The Sun. — London, England, 1844-12-20 00:00:00

NEW WOK ON INDIA. •18% - y7, r ly, in 2 vols., small Bvo., with Illustrations, 21s. bound, All VENTURES OF AN OFFICER, IN THE SERVICE OF HUNJEET SINGH. BY MAJOR H. M. L. LAWRENCE, .ngfil Artillery, British Resident at the Court of Nepaul, and Late A,iistant to the Political Agent in charge of British Relations with Lahore. Henry Colburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. Now ready, at all the Libraries, T HE COUNTESS of BLESSINGTON'S NEW NOVEL. " STRATHERN; OR, LIFE AT HOME AND ABRO_4.I) ;" A STORY OF THE PRESENT DAY. Henry Culburn, Publisher, 13, Great Marlborough-street. On Saturday, January 4, 1845, will be Published the First Number of a New Weekly Newspaper, price Gd., under the title of youNG ENGLAND; OR, THE SOCIAL CONDITION OF THE EMPIRE. All Communications, Letters, and Books for the Editor, are re sted to be addressed to Richard Bentley, S, New Burlington-street. lice of " Young England," No. 2, York-street, Covent-garden, wh're Advertisements should be forwarded immediately to secure in r iOll. Orders received by all News agente and Booksellers through. c at. the United Kingdom. THEATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. THIS EVENING, DECEMBER 20, VY Jibe repeated a grand Opera Soria, called THE DAUGHTER OF ST. MARK. Lusignano, Mr. Burdini ; Andrea Cornare, Mr. Morrani ; Moncerngo, Mr. Weiss ; Adolphe de Courey, Mr. W. ilarrisc,n,• atarina Cornaro, Miss Ramforth To conclude with the celebrated Ballet of THE PERI. Achmet, M. Desplaces ; The Peri, Mdlle. Plunkett; Nourmahal, Mdlle. tYßryan ; Ayslea, Mrs. Payne. The Box-orrice is open daily, from Ten in the Morning until Six In the Evening, where Private and Family Boxes, Stalls, Places, et id Tickets may be had on application to Mr. John Parsons. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKET. Lessee, Mr. B. WEBSTER. THIS EVENING, DECEMBER 20, Wail lie ~ erforined a New and Original Comedy, in Five Acts, celled OLD HEADS AND YOUNG HEARTS. Colonel Rocket Mr. &rickiand ; Littleton Coke, Mr. Charles Mathe s ; Ton Coke Mr. Webster; Bob, Mr Buckstone; Jesse Rural, Mr. W. Farren ; The Count-ss of I r,mpion, Mrs. W. Clifford ; Lady Alice Hawthorn Madame Vestris; Miss Rocket, Miss Julia Bennett, Alter wnich, will be repeated a New Comic Drama, entitled SOMEBODY ELSE. Hand Moritz, Mr. Charles hiathews; Minnie, aladame Vestris. To be 1 , ,11,wed by a New and Original Farce, called YOUNG D Major Martinet, Mr. Strickland; Mr. John James Pooley, Mr. Buckstone; Mrs. P4olev, Mrs. Humby. Private Boxes, Two Guineas and One Guinea and a-Half each. Ficketi and Places to be had of Mr. I. T. Ar cher, at the Box-office, from ten till Five o'Clock. THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPHI. Under the Direction of Madame CELESTE. THIS EVENING, DECEMBER 20, Will he repeated (by special permission of Charles Dickens, Esq.) a Ns - r.v Drama, entitled THE CHIMES. A Goblin Story of Some Bells that Rang an Old Year Out and a New Year In. Tobv Veck, Mr. O. Smiih; Alderman Cute, Mr. Wright; Tugby, Mr. Wilkin. ron ; Sir Joseph Bowley, Bart , Mr. Paul Bedford ; Will Fern, Mr. iiudron; Richard, Mr. Selby Meggy Veck, Miss Fortescue ; Mrs. Mrs. Frank Matthews. Afior which a New Drama, entitled THE MYSTERIOUS STRANGER. CouLt Henry de Beausoleil, Mr. Hutton ; Count tranillw, Mr Selby; The Mysterious Stranger, Madame Celeste ; Crcquct, Mr. Wright; Chechore, Mr. 0. Smith. To co , :dude with THE UNFINISHED GENTLEM.A.N, In which Messrs. Wright, Selby, and Miss Woolgar will perform. Prompter, Mr. Gallot; Principal Painter, , Hr. Pitt; Leader of the Baud, Mr. Mellon.—Box—odice open from Eleven till Four. Private Boxes to be had at the Theatre, and at all the principal Libraries. PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. LESSEE, Mr. J. la. MADDOX. THIS EVENING, DECEMBER 20, Will be ; revented the Comedy of WILD OATS. Rover, Mr. Wallack, Harry "I bonder, Mr. Fitzjames; Sim, Mr. Oxberry ; Ephraim, Mr. Compton; Lady Amaranth, Mrs. Stiriing; Jane, Ars. Brougham Amelia, Mrs. Fosbroke. After which, a New Petite Comedy, called AGED FORTY. Sir Harry Wilder, Mr. Walter Lacy ; Mr Dapper, Mr. Oxberry ; Lady Clifton, Mrs. Stiriing. To conclude with a New Grand Oriental Ballet, called THE ENCHANTED BELL. Azolin (an Hindso Peasant), M. Roussetc ; Palmira (the Sultan's Daughter), Mille. Caroline Roussett; Naire Cher Friend), Mdlle. Teresine; Ding Doug (the Genii of th e B e ll), Miss Marshall. Dress Circle, sa. ; Boxes, 4s. ; Pit, 25.; Gallo Is. Half-price at Nine o'clock—Dress Circle, 28. tid. ; Boxes, 2s. ; Pit, Is.; Gallery, Gal. Private Boxes, Two Guineas and One Guinea and a-Half ; Prosce nium Boxes, Two Guineas and a-Half. Doors to be opened at Half past Six, and the Performances to commence at Seven o'clock. The Box-office, under the direction of Mr. W. Massingham. Private Boxes and Free Admissioes for the Season to be had at the /Theatre. THEATRE ROYAL LYCEUM, LATE ENGLISH OPERA, HOUSE. Uuder the Management of Mrs. KEELEY. Re-engagement of Signor Camillo Sivori—To-night and To-morrow. THI; EVENINfk, DECEMBZR 20, Will be repeated a New Farce, called A TRIP TO KISSINGEN Characters by Messrs. Wigan, Kin och, Stanton, Collier, Yarnold, Turner, Stoker, and Kepley , Mrs. Wigan and Mrs. Keeley. To ue succeeded by Paganiui's Adaj.o and Rondo, La Clochette, by Signor Camillo Sivori. Atrer which, a New Farce, called TO PERSONS ABOUT TO tIARR v. Supported by Messrs. F. Mathews, Meadows ,and Stoker, kliss Are,n, Mrs. Wigan, and Mrs. Woollidge. To which will be added Paganini's Theme Burlesque and Carnaval Venise, by Signor Cami.lo Sivori. - - . - In the course of the Evening A DIVERTISSEMENT, in which .! 'Alien's Mazurka and Cellarius Valse will Le danced by Mdlles. Louise and Adele, Miss James, and Mi•s Fairbrother. T(1 be followed by THE S - WISS COTTAGE. .4,4srs. Wigan, Ytrnold, Keeley, and Mrs. Keeley. Lu conclude with a New Comedietta, entitled WATCH AND Tne characters by Messrs. F. Mathews, Kinloch, and A. NN:gan; Miss Fairbrother, and Mrs. A. Wigan. _l' RIC ES OF AI)M lssl 0 N.— Bateoti y Boxes, 4 • Upper as.; Pit, 25.; Gallery, 6d. Second Price—Balcony B oxes, 2s. ; ipoe.r Boxes, Is. Pd.; Pit, Is. Private Boxes on the ItAle,ony Tier eight persons), Two Guineas. Private Boxes on the Second Pier (holding eight persons), Ono Guinea and a-Half. Private 15'sxes on the Pit 'Tier (holding six persons), One Guirea. l'he Box..itlice is open from Ten to Four o'Clock, under the direr. Lien of Mr. Grogan, late of Covent-garden Theatre. Characters by Great attraction every Evening—Squire Batty's Hounds mee This Ei;enigg, at ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPIII . I HEATRE OF ARTS. Proprietor and Manager, Mr. W. BATTY. THIS EVENING, DECEMBER 20, repeated a Now Spectacle, entitled THE ROYAL FOX HUNT; ar, fhe Race_ Horse and Life's Course of Man and Steed ; introducing unequalled National Fete,. Real Fox-chase on the Stage and in the Circle by living Fox and real Pack of Hounds, purchased ny Mr_ ilatty of Mr. Tattersall, to realise this novel production. . It..ces and other Sporting Features. lv -cenes of the Circle, and entire change in the Feats of Horse. ;slim:4)lp. The First Week of the extraordinary British Vaulter and Sbnier,ault Thrower, Mr. Price, and Mater Charles Price, the Little 27.sluestrian Wonder, and other Novelties. • o•ing anti stage-nn mager, Mr. W. 1 1 Broadfoot. 130x-otfle . ;open from Eleven till Five. Lessons in the Art of Riding 7.. Mr. if Smith daily. • • 'Mr. BATTY begs to a-quaint the Nobility, Gentry, and his Patrons, that, in complimce with numerous requests from the country, and by special desire, he has formed araneements to pre (luring the Christmas Holidays ' a S ries of EQUESTRIAN MOVNING FECES and FASHIONABLE DAY PERFORM. ANCE, to commence at Half-past One, and terminate at Half-past Three : consisting of Batty's Splendid Scenes of Equitation in the Circle. The first Three horning Performances will take place on I,ionday, )ec. 31, Wednesday, Jam. 2, and Fr,dey, Jan. 4. TEIE WEATIIER.-SUN OFFICE, DEC. 19. ThrrRMoMETER, Lowest, 38 ; Highest, 42 ; Noon, 40. BAROMETER, 30.13.—W1ND, N.N.E. NOTE. -The figures which follow the words "Lowest" and " Highest" denote the lowest and highest state of the Thermometer during the preceding twenty-four hours. All the other observations are made at noon. Water freezes at 32 ; 55 cn Thermometers is marked "Temperate," and on Barometers "Fair" is generally placed opposite to 30, and " Rain" at 29 ; but there is no certainty of dry weather when the mercury falls below 30. HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE THIS DAY. ,Voer lag 34 minutes after 10 1 Evening ... 9 minutes after 11. 41, I% It•t i-, i 4: "; ... ' ' • i .1' isui•k., : ~ - 4.,.• ' ',._* • "1:- , ,.. .s ° ' -' J• . • t. W' r i . -., ~ ____,,, ~,g, i_7" ' .-'• 7,‘, 4 4lrft . ~,> 'fi ' '' "4 l l o% --; i••• .:.:•' ''-' t)"'1.1.3.: , 7 :71 7, 0 1 111 ~..ir - f , r.'l , - - Aakit im '.:," '4 • 'o' 4 ' ' llli Jr — A ... • , .... ' 4 •''. 