLAND. (Frotn the Edinburgh Evening PvAt 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 19th 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 templation," thereby, declaring, that at the moment he had entirely forgot (for he is too high. minded a No bleman wilfully to misrepresent) that the Right Hon. Baronet at the head of her Majesty's Government had intimated in his place in the Ilouse of Commons, on the 27th June last, "the intention of Government to apply themselves, after friendly communications with the parties interested in the banking establishments of Scotland and Ireland, to frame and bring forward measures for the regulation of the currency of these kingdoms, similar to the measure now before the House." 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 templated measures, or of the objects it has ultimately in 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 entirely. Such a course, it is to be hoped, the people of Scotland will not follow, but that they will heartily co-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 by such a procedure truly estimated the notice given by 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 land 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 mission 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 such demurrer cannot be supported by, but is con trary to, all the evidence given before the Committees of both Houses of Parliament, particularly in 18 .1 6, when, it was shown that the system and its utility depended upon the continuance of issue of one pound notes, "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 time 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 contended 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 gold circulation in the country." Now here it is quite evident his Lordship alludes to two very difs ferent 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 unsound in a circulation if the banks meet all the legitimate 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 more expensive but not more useful apparel to others, who assent to its introduction and to its use? The Noble Viscount, however, proceeded to state, that Scotland should have gold, as it might be re quired from various causes—to meet the drains aris ing through bad harvests, foreign wars, subsidies, and speculations, when a drain of gold may take place — these having oceurred, " and might occur again—and that it was the duty of a wise Government to see that the circulation of this kingdom was in such a state, that when any emergency shall occur, we shall be able to supply the deficiency caused by the outpour ing of the coin of the country ;"—and he emphatically asks, " What is Scotland to do in such a case ? Could she furnish her quota ?" No, says the Noble Lord, " not Scotland, but the Bank of England, and the people of England, would furnish the proportion ;" and, then, he further puts the question, " IVas it fair to ask England to bear the burden for us ?" which expressions and queries were echoed by the Noble Baron. This declaration, these queries, and volunteered re plies, would lead very naturally to the belief that the Bank of England, and the people of England are very ill used indeed by the people of Scotland, who are thus made to appear—the inference being unavoidable—as a cunning, selfish, unjust, and oppressive race; but, before such severe charges can he admitted, surely they should be proved—and, therefore, let facts be exa mined so as to determine the point. First, then, as to the means which Scotland uses for procuring grain when a defective harvest occurs :—Her merchants, like those in England, send out their orders to Dant zic, Petersburgh, Hamburgh, Odessa, &e., &c., for s hipments of wheat , &c. These shi p ments are effected by the resident merchants at the different ports, who buy pay the grain and for it in the locl currency of the country ; these merchants reimburs a ing themselves for the value of the cargoes by drawing ills payable in London for their amount or cost. These bills ar provided for and p aid when due by the parties inter-e ested in these cargoes, through their respective bankers in Scotland, who, having available funds at all times in the hands of their London correspondents, ready not only for the demands of their customers but for retiring their own various obligations, are thus enabled to pay the bills drawn for the grain. Now, in all these operations, is it not self-evident that gold has not been employed, and is it not well known that exactly ale milar procedure would, and ac•nally does take pce, whether the grain abroad hased . for and shipped to any place in be ' pui: ..I.:narkshire, in Middlesex, or it is quite true