The Sun. — London, England, 1844-02-15 00:00:00

HER MAJESTY'S THEATRE. SEASON 1844. Tue following outline of the arrangements Br the ensuing season It respectfully presented to the Nobility, Subscribers, and the Public. ENGAGEMENTS FOR THE OPERA. Madame Grisi, Madlle. M. Favanti (her first appearance at this Theatre), Madame Bellbil, Madame Dai Fiori, and Madame Persian'. Signor Mario, Sig. Correlli (his first appearance at this Theatre), Big. Dal Fiori, Sig. Felice (his first appearance at this Theatre), Sig. Fornasari, Sig. F. Lablache, and Sig. Lablache. Director of the Music, Composer, and Conductor, Sig. Costa. The Repertoire will consist of a Selection of the most admired Works, and amongst the Novelties will be presented Persianl's New Opera " La Fantasma," produced with great success at the Italian Opera, Paris ; and Rieci's New Opera, " Corado D'Altarnura," pro kineed with great success at the Scala, Milan • and now in rehearsal at the Italian Op era , P ar i s; an d an entirely 'New Opera, composed by M. Costa, expressly for the company, entitled " Den Carlos." THE BALLET. Madlle. Carlotta Grisi, Madlle. Adelaide Frasi, of the Teatro di Pergola, Florence (her first appearance at this theatre) ; Mad. Guy Stephan; Madlle. Schefffe, Madlle. Ferdinand, Madlle. Planquet, Madlle. Bars-ills (their first appearance at this theatre) ; Madlle. Fanny ELssler, and 3lacllle. Cerito ; M. St. Leon, M. Montassu (his first appearance in this country), M. Coulon, M. Gosselin, M. Gannet, M. Venafra, and M. Perrot, and a numerous and efficient Corps de Ballet. Arrangements are also pending with Madlle. Taglioni, and there is ovary probability that the talent of this eminent artiste will be se- cured for a limited number of representations. The Orchestra will consist of the same combination of talent which has entitled it to the distinctive merit of being the first in Europe. The Choruses will be numerous and effective. Leader of the Orchestra, M. Tolbeque. Principal Artiste of the Theatre, Mr. W. Grieve. Maitre de Ballet, 31. Perrot. Sons Maitre de Ballet, 31. Gosselin. Regisseur de la Dance, 31. Coulon. Leader of the Ballet, 31. Nadaud. Madame Persian' and Signor Fornasari will appear on the First Night of the season, in Herold's chef d'ceuvre of "Zampa." The debut of Madlle. Favanti will be forthwith arranged. Madame tar's', Signor Mario, and Signor Lablache, will appear at the re-opening of the theatre, immediately after Easter. Madlle. Carlotta Grisi will arrive in town in a few days, and will appear on the first night of the season, in a New Ballet, founded on Victor Hugo's celebrated work of " Notre Dame de Paris," entitled "La Esmeralda." The part of Esmeralda, by Madlle. C. Grist ; the part of Pierre Oringoire, by M. Perrot. Madlle. Cerito will arrive in town at the end of April. Among the novelties in the Ballet Department will be produced a New Grand Ballet, entitled "Jeanne d'Arc." Jeanne d'Arc, Madlle. numy The Theatre will Open in the first week of March, when will be produged Herold's celebrated Opera of "Zampa :" Camilla, Madame Persiani; Zampa, Sig. Fornasari. To be followed by a New Ballet, by M. Perrot, with New Scenery, Dresses, &c., entitled " La Esme ralda." The Music by Sig. Pupil. The Scenery by W. Grieve. The Principal characters by Madlle. Carlotta Grisi, Madlle. Adelaide Fred, Madame Guy Stephan, Madlle. Scheffre, Madlle. Planquet, Madlle. Ferdinand, and Madlle. Barville ; M. Perrot, M. Coulon, M. Gossellu, and M. St. Leon. THEATRE ROYAL. DRURY-LANE. THIS EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, Will be repeated a New Grand Opera, in Three Acts. called THE BOHEMIAN GIRL. Count Arnheim, Mr. Borrarn ; Thaddeus, Mr. W. Harrison; Arline, Miss Raintorth; Queen ot the Gipsies, Miss Betts. After which, will be repeated a New Grand Comic Christmas Pantomime. entitled HARLEQUIN AND KING PEPIN ; or, VALENTINE AND ORSON Harlequin, Mr. Howell; Colutii. nine, Mis , Carson; Clown, Mr. T. Ridgway; Pantaloon, Mr. Blanchard. Dress Boxes 75., Second Price 3s. lid. ; Upper Circles of Boxes ds., 'econd Price 3s. ; Pit Is , Second Price 'e.; Mutcle Gallery 25., Second Price Is.; Upper Gallery Is., Second Price &I THEATRE ROYAL, COVENT-GARDEN. M. JULLIEN'S CONCERTS fHIS EVENING, THURSDAY, Feb. 15, there will be no Per. foimance, the Theatre having been let previous to M. Julliea's occupation. TO-MORROW EVENING, FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 16. Sinfonia, Pastorale, the Andante and Storm Movements—Beethoven. Solo, Cornet-a-pistons, Herr Koenig. New Quadrille, The