4 ;,'lt . ' \ ijl i tYi., ."4 1.. M . ; ,g* • ROLT • I . ' t. infirnita Al/L LONDON, FRIDAY, DECEMBER 20, 1844. When the question of the occupation of Sinde by British troops under the command of Sir CHUILES N'Arlnst was before the public, engrossing people's attention in no ordinary degree, and creating a sin gular diversity of opinion among men of all parties, The Sun was among the few journals that, from the very first mooting of the question, strenuously ins,isted on the occupation of that Indian province. The majority of our Contemporaries were decidedly , pposed to us on this knotty point, arguing that the British Government had no moral or legal right to make war on Sinde, and that it was a most iniquitous :I , r, of aggression, which would scarcely fail, in the run, to be attended with disastrous consequences. :Despite these arguments, which were urged from time to time with considerable force and ingenuity, we_still adhered to our original opinion ; for, in the first' place, we were well aware of the treacherous conduct of the Sindian Ameers, who set at nought their most solemn and deliberate pledges; laughed at the idea of maintaining the faith of treaties, and made them with us and broke them just as it suited their Convenience, so that there was absolutely no raiying on their sense of honour and justice; secondly, it Was a notorious fact that these degraded Ameers were tyrants of the most remorseless and incurable character, who oppressed the miserable people sub jected to their sway with the most cruel exactions, exceeding in this respect all that has been recorded of Tirsioo Sam and his father, HYDER ALI, and had, consequently, no claim on the forbearance of the British Government, with which they had so often played fast and loose ; and, thirdly, they had the un controlled possession of the river Indus from its mouth fur several hundred miles up the country, and Hooked us out, whenever they pleased, from this great highway of nations, thereby crippling our means of extending and multiplying the commercial resources of India, and preventing us from keeping that quick, vigilant watch on the Affghans, the Belochees, and the wild tribes of the contiguous pro vinces, which recent events have shown to be indis pensably necessary to the safety of our Indian em pire. For these and other reasons, not necessary here to enumerate, The Sun was a constant advocate for the occupation of Sinde; and we are glad to find our view of the case adopted by the celebrated author of the " History of the Peninsular War," Major- General NAP IER , w h o, in his work on the " Conquest of .S . de"—th e first part of which has just made its appearance—insi s t s t h at the occupation of that country was a step necessarily growing out of Lord AUCKLAND'S mistaken policy, and which subsequent events had rendered every way defensible. of the Sindian Ameers, for w h ose downfal soakingmuc spurious sympathy was at one time expressed in Eng land, the gallant author says—" Their stupid, selfish policy, was to injure agriculture, to check commerce, to oppress the working man, and to accu mulate riches for their own selfish pleasures. What are the people to us ? was the foul expression of Nooß MOHAMED to Lieutenant EASTRICK. Poor or rich, what do we care ! If they pay us our revenue, give us our hunting-grounds and enjoyments, that is all we require. The most fertile districts was made a wilderness to form their hunting-grounds. Their Zenanas were filled with young girls torn from their friends, and treated when in the harem with revolting barbarity. In fine, the life of an Ameer was one of gross pleasures, for which the labour and blood of men were remorselessly exacted, the honour and hap piness of women savagely sacrificed." As regards their observance of treaties, we are told that " con stant evasions or direct violations of every article attended the conclusion of every treaty. Forged letters, false seals, secret forms of instruction, false assertions as to promises which had never been made by the opposite party—such were the means dili gently, systematically, and not unskilfully employed by the Ameers at all times in their intercourse with British political agents." Truly it was high time that such a fertile territory as Sinde, peopled, too, by inhabitants, simple, hardy, and industrious in their habits, should be freed from the grinding oppressions and cruelties of rulers like these ; and we can well believe that the vast mass of the Sindian population bless the hour when they were . first liberated by British policy and valour from the heart-withering despotism of their Ameers. The present part of General NAPIER'S work is, as might be expected, merely introductory, and is principally devoted to a consideration of the many causes which rendered it absolutely indispensable in Lord ELLENDOROUGH to take the bold step of occupying Sinde with a British army. Of that Noble Lord's system of Indian policy the gallant author expresses himself in warm terms of approbation, and hints indirectly that he fell a victim to a tribe of jobbers and selfish civilians, by whom he was uniformly misrepresented to the Court of Directors, who have themselves a lurking taste for " nepotism," which the Governor- General did all in his power to suppress. The gallant author's work is written in a style of manly glowing eloquence, and as a record of military achievements, is worthy to vie with the ablest that has ever appeared in England. Perhaps the follow ing particulars respecting the Conqueror of Sinde may amuse our readers : " Sir Charles Napier embarked at Bombay in the Zenobia steamer on the 3d of September; thus com mencing his new career upon Oliver Cromwell's fortu nate day, a coincidence which he did not fail to note with some satisfaction as a good omen. Yet the augury seemed at fault in the beginning; for scarcely had the vessel, which was full of troops, gained the open sea, when cholera broke out in the worst form, and the hideous misery of the voyage, which lasted until the 9th, shall be given in his own words:— "'ln those six bitter days and nights we cast fifty four dead into the sea, just one-fourth of our com panions! One passenger, it happened, was a surgeon, and he was assisted by two native apprentices belonging to the hospitals: fortunately, only two of the sailors died, or we should have been lost for want of hands. The engineer perished the third day, but happily, there were amongst the passengers two others going to the steamers on the Indus. Since landing, ten more soldiers have died, and one captain, making sixty-four in all ! This pulls down the spirits of men. It was the worst description of blue cholera. The agonies, the convul sions, the dreadful groans, were heart-rending: and then the screams of the poor women who lost their husbands and children! And, amidst all this, in the darkness of the night, the necessity of throwing the dead ov...rboard the instant life was extinct, to make room for the living! Then also, added to this scene of human wretchedness, the violent effects of the disease could not be cleaned, and extreme filth increased the misery. Well ! God be praised! it has ceased, but more troops are on this voyage, and ,I dread to hear iof similar sufferings, for most of it has been caused by neglect. I have made a formal complaint to Sir George Arthur, who, I am sure, will stir about the matter. The Commander of the Zenobia, Mr. Newman, is a noble fellow. I believe all that were saved owe their lives to him; and we, the officers, have given him a gold snuff-box in token of' our gratitude.'—' On making the land both mates got drunk, and such a night-scene of confusion I never saw. We were nearly as possible on a reef of rocks; we fired guns and rockets, but no help came. Had we struck, all must have perished; at least, all the sick, eighty in num ber: at last we cast anchor, and luckily on good holding ground.' " His first care was to provide comforts for the sur vivors of this dreadful voyage, which he affected by the 10th, but further mishap awaited himself. On the 13th, while observing the practice of a rocket train, one of the fiery missiles burst, rocket and shell together, and tore the calf of his right leg open to the bone, but neither the bone itself nor the great artery was injured; the wound was instantly stitched and dressed, and then a life of temperance, aided by a patient spirit of endurance, was repaid with a surprising cure. The hurt, jagged as it was, healed by the first intention, and in four days he was out of his tent: the fifth saw him free from fever, on horseback, travelling with an escort of wild troopers towards Hyderabad. " Some superstition the human mind, whether strong or weak, seems always to lean towards, and several of the greatest have rested thereon; those who deal in war seldom reject predestination, and Sir Charles Napier's life, one justifying Lord Byron's remark that truth is more strange than fiction, encourages this sentiment though reason should recoil. In infancy he was snatched while at the last stage of starvation from a vile nurse; while a young boy, attempting a dangerous leap, he tore the flesh from his leg in a frightful manner; a few years later he fractured the other leg. At the battle of Corunna, struggling with several French soldiers, he received five terrible wounds, and but for the aid of a generous French drummer would there have been killed; he was made a prisoner, and his fate being long un known, he was mourned for as dead by his family. In the battle of Busaco, a bullet struck his face and lodged behind the ear, splintering the articulation of the jaw bone, and with this dreadful hurt he made his