that if a co 3 L i a i n d c .L as o li t i h re ht , n ? : 11 i nments be made sirnultan n e: : d be, a !ernieg of the ex 6oludseirya btlheennu ntlhbee effect uc w h o s i ii sro man changes against Great Britain, because y ex t r a bills drawn for t he value of the cargoes mus„s at one and the same time, be thrown into the market or on the exchanges, and consequently affect the course of exchange betwixt the places where they are drawn 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 operations, wa tch events, and, foreseeing the more than probable fluctuations in the exchanges, acquire gold by c onverting the notes of the Bank of Eng land, which they possess, into that precious metal, and shipping the gold off immediately to the Conti nent, avail themselves of the profit arising through such finance operations. From this explanation, it appears that the people of Scotland do not lay any burden upon the people of England, neit her do they apply to the Bank of Eng land for gold, on account of their importations of grain, and therefore the statements or assum p tions, that there was laid a burden upon the people of Eng land, or that there exists a necessity for their furnishing any particular quota of gold (from the circulation) for such a purpose, on account of the people of Scotland is pure declamation, un supported by any proof. Still, with regard to the finance operations above alluded to, and the pre sentation to the Bank of England of its own promis sory 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 establishment and the Government, for behoof of the British public, by which covenant, on the one part, it is stipulated that the Bank of England shall on demand (and irrespective of the cause for such de mands), furnish gold or bullion (but equal in amount only) to any of her notes presented for payment; and, on the other part, and for such considerations, cer tain privileges tending to very beneficial pecuniary results, were conferred by Government upon that Corporation, so that, consequently, there is no ground of complaint can he made for such demand, founded, as is just shown, upon a provision framed by the wis dom of the Legislature. That the arrangement just noticed has proved most profitable to the Bank of England, is indisputable— (look to its numerous heavy bonuses, and large divi dends during the la st 40 years) , but, besides these profits, consult the various returns made by it te the different Parliamentary Committees of 1819, 1826, 1832, 1838, 1840, and 1841, and, at a glance, it will be seen, that with few ex ceptions and these only very lately the de posits (public and private) in the hands of that Bank (seeing they have at all times far exceeded the amount or value of gold in the vaults) must be held 1 11M,0,410Nroolvs WEPWEIDAY ,itv lll4ll iG3 D! PM 25 1344, as having farelshed 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 pro-siding 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 tloint, the more especially as, had the views of these . 1 1\4 oble Lords 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 hills 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 5,000,000/. annually, ixhich 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 trust him, to receive his orders, to receive his notes in payment of any furnishings or supplies, knowing well that he thereby secures the same sterling returns and facili ties as he obtains from his friends in the south ; and there cannot 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 5,000,000/—ESee Finance Accounts I. viii. for the year ended fifth January, 1844, ordered to be printed by the House of Commons, 26th March, 1844, pp. 26 to 623—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 every 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. LITERATURE. TRAITS OP PRIVATE LIFE. Bogue, London, 1844. The volume before us consists of three short prose tales, the last of which, entitled the" Len'aby Hunter," is the best, as being themost natural, and written, ap parently, with the greatest relish. The tales are chiefly of a domestic character, and though they are uniformly deficient in striking incidents and bold dramatic contrast, such as the multitudinous readers of fiction in the present day are so prone :o admire, yet they present a series of pictures of familiar every day life in a very agreeable light, and the descriptions, if in no instance forcible, are invariably unaffected. The second story, " The Rivals," would have been much improved in its effect, had it been subjected to a rigid process of condensation. COMIC MISCELLANY. Coburn, London, 1844. The lively little work before us is the production of Mr. Poole, the dramatist, but as it is