Irish Echoes—Jullien. the Eng lish The Destruction of Pompeii—Rock Albert. Doors Open at Halt-past Seven, romingnce at Eight o'Clock. Promenade, Is , Upper Boxes, Is.; Dress Circle, Ls. dd. ; Private Boxes, I/. Is. Tickets to be obtained at the Box-office of the Tneatrs; of Mr. Mitchell, Old Bond-street; Mr. Andrews, New Bond-street;' Mr. Sams, St. James's-street; and M. Jullien's Office, 3, Maddox-street, Bond-street. THEATRE ROYAL, HAYMARKEL • 4H. BENJAMIN WEBSTER. LESSEE RE-ENGAGEMENT OF MR. JOHN PARRY. THIS EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, Will be repeated the Comedy of THE MERRY WIVES OF WINDSOR. Sir John Falstaff; Mr. Strickland; Master Slender, Mr. C. Mathews; Mr. Ford, Mr. Stuart; Mr. Page, Mr. Howe; Fenton, Mr. Caulfield; Sir Hugh Evans, Mr. Webster; Mrs. Page, Madame 'Vestris ; Mrs. Ford, Mrs. Nisbett; Mrs. Quickly, Mrs. Glover.; Anne Page, Miss Mattlev. Atier the Drama, Mr. JOHN PARRY will sing "The Old Bashelor." To conclude with a New Fairy Extravaganza, entitled THE FAIR ONE WITH THE GOLDEN LOCKS! King Lach rymoso, Mr. J. Eland; Prince Graceful, Miss P. Horton ; Queen Lucidora, Miss Julia Bennett. -- --- Orchestra *ads, se. ; Boxes, ss. ; Pit, :311. ; Gallery, 25.; Upper Gallery, ls. Half-price—Boxes, ; Pit, 2s. ; Gallery, Is. ; Upper H Gallery, 6d. Doors opened at alt-past Six, and the Performance commence at Seven. . . 'tickets and Places to be had of Mr 1. T. Archer, at the Box— ()Mee, from Ten till Five. PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD.STREET. LESSEE, Mr. J. M. MADDOX. THIS EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, Will be performed LUCREZIA BORGIA. 1/on Alpheus°, Mr. Burdini ; Gennarro, Mr. Allen ; Maltio Orsini, Mrs. H. P. Grattan ; Gubetta, Mr. Walton ; Lucrezia Borgia, Madame Eugenia Garcia. After which. THE MARRIAGE CERTIFICATE, in which Mr. and Mrs. Keeley and Mr. W.ilter Lacy will perform. To be followed by a New Farce, called BOUNCE; or, The Ojibbeway Indians. To conclude with TWICE KILLED. Mr. Euclid Facile, Mr. Keeley; Fanny Pepper, Mrs. Keeley. THEATRE ROYAL, ADELPHI. THIS EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, Will be repeated, by permission of Charles Dickens, Esq., THE CHRISTMAS CAROL. Principal Characters—Messrs. 0. Smith, Wright, Lyon, Maynard, Forman, Miss Woolgar. Mrs. F. Ma•hews, Miss Chaplin, and Miss Lee. After which, the Tragedy of RICHARD THE THIRD. Ri chard, Mr. Wright; Lady Anne, Miss E. Stanley. To conclude with THE WRECK ASHORE. Principal Cha racsers—Mrs. Yates, bliss Woo!gar, Messrs. Lyon, 0. Smith, and Wright ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE OF ARTS. Under the Management of Mr. Batty, Proprietor. TH FEBRUARY , Will beperforrned IS the Grand EVENING National Spectacle of 15 THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO. Napoleon Buonaparte, Mr. Goniersal, his eif ginal character New Scenes in the Circle, and Unequalled Feats of Horsemanship. To conclude tv,th THE HORSE BANDITTI OF BAODAD. Acting and Stage Manager, Mr. W. D. Broadtoot. Stalls. Si.;Boxes, 45.; Upper Boxes, b. ; Pit, ; Gallery, Is.; Upper Gallery, - Box-office lid. open daily from Ten till Four. Stage Boxes, One Guinea ; Half-price to Ditto, Halt-a-Guinea. Private Boxes, Two a ..iseas ; Half-price to Ditto, One Guinea. Half-price, Half-past E ght. • DAYIDGE'S ROYAL SURREY THEATRE. Enormous hit of " Stella Rittersdorf"—more crowded than ever— increased attraction of the best Pantomime in London, overflow. ing with fun. THIS EVENING, FEBRUARY 15, Will be repeated a New Drama, entitled STELLA RITTERS. DORF. Supported by Messrs. Saville, Hughes, Hicks, R. Honner, Neville. Vale, Smith, Johnson, Lewis, . estop, Mrs. R. Honner, Mrs. Daly. Mrs. Hughes, Miss Terrey, and Mrs. H. Vining. After which, A CHRISTMAS CAROL, by Boz," with splendid Appointments. 'to conclude with an entirely new Grand Comic Pantomime. with Splendid Scenery, Superb Dresses, Inimit a bl e P ropert i es and Tricks, every thing new and of the mo s t cos tly description, HARLEQUIN GRAMMAR, or, Lindley Murray, and AEI 0 U. Harlequin, Mr. W. H. Harvey ; Grotesque, Mr. Stilt; Clown, Mr. Fuller; Panta. loon, Mr. Haws ins ; Columbine s (alternately) Miss M. R. Fair. brother and Miss Sharpe. Places and Private Boxes to be had of Mr. Kerschner, at the Box. lame, from Eleven to Four. THE WEATHER.-SUN OFFICE, FEB. 14. THERMOMETER, Lowest, 31 Highest, 36; Noon, 36. BAROMETER, 30 I.—WIND, NOTE.—The number 32 on the Thermometer denotes the freezing point, and 55 temperate. In Barometers fair is usually placed opposite 30, and rain at 29. HIGH WATER AT LONDON-BRIDGE THIS DAY. Morning 39 minutes after 11 I Evening .. 