way under a fierce sun to Lisbon, more than one hundred miles! Re turning from France after the battle of 'Waterloo, the ship sunk off Flushing, and he only saved his life by swimming to a pile, on which he clung, until a boat carried him off, half drowned, for the pile was too large to climb up, and he having caught it during the reces sion of a wave, was overwhelmed by each recurring surge. Now, escaping cholera, and a second shipwreck off the Indus, and marvellously recovering from the stroke of that unlucky rocket at Kurrachee, he was again on horseback, and hastening to conduct with matchless energy a dangerous war—and he did conduct it to a glorious termination; for neither age, nor acci dent, nor wounds, had quenched his fiery spirit; but how the spare body, shattered in battle and worn by nearly fifty years' service in every variety of climate, could still suffice to place him amongst the famous cap tains of the world, is a mystery. His star was in the East ! We have been favoured, from highly respectable quarters, with the perusal of some correspondence addressed to them, by influential parties in the north of Scotland, on the extreme hardship likely to be in flicted by the enactments of the 7 and 8 Vic., c. 112, for amending and consolidating " the laws relating to merchant seamen; and for keeping a register of seamen," on the brave and hardy race of seamen who inhabit the north and north-west shores of Caithness, Sutherland, and Inverness-shire, the remote districts of Tobermory, and the yet further isles and western highlands. Under what circumstances this hardship is likely to be experienced is well set forth in the following extracts : (From the Scottish Guardian, Dec. 3, 1844.) " MERCHANT SEAMEN.—We understand that the issue of the tickets commenced yesterday, at the various custom-houses in the United Kingdom, and, to avoid any misconstruction in the intention of the new law, it is declared that th e persons requ i ring to be ticketed, comprise all m o l e p ersons (subjects of her Majesty) forming part of the crews of vessels, whatever may be their capacity, w h et h er as mates, or other officers ; engineers, firemen, &c. ; stewards, servants, 85c. ; boys, or apprentices ; the only persons exempt being pas sengers, masters of vessels, and surgeons. All open or decked boats are, for the purposes of the Act, considered vessels,' whether employed in trading, fishing, or in pleasuring, if as regards the Clyde, they pass Dumbarton Castle. Masters of vessels (whatever the size may be) carrying any male person as part of the crew, except as aforesaid, after Ist of January next, without obtaining his register ticket, incurs a penalty of 101. for each person." (Extract of a Letter.) "If such a Bill has really been passed, with regard to the registration of sailors, as was represented in the para graph I sent you by last post, it would be good to repre sent to the proper authorities the great hardship of carrying it into execution on the west coast of Suther land, Ross-shire, Inverness-shire, &c., &c., as the agri cultural population are generally obliged to use boats to get their manure, often to carry their fuel, and even their potatoes, from one part of their farm to another. It should be observed that the arms of the sea along these coasts are so land-locked as often to be as smooth or smoother than fresh-water lakes, so that no skill is necessary in navigating them, and that the people em ployed on them and between them and the Isle of Skye, in our neighbourhood, are not to be considered as sailors, but landsmen. The sails of poor fishermen are often formed of a patched blanket from their beds, which goes in this country by the name of Kintail rig. Almost all the poor people possess a boat, or a share in a boat, and it is their carriage to go to church in, to which there is often no other easy access. The application of the Bill ought to have been confined to persons navigating boats ten or fifteen miles from land, at least in this country." (Extract from another Letter.) "It will be a most dreadful hardship for the poor people of this country, and I fear there is another grie vance still greater than any men ti one d i n t h e paragraph, i that s, that the tickets can only be obtained from a eustonl - house. N ow one o f the nearest custom-houses t i o as s at Tobermory, the others aro at Stornoway and THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MORNING, DECEMBER 2O, Mitt • Inverness. We belong to the port of Inverness. You know that numbers of our poor boys gain their liveli hood by fishing, and it is monstrous to suppose that they should be required to go to Inverness to get a ticket. If a ticket was to cost them one shilling, it would be a vast hardship ; and I believe many go out fishing who are not fit to go such a journey, both old and young." To the wisdom or policy of consolidating the va rious laws relating to merchant seamen, it is by no means our intention to except; and we can readily enter into the statistical as well as political views which may render the " Keeping a Registry of Sea men" as object of paramount importance under many possible exigencies. But we are satisfied that in framing the machinery of the Act before us the par ties who drew, and the Legislature which passed it, must have overlooked the extravagant injustice which its unmodified application to the most distant and inhospitable shores of the British islands, and between the most widely-separated points on those stormy coasts, their land-locked archipelago, and the wide oc casional tracks of barren country on the neighbour ing main, will inflict. From points thus remote, how ever, to the nearest port which can boast a custom house ; or from some secluded creek on the unfre quented west, across the wildest districts of the Highlands, to some luckier and more favoured locality in the east which possesses a trade and a revenue station, to look after the duties to be collected on it, the unfortunate fisherman of the " far Lewis, or of any part of the rugged coast line be tween Far-off-Head and Loch Broom, must find his way, be it by land or by water, 60, 70, or 80 miles, to pay his hard-earned shilling and obtain his certi- ficate, with which he may then return, at this the most inclement season of the year, over the same prolonged and dreary track, to the point from whence he set oat ; for the Act is imperative as to the time within which the certificate must be obtained. The preamble declares that " from and after the Ist day of January, 1845, this Act shall take effect." Clause 3 enacts, among other things, that the owner or master of " every ship under the burden of 80 tons, employed as last aforesaid, shall, before employing any seaman or other person in the service of his ship, receive from every such seaman or other person his register ticket ; and shall retain the same until the service of such seaman or other person shall have expired, and, at the expiration of such service, the master shall return the register ticket to the per son entitled thereto." In a subsequent clause a heavy penalty is inflicted on a master who shall fail to ex plain the meaning of such ticket and receive it, sub ject to be returned as aforesaid, from the seaman or other person so employed by him. And clause 20 expressly enacts that, " every person being a subject of her MAJESTY, intending to serve on board any ship, subject to the provisions of this Act (except as master or physican, or sur geon, or apothecary), shall, and he is hereby re quired to provide himself with a register ticket for that purpose to apply personally at the General Re gister and Record Office of Seamen in London, or at the custom-houses of the several outports of the United Kingdom." This clause imposes a rather heavy pe nalty on the sailor or seaman for noncompliance with its conditions. Did the framers of the Act think at all of Scotland—of the Western Highlands and Isles —of their intrepid, frugal, and enterprising, though poor, fishermen ? If they did, did it never occur to them that to make their Act take effect from the Ist of January on such coasts, and on such seas, was to put to needles hazard and fatigue the lives of a noble set of fellows, whose lot has been already cast as one of laborious toil, and of incessant peril ? How are these fishermen, for example, of the Western Highlands and Isles to make their way from their rude homes to the nearest custom-house, in search of these certificates, when, for that purpose, they may have to traverse the whole distance between, say Tobermory and Stornaway, or Stornaway and Wick, or between Thurso and Inverness ? 