merely a re publication of articles that have already appeared in the pages of the New Monthly Magazine, and hare been noticed from time to time in The Sun, we need say nothing more on the present occasion than that they are not unworthy of being republished. The cleverest of the papers is one entitled the " Newgate Annual," which is a capital quiz on some of the flash novels that were so undeservedly popular a few years since, but which now are most properly forgotten. PUNCH. Vol. VII. London, 1844. Our whimsical friend, Punch, has just completed his seventh volume, and a livelier or a more amusing one has not yet been brought out under his quaint edi torial auspices. Puns, caustic sarcasms, political squibs, and all sorts of eccentricities, in verse as well as prose, abound in every Number, and to those who have not taken in the work regularly, as it appeared in weekly Numbers, the present volume will be very acceptable, furnishing them with the best possible Christmas fire-side reading. The illustrations are numerous, but —as might be expected—they arc of different degrees of excellence. Some are simply ex travagant without the slightest humour to recommend them ; but the majority are distinguished by infinite drollery, and the sketches of the different political characters introduced are hit off with great exactness, so that the likenesses may be recognised at a glance. Among them we find admirable caricatures of Sir James Graham, Sir Robert Peel, Lord Brougham, and Mr. Joseph Hume. The sketch in which the two former worthies are represented as Sarah Gamp and Betsy Prig, seated over a sly glass of gin at the tea-table, discussing political matters in no amicable mood, is a caricature worthy of H. B. IRELAND. " NO POPERY" CRY IN BELFAST. DUBLIN, DEC. 22.—For some days past there has been a great outcry in Belfast, amongst the ultra- Tory party, on account of the attendance of many of the principal Protestant inhabitants at the consecra tion of the new Roman Catholic church of St. Malichi, in that town. Amongst those who so offended was Mr. John Clarke, the Mayor, who has been selected as the special object of vituperation, on the ground of his having been placed in that office by a corporation exclusively Tory in its composition. The " Belfast Protestant Operative and Reformation Society," forwarded to Mr. Clarke an address and remonstrance, bitterly inveighing against his back sliding, and his treason towards Protestantism in con sorting with Papists in their chapel, even at the " monstrous exhibition of the mass." The Mayor has returned a manly and dignified answer to the Society, maintaining his right to exer cise his own discretion in the duties of his office, and rebuking their insolent attempt at dictation. In con clusion, he says :—" Considering that the population of the town is largely composed of Roman Catholics, who are interested in its peace and prosperity, and who contribute to its public burthens, I do deli berately think they had a right to call on me as Mayor to show to them the same courtesy that I had already shown to all other denominations of Chris tians. REPRESENTATION OF TIPPBRARY.—The Tipperary Vindicator contains the following :—" A most impor tant meeting was held on Wednesday in Cashel, to select a fit and proper person to represent this county, in the room of the late deeply lamented Mr. Otway Cave. Owing to the extreme inclemency of the weather the meeting was not large. There was, however, a respectable attendance, and what we prize most highly—an admirable spirit of unanimity. All present, without exception, and among those who at tended were some who have been always foremost in the battles of independence in Tipperary—decided that no one, however admirable in other respects, could lay the slightest claim to the representation of this county except an unconditional repealer. The observations of our worthy and spirited representa tive, Mr. Maher, were unequivocally decisive on this point, and the resolution proposed by the Archdeacon Laffan, to the effect that the Honourable Mr. Hut chinson should be respectfully solicited to represent Tipperary, was adopted without a dissentient voice." MELANCHOLY CATASTROPIIE.—A young woman, named lionora Ityan, late of Killaloe, servant to Mr. Canty, baker, of high-street, went for a tub of water to the public fount at Bank-place, where she stood u p on t h e para p e t wa ll over th e river, for the purpose of placing a pail upon the head of another girl, but by some awkward ness lost her balance, and unfortunately, as she raised the vessel, fell b ac k i n t o th e wa ter. The tide was falling with a strong current at the time, as the alarm was given, and crowds ran to the spot, amongst whom was a resolute young fellow, named Thomas M'Creice, private of the 9th battalion Royal Artil lery, who, on see i ng th e p oo r girl struggling in the river, instantly threw off his cap and belt, , ran down the steps of the slip adjoi n ing, and, plunging into the water, swam to her assistance. She was not at the time twenty yards from the shore; but as soon as he neared her, she suddenly caught him by the breast, and having then entangled in him, he lost all power. although he endeavoured to disengage himself fr?m her grasp. Both were drawn down under the side of the arch of the new bridge by the current, and a rope was quickly lowered from the battlement, but unfortunately not long enough to reach the water. The artilleryman, however, made attempts to catch hold of it, but without effect, and opposite the Custom-house, in the presence of hundreds of agonising spectators, both sufferers sunk to rise no more. What renders this sad occurrence more cala mitous is, the fact that M'Creice has left a wife (ad vancedinpreigantaen.22imaneiek Chronicle.d r threechildren to deplore his untimely GUILDFORD JUNCTION RAILWAY. ' A Special General Meeting of the Shareholders in the Guildford Junction Railway Company was held yesterday, in the Hall of Commerce, Threadneedle street, for the purpose of sanctioning an agreement made by the Directors with the London and South- Western Board, for the sale of the Guildford Junc tion line, granted in the last session of Parliament. Mr. Ross D. Mangles, M.P., Chairman of the Board of Directors, presided. The SECRETARY read the Directors' report, which detailed the negotiations on this subject. The Corn pany, by the Directors' agreement, were to give over the railway to the South-Western Company, com pleted with a single line of rails, receiving in return the sum of 75,0001. From this the Guildford Junc tion Company were recommended to pay a sum of 20,000/. to the proprietors of Prosser's Wooden Rail way Company, as a compensation for their abandon ment of the agreement to lay down Prosser's wooden rails on the line. The report concluded with an assurance on the part of the Directors that, after all the requisite expenditure, sufficient would remain to reimburse the Shareholders, with good interest on their outlay. Mr. IlAnnow, in moving the adoption of the report, observed, that several persons, he amongst the num ber, had become connected with this Company for the sake of a permanent investment, and had procured their shares at a premium. Under these circum stances, therefore, he wished to know if those Pro prietors would have the option of taking shares in the Company to which this line was to be transferred ? The CHAIRMAN explained that the Directors, owing to the opposition which threatened them on all sides, were not altogether to be considered as free agents. They were, therefore, compelled to agree to the best terms they could, ibr had they refused the offer of the South-Western Company, and the projected opposi tion lines had progressed, the property of the Guild ford Junction Company would have been rendered valueless. To a limited extent, if any Proprietor wished to tranfer his present holding for a corre sponding number of shares in the extension company, he (the Chairman) was authorised to say that provi sion would be made, and the shares granted. Mr. HADDOW was perfectly satisfied, and begged to move the adoption of the report. Mr. Huasx asked, if the South-Western Company failed in Parliament in procuring their projected ex tension, whether the Guildford Junction would then be an independent company ? The CnArßstart—No. It was absolutely sold, there being a specific clause in the agreement, signed by Mr. Chaplin and himself, which said, " The pur chase is absolute, whether there be an extension line or not." Mr. LoE seconded the motion, which was unani mously agreed to. Mr. HADLEY moved a resolution, to the effect that the Directors be authorised to take the necessary steps to complete the agreement with the South-Western Company. Mr. BLACKMORE seconded the motion, observing that the course pursued by the Directors was the most beneficial one which could be adopted. This resolution was also unanimously agreed to. The Cumustax, as the meeting was about to break up, observed that if any gentleman desired shares in the extension line, and would send in an application to that effect within a week, he would try personally to get them the shares they desired. If they applied to him then they would get them. A vote of thanks was passed to the Directors, and the meeting separated. ECCLESIASTICAL' INTEL LIGENCE. (From the Western Luminary.) We have authority to say that the Lord Bishop of this diocese, in consideration