11l can they afford the fee, albeit but one shilling; but still worse can they afford the sacri fice of time and occupation entailed by such long journeys or voyages after these certificates, to say nothing of the tempestuous weather and difficult country that interpose their formidable obstacles at this season. There will doubtless be numbers whom physical difficulties of this kind, as well as others, will effectually prevent from obtaining the document required; but the Act is imperative, and they will therefore be subject to the penalty. Surely, on a proper representation of this case in the proper quarters, an Order in Council might be ob tained, either suspending the levy of the penalty until the re-assembling of Parliament and the passing of a remedial Bill, or providing a more practicable and considerate channel for the procuring these certificates, by authorising the officers of Cus- toms, always traversing some part or other of the districts in question, to issue them, on application to fishermen or others. Such a relief is no more than is due to the bold seamen of the coasts of Ross- shire, Inverness-shire, and Sutherland, of the Ork neys and the Western Isles, from whom both our navy, and our mercantile marine, at all times draw some of their best and most undaunted sailors. Madrid papers of the 11th instant have been re ceived. The report that the lives of REUGIFO and his comrades had been spared is confirmed, but we regret to find on the condition that they be banished for life. After such a mock trial, and the decision of the Supreme Military TAgtmal, this sentence, so far from showing the royal clemency, is an act of savage cruelty. We placed no confidence in the reputed clemency of NARVAI32, and have not, therefore been disappointed. -MADRID BOUNSE, DECEMBEIZ 11.—There were 110,900,000 reals done in the Three per Cents. to day; closing prices, 32 3-16 cash, and 324 at sixty days. Five per Cents. 21i at sixty days. Floating Debt, 77 cash. Coupons, 26i at sixty days. Though the opening of the French Chambers will take place within a week, we find not one note of pre paration in the Opposition journals for an attack on the " Man of Ghent," or the discussion of any great political measure, which may endanger the Cabinet. For many years there has not been, at this season, such a monotonous dulness in the radical and war journals. The state of Spain, and the part which Louts PHILIPPE and his Minister have taken in placing Queen Cuitisrmi, and INTAity.tez in power, will form a good subject for conteution, but even that now is scarcely alluded to. Enough is said in the National and Conslitutionnel about the military execu tions, and the other atrocities of the Government, but the responsibility of France for the wretched and lamentable condition of her near neighbour is kept almost entirely in the back ground. The only question at present that appears to excite the slightest interest is the election of Pre sident of the Lower Chamber, and even that is of the most trifling description. Last year the Opposition preferred M. DUPIN to M. SAUZET, but were opposed by the Government, and SAUZET was elected. Now he is out of favour with the leading organ of the Cabinet, and with some reason. Most of our readers will remember the disgraceful scenes in the Chamber last session when the " pilgrimage to Belgrave square," the right of search, and some other pplitical questions were discussed, and the utter inability of M. SAUZET to preserve order. The -Journal des Debate admits the fact, and would, therefore, now have a President like M. Durex, who though not al ways obedient to the Court and Cabinet, is a consistent and constitutional politician, and moreover has a firmness of ch arac t er which peculiarly fits him for preserving order in a popular assembly. The contrast between these two members is thus drawn by the Journal des Debate :—" The session is on the point of being opened, and the political discussions which have lately been so devoid of interest are about to be renewed. For our part, we have not been in clined from the mere pleasure of battling with the Opposition to fill our columns with eternal repetitions upon Mogadore and Otaheite. Everything must come to an end, even polemics; for when a question is exhausted, and is not revived by any new incident, the best thing that journalists can do is, in our opinion, to be silent. Why should not politics have a vaca tion ? All matters in difference will come into discussion in the Chambers. We are ready for the debate, and dread it not upon any one point. The thundering aspect assumed by the Opposition does not frighten us in the least degree. There is, how ever, one previous question upon which we wish to say a word, although it has not yet been broached; because, perhaps, in the present state of things it can scarcely bear the character of a party question. We mean the question of the Presidency. Who for this year is to be President of the Chamber of Deputies ? Last year we were desirous that M. DUPIN should be chosen, and we should this year have great pleasure in seeing him placed in the chair Our motives for this preference are very simple. The Chamber has need of a good President, and we know not where it can find a better than in M. DUPIN—one more firm, more capable of enlightening a debate while directing it. When the Chamber is tranquil, M. SAUZET fills the Presidency as well as any man can. He is mild and polite towards all ; suffering the debate to go on without interference. Ile can never be accused of abusing the power of calling the Chamber to the question, or its members to order. But when the Chamber is agitated, these same qualities render him unfit to control the storm. He cannot be said to create embarrassments, but he knows not how to foresee and prevent them ; and when the tempest bursts, no one can be more sur prised and confounded than he is. This could not fail to be remarked by all the world daring the last session. In our eyes it appears that the presi dency of M. SAUZET has had its day ; and, perhaps, it may be thought that by keeping the same man too long in the arm-chair he may become liable to fall asleep. M. SAUZET was put in the place of M. DUPIN, who, during nine years filled with difficul culties, presided over the Chamber with honour. Why, therefore, should not M. Dorm replace M. SAUZET ? We may be asked—Do you then regard M. Dutqx as a Ministerial candidate ? 'We answer, no ! because we know that in all times, and under whatever Ministry, M. Dutra( would reject this title with indignation. It is a prejudice which, ac cording to our view of it, has been fixed in the illus trious orator by his long and glorious career under the Restoration. We can much lets believe it pos sible for M. Durn4 to become the candidate of any Opposition. We see in him only a candidate for the Chamber, if the Chamber wishes for a good Presi dent—nothing more." The following gossip about the Court and the French press appears in the Globe, another Ministerial paper : " The ignorance of people not only in Spain, but even in France, as to the nature of the relations of Conserva tive journals with the Conservative Cabinets, or with the Crown, is very singular. We believe that there is not in Europe a King who pays less attention to journals, whe ther they attack or defend him, than his Majesty Louis Philippe. The King does not ascribe to the press so great an influence as that which is generally ascribed to it. In our opinion, it is proper not only to govern men, but, above alt, to govern ideas, and journalism is the most active means of propagating ideas, good or bad. We think, therefore, that the Government should govern the press like all other things. The Kin; of the French, however, if h e h as a lways ascribed immense importance to the two other powers of the state, has only ascribed a very slight one to the fourth power, namely, the press. It is a fact, known by all who ap proach the King's person, that he does not read the journals—the Debuts and the Globe, no more than the Reforme and the National. As to the Princes, there is more than one of them who reads the National in pre ference to the Debuts, and the Reforms in preference to the Globe, and in this they show good sense, for it is better to have one's eye on one's adversaries than one's supporters. In short, we may affirm that what the Radical journals call the Court is entirely a stranger to the impulses and political direction of the Conservative press. It is the Debuts that is particularly accused of being a dependent on royalty. This accusation is wholly unmerited. There is nothing more independent, or more disinterested, than the devotedness of the Debuts to the monarchy of July." The National justly attacks the Journal des Debuts for the article on the pardon of Itsuairo and his friends, and for describing this as a proof of the courage and strength of the NARVAEZ Ministry. It says : "Clemency appeared when the Supreme Tribunal was about to quash the sentence. But see how this clemency was exercised when demanded with suppliant voice by an afflicted mother and by a whole provincial deputa tion. See how it is exercised by this pro-Consul, who, after having had twelve Arragonese shot, has had eight others put to death without the slightest appearance of trial ! See how it is used towards the Generals who have grown old in the service of their country, who are escorted even to their prison by armed soldiers ! See also how mild it is towards all who are proscribed in the whole extent of the territory ! See if this clemency has a word to say in order to deliver those suspected . per sons of Tarragona, who have been imprisoned because they would not consent:to'give 200,000 reals, to avoid the exile that was to be inflicted on them ! The clemency of Narvaes ! the amenity of the tiger ! Truly, that would be a curious spectacle. The Debats has seized on the first opportunity to obtain an amnesty for some severe expressions against the savage brutality of• these lawless and faithless tyrants. But, if it reads the Minis terial press of Madrid, it will perceive that it has much more to do before being pardoned." THE BOURSE—TUESDAY, DEC. 17. First Highest Lowest Lut Price. Price. Price. Price. French Five per Cents.