of the strong feeling which subsists in many places against the use of the surplice in preaching, has withdrawn his order in respect to that particular. Te the enforcement of the rubrics his Lordship firmly adheres. A circular letter to the clergy to this effect has just issued. We are authorised to state that the Bishop of Exe• ter has withdrawn the postscript to his letter to the Dean. The statement made to him originated in a mistake, which has since been explained. OUR FINANCIAL DIFFICULTIES AND THEIR REMEDY. (From the Sentinel.) When Sir R. Peel accepted office his dupe and his sycophants 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 regis, the landed interest felt themselves secure. The moneyed men rejoiced when they beheld the champion of the bullionists safely domiciled in Downing -street. But the antici pations of the golden age have not been realised. Corn is down to 455., and money is a drug. The 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 colonial 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." His 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 mils(' 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 be 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 be reduced ; till at last the Minister, driven to extremes, will consent to, if he does not originate, a property-tax, in li eu o f a ll 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 same 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 Hall), 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 the distress is the monopoly of gold. We cannot admire, nay we cannot even comprehend, the 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 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 be 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 back 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. THE QUEEN DOWAGER.—ight bunclre4 families in the neighbourhood of Hampton-coUrt, Hampton, New Hampton, and TeddingtOn, receive, by the kind charity of her Majesty' the Queen DoWager, ihree pour* 4f beef and 'two quartern loavee each everyghTiscmas. This welcome silt was flistrih4iecl lesterclip 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, there to join head-quarters. Brevet-Major Rawnsley, ditto at Banagher, 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 I3allinasloe 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, &c., 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 WTarde 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 Islandbridge 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 rot directly turned to this audacious cabal in the next Parliamentary session. THE I.ITII 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. LefTwre, 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 ventions of breaks, but we do not find that any report has yet been made respecting them. A letter was received from the Marquis de Jouf froy, complaining of the extraordinary delay of the commission appointed to report on his new system of 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 r ecommen d a ti on f or 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. Descombes, 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.' M. 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 incandescent is of a remoteness which defies calculation, and shows that persons who attempt to fix the age of our planet by geological de ductions must still be very distant from a perfect knowledge on this subject. Some recent discoveries in geology have, indeed, shown that the earth is much 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 (more, 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 opiniou, He contends that it is cf no consequence WlWtlier the fo o d be of the kind alluded to or riot, as the goose, he says, forms in the process of di ges ti on f a t from any food, if it contains a certain proportion pf ii4zote. We hope M. Persoz will also sh,p,w that it is not necessary, An the fatteajp,f4 cf geese, to expose them to the tortures themby many of the feeders, smoh as nailing them by the feet and conenin4them 11 narrow space to'.vreyeAt motion, W 9 re he objection to partake of a good' fat goose, lithe feeding be merely the result of abundance of of wholseome food, but We confess that we never see a fat goose, and, above a a large goose liver, without thinking of the atrtiCous inhumanity that is frequently resorted to in order to make the feeding of these poor animals a successftzl 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 experiment:, 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 gano - rene, 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 wv 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. MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS. FROM THE MORNING PAPERS ..F THIS DAY. CITY, TUESDAY EVENING. TIMES.—The premium on gold at Paris is 12 per mille, which, at the English Mint price of 31. 17s. 10it1. per ounce for standard gold gives an exchange of 25 45 ; and the exchange at Paris on London at short being 25 57k, it follows that gold is 0.49 per cent. dearer in London than in Paris. By advices from Hamburgh the price of gold is 4341 per mark, which, at the English Mint price of 3/. 17s. 10id. ounce ex fo c r ha s n ta g n e da a rd t gold, Hamburghgi ve s an exchange London ofat 13 5h 9 0 t ; l) and er tfae being 13 10, it follows that g old i s 0.13 p er c en t. d earer in London than in Hamburgh. POST.—A correspondence has taken place between Mr. Henry Lloyd Morgan and the Commissioners of Customs, and other public authorities, respecting the duties leviable on "unrated goods" imported from foreign laid before us, the importer, Mr. Morgan, as ' we ll as countries, and of which correspondence a copy has been others, feeling it a serious grievance that this portion of the Customs duties should not be more specifically de fined, since, under the present mode of collection or out, assessment, merchants do not at all know what to b e ab It appears that Mr. Morgan had introduced by the Giraffe, from Rotterdam, a cask containing forty-six g allons of cherry juice, upon which he paid th e " f u ll duty" of twenty per cent., valuing it a t 81 . ss, It was gua ged without loss of time, as the article, being a perish able one, required to be, but when application came tobe made by Mr. Morgan for its delivery, to his surprise he found that it was stopped. A series of petitions, represen tations, and references then commenced, as is usually the case in like circumstances. Mr. Morgan was informed by the Commissioners of Customs that the commodity had been submitted to Dr. Ure, the chemist, the result of which was that he would be required to pay upon it the wine duty of; we believe, ss. 6d. per gallon. Dr. Ure perhaps discovered some spirit in the juice, as would most likely be the case with any similar importation, but Mr. Morgan can hardly consider it possible that he could call it wine. The cost of it, at Rotterdam or Dus seldorff was no more than 71. 163., whereas the wine duty alone would be from 121. to 131., and the delivery of the juice, or payment of its first price, is therefore demanded as a means of adjusting the matter, but the authorities are uncompromising, and here accordingly it rests, the liquid suffering daily deterioration. The duty was paid on the 20th of September ; an answer to a letter on the subject of the stoppage, addressed to the Board of Trade, is dated November 22 ; an answer to a me morial on the same topic, addressed to the Lords of the Treasury, is dated December 17 ; and the question asked is, whether, to say nothing of the uncer tain system of levying duties in these cases, there might not be more dispatch with perishable goods, the prin ciple involved being the same, be the value ten pounds or ten thousand ? It is stated by Mr. Morgan that the importation was made on the faith of the general order of February 4, 1843, respecting vegetable juice, which seems to apply to this particular arti c le, as it is declared to be pu re cherry juice, as entered, and nothing more. Hence, while there is apparently a firm determination net to surrender the property, on the one hand, there is an eqii7.i determination not to pay a wine duty upon it on the other, and it remains to be seen how the affair will end. Certain it is that the commercial body would be glad to have the customs rating of goods carried to the utmost practicable limit, and, to show the expediency of such a course it is that Mr. Morgan has, as he affirms, been pressed by several merchants to give all the importance and publicity in his power to the hardships to which, in in stances of the nature of this, they are subject in common, the example being admirably suited to the illustration of they inconvenience under which they labour, The endless correspondence to which the detention of merchandise invariably leads, should cause the officers of the Customs to palm much before they proceed to the mea sure ;;but then, unfortunately, such a practice is sanc tioned, and even encouraged, by the higher officers of the Crown, in the disposition s h own t o rewar d th e i r often miscalled " vigilance by a mulct of " fee" or " satisfac tion," than which a more objectionable system cannot exist, since, at the best, it is but bribing a public servant to do that duty effectively for which he is paid out of the public purse. SUN.