-- 120 $5 .. 120 85 120 25 .. 120 25 Throe per Cents.-- 85 05 .. 145 10 .. $5 .. 85 N ew L u au 86 55 .. 86 46 .. 86 40 .. 86 40 Bank of Franco .. 3255 ..3255 ..3255 ..3255 Laflitte Bank, I,ooof Shareslll2 50 .•1112 50 ..1112 10 ..1112 18 Belgian Bank .. •••••••• •• 62 i • • 640 .. 628 .. 640 Belgian Flvea, 1840 •••• • • • • 104 .. 104 • • 104 • • 104 1842 ...••• 1 061 1061 .. 1061 .. 106 f Dutch Two and-a-Half.•• G• 1 64 64 64 iparusn Threes.• •• •• • • •••• 3 7i •• 371 .. 371 • • 371 Portuguese Five per Cents•• Neapolitan ••••••• • • • •• • •• 98 60 •• 98 60 .. 98 60 .. 98 60 „71 4 01 7 4iy 1:74i 1041 RAIL filiAYLrd. •• St. Germain ..... .1015 ..1015 ..1015 ..1015. Versagles, R. 8.. L.B.•••• •• ....•• 402 50 .. 402 50 .• 395 .. 395 . 1042 50 ..1042 50 ..1042 SS Rouen to 802 50 .. 805 .. $OO .. 105 Orleans ••••••••••••••••••• 1120 ..1130 ..1110 ..1110 itrasburg to Bale.• •• •• •• •• 310 .. 316 25 .310 .. 311 25 Avignon to Marsellles•• •• •• 935 .. 935 .. 927 50 .. 927 50 RAILWAYS FOR nue ACCOUNT, JAN. 3. St. Germain ..............102S ..1025 ..1020 ..1020 Terim111ea,11.13............. 496 .. 516 .. 495 .. SOO 1,J1............. 395 .. 406 .. 392 50 .. 392 75 Rouen.... ... Konen tollayre BO5 .. 805 .. 800 .. 800 Orleans .....• otramburg tol3ale 309 7S .. 318 75 .. 312 50 .. 312 50 Avignon to llarseilles 932 50 .. 922 50 . 920 .. 920 MORTALITY IN THE METROPOLIS. - The number of deaths during the week ending Saturday, Dec. 14, far exceeds that of the preceding week, and probably is the highest of the whole year. The average is 946, and the return for the week ending Dec. 7, 988, while the last return is 1,201. Th e i ncrease has taken place chiefly from diseases of the throat and lungs, the total number under that head being 444, while the average is only 286. The deaths from bronchitis are 43, average 14 ; pneumonia (inflammation of the lungs), 145, average 79 ; asthma, 65, average 24. The deaths from small-pox are also very high-51. Of these fifteen died under 1 year, thirteen 1.3, ten 3-5, nine 6.10, two 10-15, and two 30-40 years. The suicides were five ; and seven persons, chiefly chil dren, were destroyed by burns or scalds. FLANDERS MAIL. BRUSSULI, DEC. 16.—T0-day being the 54ith anni versary of his Majesty's birth-day, the public edifices, the hotels of the Ministers of the Foreign Legations, &c., and the vessels in the basins of the canals, were adorned with the national colours. "Te Deum " was chanted in the church of St. Gudule, where Divine ser vice was performed, and attended by the Ministers of Great Britain, France, Prussia, Austria, and Holland ; by MonseignorPecci. the Papal Nuncio; and by the En voys and Charge d'Affaires of the different Powers. There was to hare been a grand review of the gar rison, but it was prevented by the bad weather. In the sitting of the Chamber to-day, M. Lejeune moved that the petitions from several merchants who object to the equality of import on roasted coffee and coffee nut roasted, should be referred to the Standing Committee of Commerce and Manufactures. The Chamber then proceeded to the final vote on the Budget of the Department of Justice. Only one article, that relating to public worship, gave rise to any debate of importance. After a long discus sion, the augmentation asked for by the Minister was agreed to by a majority of 51 to 18. Two Members de clined ♦oting. The whole of the Budget was then voted unanimously by 6t Messabera, two only declining. To-morrow the debate on the treaty with the Zollre rein will be resumed. BELGIAN FUNDS.—Baussime, DEC. IS. Actua Debt, 234 per Cent., ........ ........ •••'""" Rothschild's Loan, Five per Cent ......... Loan of Thirty Millions, Four per Cent Three per —Thirty-seven Millii.ns, ditto . ICS yb •••••••••••• ••••••••••••••••••••••••• Loan of City 1843, Four per ant. ..... 146 1831-2 lB2 Society of Commerce. Four and a Half per Cant — Bank of Belgium, Firs per .......... Issue of 1841.„„.___ —Erased: Papers • •.......... -- Dec. W. AUSTRIAN FUND3.—Vismare, Dec. 11. Five per Cents. Metalhques • ...NO 110! Four per Cents. ••••••••••••• 0000000 •••••••• 00000 •••••••••••• 10 2 Three per Cent,................ ...............”............... 76 Bank Shares ••••••••••••••••......--- ---•----" "••••• 1640 Loan, 1004.. . Di' - 0000000 •••••• ............... ..••• .Jitto, Is 3 litterltazy's Loan ••• RAILWAYS. Tho Northern, or ........ 160 Gloggnits • ............. se. ...... •••••••••••••••• woo 111) Milan ll9 •illgetneirie &Mow, Die. 14. Tun ORYNEY MAIL.---After being detained for ten days, the Orkney mail-boat crossed the Pentland Frith or, Friday l as t, D ecember 6, b r i ng i ng across no fewer than 27 mail bags, 18 o f w hich had to be opened at the Wick Post-office. Si nce th a t time the boat has been again detai ne d, an d six Orkney post- d ays are now lost here.—Joh n o ' G roa t Joternat SAYINGS' BANxs.-..Th e Government having put the screw upon depositors, by a reduction of the in terest, it is pretty evident there is a disposition to apply the same instrument to the paid officers, unless trustees and managers are alive to the movement. We never hear of the Government applying the " screw" to them selves and their friends. No: no! applying it to others is one thing, and applying it to themselves is another thing SUMMARY OF NEW AND publtr Optittatt. " Who runs may read." FOREIGN". Their Majesties the King and Queen of the French received, on Sunday evening, the Minister of Justice, the Minister of Finance, the Chancellor of France (the Duke Decases), General Boileau, President Seguier, President Debelleyme, the Charge d'Affaires of Naples, M. Dupin, sen., M. Laplagne-Barris, and MM. Clement and Laidot, Questora of the Chamber of Deuties. On Monday, the E ng li s h com p any o f tragedians opened their campaign at the Italian Opera, in Paris, and the success of the first night's representation (Othello) was everything that could be wished. The Sentinelle de la Marine announces that, by a deci sion of the Minister of Marine, the expedition against Morocco is to count as two campaigns for those engaged in it. The Commerce says :—" The Mexican Government has performed an act of justice. The outrage upon one of our fellow -countrymen, M. Fazieres, has been followed by the severe punishment of the offender. Capt. Uruena has been condemned to degradation, and eight years' imprisonment with hard labour." Several :of the Paris journals state that a person dressed in the most theatrical style, of a dignified manner, and about 30 years of age, who had for several days made himself conspicuous in the streets of Paris by his extravagant gestures, as well as his costume, was lately arrested in front of the Prefecture of Police, where a large crowd had assembled round him. It is added that he is an Englishman of excellent family, who had become deranged in his attempts to effect social reform, and had disappeared without his friends having been able to discover any trace of him. On Sunday week a poor little Savoyard was found frozen to death on the ramparts at Douai. He had with him his only friend and companion, the earner of his bread, a little white mouse ! " The Constitutional Committee," says a letter from Stockholm, " has been lately occupied with four Bills for effecting reforms in the representation. A fifth Bill is to be brought in by President Gartmansdorff." Upwards of 3,000 persons were assembled at Paris on Sunday, in the Halle aux Drape, to witness the cere mony of the distribution of prizes, by the Prefect of the Seine, to the journeymen who have attended with the beat success the lectures of the Professors at the Associa tion Polytechnique. The scene was striking. The Prefect delivered an impressive address, and several musical compositions were sung by the pupils of the Association. A letter from Berlin states that Tschech, who fired at the King of Prussia, is shortly to be removed to the for tress of Grandenz. On the 20th ult., about mid-day, a fire broko out at Constantinople, in the quarter called Aladjia Haman, a short distance from the port, and consumed about fifty houses and a great number of shops. A letter from Smyrna of the 23d ult., states that on the 17th a great part of the town of Balukesser was de stroyed by fire. More than a thousand houses and shops aro said to have been devoured by the flames. SAW AND POLIO*. In the Court of Bankruptcy on Wednesday, Mr. Commissioner Goulburn said he felt it his duty to call the attention of the public press to an error of some consequence to third parties, which he had no doubt had been inadvertently committed in the insertion of a bank ruptcy in the Gazette, and by which the petitioning creditors, Messrs. Ma} or and Skinner, of Anchor-wharf, were made to appear as being bankrupts also. His Honour, whilst expressing his regret that such a mis take should have occurred, felt gratified that the firm mentioned was of such respectability, that little or no harm had occurred to them in consequence of it. He severely reprimanded the officer of the Court through whose negligence the mistake had arisen, and ordered that he should defray all the expenses attending its cor rection. The trial