—Consols leave off better this afternoon, being 1001 New Thi ee - and-a-Quarter per Cents. were 1034 Bank Stock for Account was 210. The advance in Foreign Bonds was maintained. Spanish Actives were 27- to ; the Three per Cents. at 38i I ; Mexican, 36i 4 ; Chilian, 101 ; and Dutch Two-and-a-llalf per C ents . , 64 i 1. Portuguese Con verted were 604. for time. The additional transactions in Railway Shares have been these :—Bristol and Gloucester were 9 ; Churnet Valley, li; Dubli n an d Belfast, to 2; Great Western, Half, ; Hull and Selby, Quarter, S* ; Brighton, 1; South-W estern, ex New, 35k ; Ditto, New, 7:i ;London and York, 2i; Manche s t er an d Leeds, 51 ; Ditto, Quarter, 9 to ; Newcastle and Darlington, 37+ to 38i ; Ditto and Berwick, 6ti ; Norwich and Brandon, 5; Ditto, New, 3 ; Rugby, 1 ; Shrewsbury and Birmingham, *; South- Eastern, 71; Ditto, New, 9; York and North Midland, 53k; Orleans and Vierzon, 91 ; Paris and Rouen, 22 to premium. Birmingham and Gloucester have been sto 5 ; Caledonian, ; Direct Northern, *; Eastern Counties, 10; Blackw e l, 9-a; Greenwich, 21 to 3* ; and Strasburg and Bale, # to 1 discount. Union Bank of Australia Shares were 2-i premium. The exchange was rather higher this afternoon on Paris, Hamburgh, and Frankfort, and steady on Antwerp, Amsterdam, and Trieste. The following is the official return of the exports of Bullion from the Port of London for the week ending Thursday last :- 0 0 1,1 Cg in to Cadiz . , b 0 oz. , Silver Coin Ditto ~„,„,„. ... 1,000 „ Calais 260,600 „ I, ” /, ~ Havre I,3Q ,) 4tThe Chancellor of the Exchequer left town yester day morning for Cambridge. WOOLWICH, TUESDAY. The Comet steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Prettyman, took a party of the Woolwich division of Royal Marines to Chatham on Saturday, returned t o Woolwich on Sunday, and on Monday towed the Scourge steam-frigate to the East India Docks, to be fitted with her engines, by Maudslay, Sons, and Field. The Comet left the river the same evening for Portsmouth. The Lightning steam-vessel, Master-Commander S. B. Cook, left Woolwich on Monday for Ports mouth, with the paddle-box boats for the Locust steam-vessel. The Princess Alice steam-vessel, Master-Corn. mander L. Smithett, arrived at Woolwich on Sunday from Dover, to have the damage she sustained by coming into collision with the Princess Mary steam vessel made good at this dockyard. The Alban steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander F. Lowe, is ordered to Woolwich to have her defects made good. The Black Eagle is to be fitted with Mr. S'alauel Hall's smoke consuming apparatus. The intended trial of the Retribution steam-frigate on the 27th inst. has been postponed. A boat is to be built on the plan of Captain George Smith, the inventor of the paddle-box boats, upon the sameprinciple as the paddle-box boats, but adapted to steam-vessels fitted with screw propellers. Strict orders have been given to the workmen at the Woolwich Dockyard not to introduce Lucifer matches into any part of that establishment Mr. Sydney E. L. Wright is appointed clerk to the Rattler steam-vessel. Mr. Alexander Sistland is appointed second en• gineer to the Redwing steam-vessel. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOIt,TUESDAY.—The Queen and Prince Albert walked early this morning in the grounds adjacent to the Castle, and visited the Duchess of Kent at Frogmore House. In the afternoon her Majesty and Prince Albert, attended by the Countess of Charlemont, tidy Caroline Cocks, Hon. Miss Devereux, Viscount Hawarden, Lord Charles Wellesley, and Sir Edward Bowater, went to the small lake in Frogmore•giounds. Her Majesty, the Lady in Waiting, the Maids of Honour, and the Lord in Waiting, here witnessed the remainder of the royal party partake of the diver sion of skating, the skaters being Prince Albert, Lord Charles Wellesley, Sir Edward Bowater, Mr. G. E. Anson, Captain Francis Seymour, and Dr. Prcetorius. Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal took a carriage airing to-day, and her Royal Highness the Princess Alice was taken for walking exercise. Sir Henry Wheatley left the Castle to-day. The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening included her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Fanny Howard, the Countess Wratislaw, Mr. George Edward and the Hon. Mrs. Anson, Major- General and Lady Isabella Wemyss, and Ce.ptaiss Francis Seymour. The band of the Royal Horse Guards was I n at tendance during dinner. Her Majesty's private band afterwards attended. The Duke of Cambridge visited, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester p - s:sterday, at Gloucester House. Her Majesty's royal charities, of five shillings each, to upwards of nine hundred poor and aged persons, were distributed on Monday and Tuesday last, under the orders of the Lord High Almoner, the Lord Archbishop of York, and of the Sub-Almoner, the Venerable Archdeacon S. 