of Downing and Powys, for the murder of Sir T. Boughey's gamekeeper was resumed at Stafford on Tuesday. The Jury, after considerable hesitation, re turned a verdict of guilty, with a strong recommenda tion to mercy. Downing exclaimed—" May my soul never enter the kingdom of Heaven if I am guilty, so help me, God I" 'i he Court at Liverpool was engaged the greater part of Tuesday with the trial of several cases of rape, the particulars of which are unfit for publication. At the New Court, Old Bailey, George Welsh, Henry Thomas, and Jerry Miney, under thirteen )ears of age, were convicted of stealing a purse, containing a crown piece and other silver coin, the property of W. J. Smith, from the person of Emma Ann, his wife. Welsh had been before convicted of robbery from the person, and Miney, by the name of Butler, once. The Court appeared at a loss how to dispose of the prisoners, on account of their tender age. At length Thomas was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, and Welsh and Miney to ten years' transportation. Sarah Weatherley, a respectably-dressed married woman, twenty-eight years of age, was convicted of stealing thirty-seven yards of ribbon, value Gs., the pro perty of Thomas W. Kershaw, and sentenced to be im prisoned for three weeks. At Union-hall John - Pentland, a respectable-looking young man, was brought from Guy's Hospital, charged on suspicion with stealing a book entitled 4 4 Gregory's Practice of Physic," from that institution. The prisoner, who said he was innocent of the alleged offence, was held to bail, himself in SOL, an d t wo suret i es of 40i. each, to appear on a future day. COVRT-PASZIONAIBMII. Mdlle. &Este has left the Clarendon Hetel for Paris. The Marquis of Hertford is passing the winter in the French capital. The Marquis and Marchioness of Ailes bury and Lord Charles Bruce have arrived in Paris. The Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby have left the Clarendon Hotel, on a ►isit to the Earl and Countess Cowper, Pansanger, Herts. General the Earl and Countess Effingham are passing the winter at Brighton. The Earl and — Countess of Chesterfield will not re turn to Chesterfield House, from Bretby Park, until after Christmas. Countess Powlett and Viscount Hinton have left Lon don for Hinton St. George. The .Earl of Glasgow has arrived at his seat, Hawk head, near Paisley, where the Noble Earl intends remain ing during the Christmas holidays. The Dowager Countess of Pembroke is expected to leave Earl Bruce's seat, Savenache Lodge, near Marlbo rough, on Saturday or Monday next, for Wilton House, near Salisbury. The Hon. Sydney Herbert, M.P., and a family circle, will assemble next week on a visit to the Noble Countess for the Christmas holidays. - Lord Stuart de Rothesay continues to labour under a slight attack of paralysis. Dr. Dickson is in constant attendance upon his Lordship. The Hon. Lindsey Burrell has returned to town from a visit to the Countess of Clare, at Ryde, Isle of Wight. Colonel Tynte is entertaining a numerous family circle at I lalswell House, his seat in Sotnersetshire. Sir Henry Hunloke, Bart., has arrived in town from Wingerworth Hall, Derbyshire, where the respected Ba ronet has been entertaining a select party with the sports of the field. STIOCIUMANISOURI. A meeting of merchants took place in Manchester on Tuesday, for the purpose of adopting measures► to pro cure the repeal of the duty on cotton wool, when resolu tions to that effect were adopted. The Royal Exchange is now open to the public for several hours each day. By the Ist of January Lloyd's apartments and the public rooms will be completed, and on that day the merchants will assemble in the area for their usual business. Viscount Strangford has lately movie some valuable presents to the Canterbury Philosophical Institution and Museum, consisting of sculptured marbles, terracotta figures, and numerous relics, all of Greek and Egyptian art, the whole forming the most valuable addition to the Museum that has been contributed to it for many years past. There is to be an investiture of the Knights of St. Patrick on the 4th of January. It is said that the Mar quis of Waterford and the Earl of Ross are to be the new Knights, in the place of the late Marquis of Donegal and Earl Talbot, who has just received the Order of the Garter. On Monday a change of weather—for some time threatened—took place at Dublin, and torrents of rain had fallen for many hours. By the death of Lady Anne Cullen Smith, sister of the Duke of Wellington, the families of his Grace, the Earl and Countess of Mornington, the Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, the Marquis and Marchioness of Douro, the Earl and Countess of Westmoreland, Lady Mary Bagot, Lord and Lady Charles Wellesley, Lord and Lady Fitz roy Somerset, Viscount and Viscountess Chelsea, the Hon. and Rev. C. V. Wellesley, Lord and Lady Cow ley, the Marchioness Wellesley, &c., are placed in mourning. The Duke of Wellington, as Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, has appointed Capt. John Stranack, har bour -master at Margate, a commissioner of salvage. THE COUNTESS or BLESSINGTON.—The novel-read ing public are on the qui vice for the new work of " Strathern,"from the pen of this accomplished authoress, whose productions are ever received with a cordial wel come by all classes of readers, on account of the mi -1 ginality and knowledge of life which they display. Many of the characters in this work are said to be por traits drawn from real life, figuring in a series of remark able scenes at home or abroad. To specify two or three of the leading ones :—ln Lord Fitswarren, the good natured foichunter, may be recognised a certain Noble Peer of the present day ; in Lady Mountserrat, a rich and vulgar parvenue, whose strange" sayings and doings" hive repeatedly been a theme for remark in the fashion able world ; and the designing and unprincipled Wel lerby family are likenesses much too striking to be mistaken. SPANISH CONSISTENCT.—It is a curious coincidence that, while the Legislative Chambers at Madrid are dis cussing the Reform Bill, the Ministry are engaged in committing excesses never surpassed, if equalled, by former brigands. General Narvaez is created Duke of Ardez and a grandee of Spain of the first class, because we presume he is an assassin of the first order. Ile gives a banquet to the Queen one day, and the next orders the execution of the son and brother-in-law of Zurbano. We would suggest that the British Government imme diately present General Narvaez with a red riband. Any other colour would not be in keeping with such a blood stained monster.—The Great Gun. PREPARATION S FOR CHRISTMAS.—Mr. O'Connell is abusing the French press, and the French press is doing its best in abusing Mr. O'Connell. So, all things considered, we think we shall have a very merry Christ mme.—Punch. MONEY AND COMMERCIAL trE W S CISPY, THURSDAY EVENING. There was no change in English Stocks from the morning. Consuls were 100 k ; Exchequer Bills, 575. to 595. premium ; and New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents., 103/ +. Bank Stock closed at 2081. The Foreign Market was not active. Spanish Five per Cents. realised 25i j, and the Three per Cents. 37 1. Chilian were 99 to 100, and Colombian 14+ -. French Scrip was 11, and Belgian 1 premium. Dutch Five per Cents. were 99k. The additional transactions in Railway Shares have been these : -Bristol and Gloucester ware 61 ; Dublin and Belfast, 11 a ; Dublin and Galway, f ; Great Southern and Western (Ireland), 4+ to 5 ; Hull and Selby, 19 ; Birmingham, 127 ; Brighton, if ; South Western, ex New, 34i ; Midland, 12 to 13 ; Newcastle and Darlington, 371 ; Ditto and Berwick, 6t061 ; North Kent, a ; Richmond and West-end Junction, 11 ; South Devon, 1 ; Trent Valley, 61 ; York and North Midland, Selby Scrip, 46 ; Ditto, lixtension, 12 ; and Orleans and Bordeaux, 54 1 premium. Eastern Counties have been 101 ; Midland and Birmingham and Derby, 6}; and Strasbourg and Bale, if discount. (Fror,'_ The Sun of Last Night.) The Cotton market at Liverpool yesterday was well supplied, but prices did not vary, and the trade had a flat appearance. Sales, 4,000 bales; viz., 300 Maran ham, at sd. to 51d.; 100 B a hi a , a t 51d .; 200 Surat, at 21d. to 20.; 100 Pernam, at 51d. to 6d.; and the rest American, at 31d. to 41d. per lb.-Shares were firm, and a fair busines was done. Chester and Birkenhead, 34f ; Dublin and Cashel, 81; Eastern Counties, 14; Ditto, Perpetual, No. 1,4/. 1 Is. 10d.; Great Western, Halves, 89; London and Birmingham, Quarters, 27; South- Western, 821 83; Manchester and Leeds, 1194; Ditto, Halves, 52+ 52 1; Midland Counties 112 f 1111; New castle and Berwick, 61. ' North Union, 146 ; S ou th- Eastern. 