'Wilberforce. In consequence of the severity of the cold, the dis tributions were extended to a greater number of per sons than usual. The Royal Gate Alms were distributed at the same time to one hundred and sixty-eight persons, who received thirteen shillings each. Many of the aged poor who received the royal bounty are blind and suffering under bodily affliction. The payments are made by Joseph Hanby, Esq., the resident Secretary and Yeoman of the Almonry. The Marquis of Downshire had an interview with the Earl of Dalhousie yesterday, at the office of the Board of Trade. Dispatches from the Governor of Gibraltar were received yesterday at the Colonial-office. Dispatches were sent off last evening for the Governor of Gibraltar. 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 httridsrmie 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 Germany 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 far their soya, or church dress, and as in softness, gloss, and pliability it exceeds silk, it is becoming fa.shionable among us for clergymens' and lawyers' gowns. To show you how much the manufacturers in this quarter are on the qui vive, 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 pattern as they can, some in inferior materials—that is, 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 fac similes of the Quoen'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 =abet 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. DISTRIBUTION TO THE POOR.—Yesterday, in pur. suance of the will of the late Major Wright, of the Tower. Hamlets Volunteers, the trustees commenced the diy tribution ofl 200 four-pound loaves, an 200 eight-pot:tad pieces of beef, at the parish church of St. Qoorge's in the East, to the industrious and deserving peer off the parish, whose characters could bear investigation. Up. wards of 120 persons rec e i ve d i n di v id ua ll y two four pound loves and a piece of beef. In addition to the above, a society, entitled the Royal Victoria Philanthrepic Society, an institution which was established at the Ship Tavern, Chapel-street, in honour of her Majesty's accession to the throne, and which is wholly. supported by voluntary contributions from private inhabitants of this populous parish, will commence this week distri buting bread and coals to the necessitous poor —upwards of 4,000 four-pound loaves, and 2,000 half-hundreds of coals. In this parish, upwards of 1,000/+ per year is voluntarily contributed ,by the parishioners, and distri buted according to the exigency of those pressing eases which are brought under the notice of the committee. The rector, the Rev. Bryan King, M.A., is the donor of the sum of 2501. per annum. CHRISTMAS AND THE POOR.—The inclemency of the weather, and the prevalence of contrary winds, has within the last few days produced a considerable rise in the price of those important essentials of life, isoals and potatoes, In many parts of the metropolis the price of the former is is. Bd. to 2s. per cwt., and very inferior potatoes are sold at the ordinary charges of the beat Both on Saturday and yesterday the supplies at Covent garden and Spitalfields markets wore not nearly equal to the demand. On account of the late abundant harvest, however, the price of bread at the easter* and poorer distrieta of the metropolis remains at 6d. and 6id. per qnartern loaf. The leading environs of Whit ec h apel at the average pric es i n t h ese districts. and Shoreditch were yesterday supplied w ith meat of excellent quality, an inquest at th e 131 ue L eo, Curtain-road. A CHILD BURNED TO DEAT II . - -Yesterday Mr. body of M ary A nn Malmisbury, aged Baker held beth Char e l en state d that she resides ih t iglae with dece ase d' s p arents , On Monday is S ne h r o teh r n e e dsi years.atcmh said c o o n uEr t evening she was ill leer own room, and on accidentally looking out of the window, saw a great light or blase in deceased's parents' apartment opposite. Witness hams. diately ran down, and upon entering the house eltIV de. ceased enveloped in flames. With assistance sle Atha guished the fire, but not until deceased had been dreatiu fully burned all over her body. Mr. Sraith, a sargues was sent for, who promptly attcndeil. ancladminiaterad the proper remedies, but withp,et avail. Verdict- AA*. cidental dest4," ~~, is tors ectea net t he lid, d to ° Coo" the ing er, sy by id *J' ~,,keff f r om a l'sn boo rswk ast °- t 90 taio Wo' i yo• Pe rin ' inchei d Or lete f i ! its° ; co, r•-', saw 1 .