38j; York and North Midland, Halves, 51; Lyons and Avignon, 24; Paris and Rouen, 401 ; Ditto and Strasburg, 2-; Orleans, Tours, and Bourdeaux, 71 ; Boulogne and Amiens, 51. A very numerous attendance of the public has been observed at the New Royal Exchange to-day. As far as we have been able to ascertain the feelings of the visi tors to this really national " resort " of merchants, most unqualified approval is the current and general feeling. There are some accounts from the Cape of Good Hope to-day, but we do not find that any articles of informa tion in them are of importance in a political point of view. The export trade is well spoken of, and there is no doubt that, with care and strict integrity, the colony will become highly prosperous. In the circulars of the wool brokers, that have of late been issued, much commenda tion has been given to the recent imports of the fleece, and they have urged the flock masters to pay the most espe cial attention to the condition in which they send their wools over to this country. There has not been much business done in the Consol market to-day. The price for the Account has ranged from 1001 to 100+ ; for the Three per Cents. Reduced, from 100 f to 1001 ; and for the Three-and-a- Quarter per Cents., from 1031 to f. The Commissioners bought about 15,000/. of the last mentioned securities at the highest prices of the day. The premium on Ex chequer Bills is on the rise, 595. having been paid this morning. Bank Stock has advanced to 209. The price of India Stock is. for the opening from 286 to 286 f. Brazilian Bonds have improved to 89 this morning, as there are hopes entertained, after all, that some sort of compromise in the tariff lately received from Rio Janeiro will be effected in favour of British goods imported. Spanish Bonds are rather lower than they were yesterday, the Three per Cents, being quoted at 37t. Dutch Bonds are pretty steady. The Converted Portuguese have advanced to 581; but the Mexicans are a shade lower. The Midland Counties Railway shares have advanced to 121 13 premium. The other railway shares are firm generally speaking; but not much business is doing to day. Santiago de Cuba Aline shares are at 14 premium per share. PRICES OF BRITISH f. UN DS AT ONE O'CLOCK. (From the Official List.): Bank Stock for Account ..„.......«..,,«„......, 208 209 3 per Cent... Reduced Annuities 100%36 New 3 34 per Cent. Annuities. ..... ..... 103) 6 % Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan. 1860..........,. - Ditto 30 Years, Expire 10th Oct. 1859 ll 15-16% Consol • for Opening 100 34 t India Stock for Account 286%6 Exchequer BMA. I%d. 14d I,OOW. - ..... 57 59 pm. Ditto Smaill... - .....,..... 57 59 pm. Ditto Advertised, ..... - - PRICES OF FOREIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK, Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent. 89 Mexican Bonds, 1837, 5 per Celt. ..... - Ditto for the Account. 36% Peruvian Bonds, 6 per Cents lO 29% Ditto for the Account..., ...... ........... 29)6 Portuguese Bonds 5 per Cent. Ditto Converted 58)4 Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 p er C ent 119% Spanish Bonds, Five per Cent - Ditto Three per Cent. ....,„ „"„,».«.«.».« Ditto for the Account ........... 37% Venezuela Bonds, 2 per Cent 44 44 Dutch 2 30 per Cent 5............... ....... Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificat .. es 97 % Dutch 5 per ....... 99% PRICES OF SHARES AT ONE O'CLOCK. 1 IRAILWAYII, PAID. Pit SLUM Bristol and G10uce5ter..„........... 30 ......... to - Cambridge and Lincoln Bastern Counties ................ 255. ." ... 14 3 to - Ditto Perpetual 5 per cent... 21. 130. 4d.... - to -. Ditto Ditto (No 2) - ..... ..... to -- Great Southern and Western/ 75 ISO to 151 k r Share. so Ditto • " • is u; - Kendal and Windermere London and Birmingham. lOO . ..... to -. London and Brighton ........ 50 514 - Ditto Loan Notes. lO - London and Y0rk............... ..... 44 1 4 ... to - Midland Newcastle and DarlingtonJunct 24 613 to -- Newcastle and Berwick - Northern and Eastern 45 ..... &NU ... to Norwich and Brandon 8 - Ditto New 1 3% - Portsmouth Direct - South Eastern aid hover ..... 33% - Yarmouth and Norwich 2O 25% to - .. York and North Midland ....... 50 102 - Ditto % ..... 25 - Boulogne and Amiens Orleans and Bourdeaux ...... 29 7% - Paris and 0r1ean5.................... 20 ..... 414 Parisand 20 to - Rouen and Havre. 12 ..»..... 23 ).u% to '- Strasburg and .Basle ...... 14 - PRICES OF IRISH STOCKS, Dac. 12. 3 per Cent. Consols ..... ....... 10 03( Ditto Money 3 per Cent. Reduced Throe and a Quarter Stock,... Ditto Money 334 per Cent. Debentures Leg Annuities Bank Stock ...... Royal Canal Stock Grand Canal Stock Grand Canal Debentures,6 per Conk Ditto 4 per Cent 4 per Cent. City Debentures 4 per Cent. City Debentures, New 4 per Ccnt. Ballast Office Debentures 4 per Cent. Pipe Water Kingstown Railway Debentures..., ......... - LAST PRICES OF IRISH SHARES. RAILWAYS. PAID. Pax SWARD. Dublin and K. Railway Drogheda Ditt0... Great Southern and Western 5 B% Ditto Scrip.... Ditto Extension Dublin and Belfast Junction 2 2 %4 7.7.: 4 3 )1 Dublin and Casket ditto - Mullingar and Athlone Railway Belfast and Ballymena 2% Waterford and Limerick 23/. 3 Dundalk and Enniskillen Wexford and Callow 2% 2% Hibernian Bank.... 95%..„ 33 Royal Bank National Bank National Insurance Patriotic ditto Mining Company of Ireland 7 Wicklow Copper Mines City of Dublin Steam Company Ditto Ditto, 1836 ... Steam Ship Building Company Ditto Ditto British and Irish Steam Company 50..... 55 Limerick Extension Railway Peninsular and Oriental ditt0.......... 50 Irish Great Western, D u bl in to 3 Galway MANCHESTER STOCK EXCMANGE, DEC. 18.-There has been a good business done, and prices remain firm : --Bristol and Gloucester, 37/ ; Eastern Counties, 141 ; Grand Junction, Half Shares, 112 ; Manchester and Leeds, Half Shares, 52; Ditto, Quarter Shares, *; Man chester and Birmingham, 52 ; Ditto, Quarter Shares, 4j ; Midland, 401. Shares, 51. 11s. 3d. ; South-Eastern, 3Si ; Birkenhead, Manchester, and Cheshire Junction, 6 ; Blackburn, Burnley, and Accrington, 3 ; Cam bridge and Lincoln, 2 5-16 7-16 ; Churnet Valley, 3} ; Leeds and West Riding 'Junction, 3i ; London and York, 4 1-16 ; West Yorkshire, 64i Boulogne sad Amiens, 5i cum new. Great Weii;ern. CLOSING PRICES. BRITISH FUNDS. Bast Stock. 208% Ditto Bonds £l,OOO — pm, 3 per Cent. Red lOO% Ditto under £l,OOO 73 pm, 3 per Cent. Cons per Cent. Red ........«.. Ditto Ditto Old Annuities New 3% per Cent ...... 103% Ditto New Annuities , New 5 per Cent .. Ex. Bills, 1,0004 I%d Long Annuities to expire Ditto 5001. Jan. . 12 1-16 Ditto Small . 59 pm Oct. 1859 ll 15-16 Bank Stock for Acct.... ICU% Consols for 0pg.......... 100 1 ,i Indian 5t0Ck••••••."...... • ••-•• India Stock fir Acct... 286 N FUNDS. Russian, 5 per Cent...... ..... Ditto, Metallic ..... .. .. Spanish, 5 per Cent., 1840— 25V Ditto, 1841 . ..... .........».. Ditto, ........ Ditto, 1843. Ditto, 1844 Ditto, 3 per Cent .—••• 37 $ Venezuela Bonds, iperCt French, 5 per - c. French, 3 per Cent —E —e. ,Exchange .... —E —c. Dutch, 234 per - Ditto..s per FOREIG: Austrian, 5 per Cent — Belgian, 5 per Cent Brazilian Bonds Buenos Ayres, 6 per Cent — Cuba Bonds, 6 per Cent Chllian, 6 per Cent ..... Colombian, 6 per Cent Danish, 3 per Cent Greek, 18'25, 5 per Cent Mexican, 5 per Cent Neapolitan Bonds, 5 per Ct — Prussian Bonds, 4 per Cent — Peruvian Bonds, 6 per Ct 3O Portuguese Bonds, 5 per Ct SHARM Bristol and Gloucester, 30 paid Cambridge and Lincoln, l% paid 2% Cornwall, 3 paid, 2% Dublin and Belfast Juncti on , 2% pa id l% 'A. 2 Dublin and Galway, '2% paid Eastern Counties (25 paid) Great Southern and Western (Ireland) 5 paid Hull and Selby, 50 paid IV London and Birmingham (Stock) London and Brighton (50 paid) Londoss and South Western (411. 61. 10d. paid) 76 14 Midland (100 paid) Birmingham and Derby, £lOO paid El3ls Newcastle and Darlingron Junction, 24 paid Newcastle and Berwick 1% paid 7% Northern and Eastern (45 paid) Worth Kent, 2% paid 3% Richmond and %Vest End Junction, 1 paid..„ 2 South Devon, 10 paid ll Trent Valley, 2 paid B% York and North Midland (50 paid) — Ditto, Selby Scrip, 20 p a id 66 Dili* Extension Orleans and riourdeaux. 2 p ai d 12% Strasbourg and Bale (14 paid) Sir Joseph Radcliffe, Lady Radcliffe, family, and suite, left Rudding Park, Knaresborough, on Wednesday morning, and arrived at the Euston-hotel the same night. Yesterday morning the party left for Blackwall, and embarked on board the General Steam Navigation Company's steam ship Soho, for Antwerp. Sir Joseph is expected to bo absent from London three or four meth% _ COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, THURSDAY. —The Queen and Prin t. ° Albert walked f o r s ome ti me thi s morn i ng in We pleasure -grounds adjacent to the Castle. On the re' turn of her Majesty, his Royal Highness went out to shoot in the royal preserves, attended by Mr. An'', n and Sir Edward B owa t er . Th e roya l party l e ft" the Castle on horseback. . Viscount Hawarden lett the Castle for town this morning, but is expected to return to the Castle t° dinner. Lady Caroline Somers Cocks and the Hon. Franc e ' Devereux have arrived at the Castle, and have ceeded the Hon. Misses Liddell and Hamilton as t hi Maids-of Honour in Waiting on the Queen. The royal dinner party at the Castle this evening included her Royal Highness the Duchess of li:. ( ev t ' Lady Fanny H owar d, t h e C ountess 11rratislaw, xrci George Edward a n d the Hon. Mrs. Anson, an d Captain Francis Seymour. The band of the Royal Horse Guards Was ill attendance during dinner. Her Majesty's private band afterwards attended, and performed the remainder of the evening. ;„. The Countess of G a i ns b oroug h i s expected to art' this evening. The Duchess of Kent has been pleased to WI . / Dr. M'Carogher, R.N., t o b e one o f her itcli Highness's Physicians extraordinary. Their Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge, and the H e r e dit ar y G ran d D u k e and Duc h e ss °f Mecklenburg Strelitz, visited her Royal ilighne° the Duchess of Gloucester yesterday, gf Gl o uc 0 01 House. Baron de Brunnow, the Russian Minister; le C o ' ll ' mandeur Lisboa, Brazilian Minister • and M. S t L li c i tenus, the Netherland Charge d'Affaires, transact' business yesterday at the Foreign-office. Dispatches from the Governor of the Cape of Hope, the Mauritius, and Sierra Leone, were rece,i r yesterday at the Colonial-office. Lord Wharncliffe; Lord President of the Coun c ; left tows on Wednesday, on a v i s it t o L or d . Fan c " i Egerton, at Hatchford. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S.—YESTMAY. A very thin attendance, and only the following "" • laid : CHIMER CUP (NAME OR NOT NAME). 500 to 10 agst Pagan ; 1,000 to 20 agst Cor* 4 1,000 to 20 agst R owena ; an d 1 ,000 to 20 agst Offers to take 40 to 1 about Winesour. DIARY. 850 to 50 agst Ida s ; 1,000 to 30 agst Old Eng- I nlooo 2,000 to 60 agst Ironmaster, with a qualification ; "' 33 0 to 100 agst Fit za ll an ,• 500 to 10 agst C a bi n Boy to 10 agst Laird o' C oc kp en ; an d 1 , 5 00 oven bet"4o Anti-Repealer and the colt out of Calypso's dam. V' 3 s to lay 20 or 22 to 1 about Pam, and to lay 30 or to e to I about the colt out of Calypso's dam. ASHDOWN PARK COURSING MEETING• WEDNESDAY. FIRST TIES FOR TILE GOLD CUP.—B r il li an t bea t ffi press; Perseverance beat Pirate; Feathers beat The Winner beat Leda. THE CRAVE:( PUPPY STARES (CONTINUED). -- 0, Bowles' Bill Scott b ea t M r . N attr i ss ' N ame - her; S i r Quentin's Vesper beat Mr. Clarke's Ephraim Suit, Mr. F. Parkinson's Prude beat Mr. Rake's Risk; o f Etwall's England's Queen beat Mr. Goddard's Bride Abydos; Mr. Flesher's Eisler beat Mr. Lawren ce Laura. THE DOG PUPPY STARES.—MT. Etwall's beat Mr. Lawrence's Almaviva; Mr. Bowles' Breadgw l f beat Sir G. Quentin' s H at t er; M r . E twa ll' s Westi„°.tic beat Mr. F. P ar ki nson ' s P r i nce; M r. Fowles's Fr*" beat Mr. J. Parkinson's Charlie. GRAND BOAT-RACE BET `YEW' , CLASPER AND COOMBES. (From the Newcastle Advertiser of yesterday.) • . 1 This long-expected ma t c h b e t ween t h e c h a mP i° ll o l of the north an d sou th waters came off yester d a y; distance being from Tyne-bridge to Lernington for 180/. ; Coombes staking 1001. to Clasper's ire The length of time t o w hi c h th e pre li m i nar i e s w e tbe extended gave more th an an usua l i nteres t t° ner race, though the mere fact of two such men as Claw/, and Coombes was sufficient of itself to create much e citement. For the last four or fi ve d ays scar cely -f e bi l ; thing else was talked o f, an d b e t s to a considerss.4 amount were laid, the f r i en d s o f b o th par ties he l m equally sanguine of the success of their favourite. " London Mer c h an t" b roug ht d own a l arge accthese sion of visit o r s , w h o a dd e d muc h to t h e b us tl e , by freedom with which they backed Coombes, and iss A cl i t of them visited many of the inns on Tuesday n i f al offering 5 to 4 upon him, which in many i ns t an ces 71 ( taken. At at early h our , th e morn i ng being extren 3 ; l ;',, mild for the season, w ith a s li g ht b reeze frenlohe south-east, every spot w hi c h comman d e d a v iew ° 0; west side of Tyne-bridge was crowded with speet a L e le; the banks of the river presented a similar spec' t he and in one instanc e , an emp l oyer f i nding tha t match was more i n t eres ti ng to t h e men than 141 o„" made a virtue of necessity and gave them a hold Many boats were out, and a number of stow went up the water, and the Carlisle Ar s - o f Company ran special trains on both s i l eor n., the river, so that there was no lack of e 4 ",tion, modation ; in fact, until the parties began, - .. r t e cl. the town appeared to be comparatively " e ' s 'il e nt Both men came to the starting place in es , c : r ni• condition, and in boats which excited universa l fr o ration, that of Clasper's in particular, as muchn its beauty as from th e i ngenu i ty displayed in na„,i r a struction, and from it s being of his own btni All being ready, at the a pp o i n t e d s i gna l they s te . nn et. Coombes gradually d raw i ng a -h ea d ; w h en off Sl' h e el Burn, Cla s p e r un f or t una t e l y run i nto si act —an accident w hi c h hi s opponent di",inper take advantage of as he might have to but kept leading him by about five or six "'be length ; when, however, he had got this distan ce ' P ' ceased to exert hi mse lf as power f u ll y as h e ha d doe. hich apparently reserving his strength for any push w Clasper might make; at this time 401. to 10/• offered upon Coombes and accepted. At the CT I , t, and Crea m H ouse , Cl asper made a despera t e ei l t ° o and decr ease d th e di stance b etween them to yards, and, that space apart, they rowed bealltl , evenly to the win n i ng p o i n t , ne i t h er o f them gimnneet or losing scarcely an inch in the whole dis t ,; oo c/ which was done in 344 minutes. The race 1 05 6 Or throughout, and has added to the fin ise u t(o. l both th e men . C oom b es (though never doilu bes t of the resu lt) a d mi t s t h at C lasper would probably lace many of the best London men. A dispute too k ~,P . c l es in r e f erence t o an a ll eged i nfringement of the ar,oct of agr eemen t, upon t h e suppos i tion that P ar ish ore , signed t o C oom b es th at h e was go i ng to near the 5 iv., and who, taking the hint, altered his c ourse accordil'd It was at first p ro p ose d th at t h e matc h s h ou ld be r°„,ecl over again, but thi s p ro p os iti on was decidedly neg l i - a be by Coomb es , w h o d ec l are d t h at the matter s hop' he left to the referees, anti if given against him' j 1 would present the money to Clasper. The affq- e at• not be decided u n til thi s d ay (Thursday). Alr• en zell, zell, of th e fi rm o f C ow d en and W entzell, the bul l a nd of the champion's boat, with N ewe ll, Parish li d others from London, were pr es e n t, an d th e best fe e t he, was manifested t owar d s b o th part i es, though fr es/1 5 , bed cheerin g it was ev id ent t h at the Tyne-siders dill their man to win. It may be stated that CloP er i ii ci‘" k claimed a ll connex i on or sympat h y with a few Of guards who hissed Coombes at the beginning " I . of race ; and Coomb es p u bli c l y acqu i tte d Cl aspe r participation in it. ,l i e 0 It is likely th a t Cl as p er an d N ewe ll w ill " match before the latter leaves on Saturday. GRAND ROWING MATCIL—For the last week, gob ; excitement has prev a il e d among t h e aquat i cs o n 08 to; ject of the i n t erest i ng contest wh i ch is to come ° no 0 ol day on the Tyne, between Coombe., the chamP u l- oini the Thames, and Harry Clasper, the molt s h i e rs' link in th e f ra t erna l c h a i n of the five hrti..,110% The terms of th e agreement b etween the e 0113 ,,r - t „ it rowers we gave som e ti me s i nce , s o will be only necessary to remind our resder s , the • Coombes s t a k es 100/. to Clasper's 801, and tht; distance to be contested extends from the,. "" / ) , 0 0li bridg e t o L em i ngton - po i nt. On Monday 61t e : th s , a preli m i nary meet i ng was held at Mr. flair ds Ship Inn, Spicer-lane, Quayside, of the frie ll by the tw o men . Th e agreement was then 54 11 : od /iIP Coombes himself, and on behalf of Clasper uYbo.s Hawks, his uncle. It was also arranged that I to 0: should b e moored at Lemington-point, so es loser' dicate th e w i nn i ng goa l , and in this boat Mr., ) , - „ nor Hannington an d M r . J o h n Cocks will sit MI pires, and Mr. Downy, of Lemington, as the r° r tbe upon wh om t h e d uty of pronouncing w hi c h 1)1 0 01 pullers i s t h e winner, will devolve. The a _g e ore umpires, upon such questions of fouling, °e"ba.), Mr. Basket, of the Custom-house (for Co's e re' Mr. Gaddy, shipbuilder (for Clasper ), to°, t ilich° l ' feree is M r . D enson, harbour-master. kr• ter' chemist, i s t h e stakeholder. There seemed, ss sn , good feeling to prevail among both partiov en to every dispo s iti on on the part of the Tyne In tbs behave w i t h cordiality to the stranger fronl oge ,l Thames. The b e t s in favour of Coombes ar e „, of 6 to 4, an d doubtless, no incons i dera ble 50 ; es t, money will change hands to-day. Clasper 'e it is w e ll known, is constructed of mahoge,,,nY' ho le ever, produce a vessel of equally weighs only 491bs. The London waterioun v 4 11 ' 5, boat being constructed of whitewo , and, we 0 the stand, not exceeding 43lbs. in weight, so that 1 rep , matter of boats, both of the river-heroes show P e n t he tion of lightweight, worthy of the proficients at turf. The match commences at eleven o'clock!. .. ,h u ic h that hour the Laurel steamer, on board 0 1 f r i g will be the general umpires, referee, and a few " ill of the parties, will leave Tyne-bridge. The sce n e er re doubtless be most attractive, the banks of the r iv er the) , tty dirnensiounder, senting the gay and crowded appearance by wh ich rc aYftt e are disting u i s h e d i n a R ega tta week.-7:1 eur 01€ SUNDERLAND.--Ship-building in Sunderlan d, _,„te r an almost t o t a l ce s s ation for years, is again in a ) es' comparative briskness. 'Thi s was of course tt peeled after so long a period of total inactivi t y"- ty• " Mercury. A