0 minutes atter 0, , • .S/01t SYI • . 44. , 410*- 4 . '5 l ll/110 Amur , -aft fit) r' inff LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1844. The Lords did not sit last evening. In the Commons Mr. BRUGES took his seat for the borough of Devizes. Mr. FERRAND made another exhibition last even ing which surpasses all his former feats. He stated that Lord DENMAN, in a case which came before him relative to the separation of mother and child, had delivered a judgment, which was he unanimous opinion of the Court, that there were some cases in which it was necessary to break in upon an Act of Parliament, and he quoted, in confirmation of his original statement, reports in four morning papers. Lord DENMAN, we are ready to admit, assumes very high ground with regard to the jurisdiction of the court in which he presides; but, if he said this or any thing like he said that a Court of Justice could break in upon- the law of the land, he ought at once to be put into Bedlam, with Mr. FERRAND for his com panion. Sir J. GRAHAM, in answer to this strange assertion, said he could assure the House, from the highest authority, that Lord DENMAN not only did not make use of such an expression, but exactly the converse of what had been imputed to him. Mr. FERRAND did not reply. Th4:Small Debts Bill and the Superior Courts of Common Law Bill were read a second time. Mr. STUART WORTLEY moved the second reading of the Horse•racing Penalties Repeal Bill, which might be more properly entitled the Betting Penal ties Repeal Bill. He showed the necessity for the Bill, and related some anecdotes on betting which may be interesting to gamblers. Mr. M. GIBSON opposed the motion. The law which had been said to be obsolete, or which had not been into effect on f or fif ty years, had actually been car ried effect against a person of the name of BOND, and he had been ruined by a conviction. • But when it touched the higher classes then the cry was raised, and a Bill was brought i n t o stop the actions, and, that Bill had been san c ti one d by the Episcopal Bench. • No Bill of Indemnity h a d b een broughtin for BOND—no statute had been passed to prevent the rich from setting a bad example to the poor. He concluded by moving for a Select Committee to examine into the existing statutes against gambling <X every kind. Lord J. MANNERS and Colonel PEEL supported the Bill, Mr. VERNON SMITH and Mr. Hums opposed it ; and on a division there were for the second reading 112, and against it '2.5. The Bill was then ordered to be committed on Wednesday next. In answer to a question from Lord JOHN RUSSELL iSir JAMES GRAHAM said it was the intention of the 'Government to give precedence to the adjourned de &ate on the Irish question. Lord LEVESON then re awned the adjourned debate, and supported the motion .of Lord JOHN RUSSELL. Mr. B. COCHRAgE agreed with many of the re xaarks made by Lord JOHN RUSSELL, and considered that they should legislate for Ireland, not only on just and wise principles, but generously. Lord CLEMENTS followed, and supported the mo- tion. After speeches from Mr. YOUNG, Sir GEORGE GREY, and Lord ELIOT, the debate was again adjourned. A motion made by Mr. FERRAND relative to the Poor-law Commission was negatived, and the House adjourned at Half-past Twelve o'clock. The letter of a Correspondent in our Paper on Saturday has befittingly recalled our attention to the important subject of the currency. Our previous article had gone far to show the miserable folly of en deavouring to effect the transactions of a great com mercial country like this through a metallic medium) and the terrible injury and injustice to which the mercantile community have been subject through the endeavours to use it. Here we have a practical illustration of the robbery, for we can designate it by no better name, to which the public are always liable in the use of coin. Without adverting to the peculiar character which coin bears as being expressly the most palpable and efficient instrument of despotism, an instrument which irresponsible power has so often used, first in deluding and then in oppressing the people, we have in the fact stated by our Correspondent a definite and tangible base on which to calculate the loss which the country sustains, in these days of freedom, through the agency of an illusory evil for which no one can be made answerable. The advocates of a metallic currency have invariably laid down' its unalterable and intrinsic value as the chief of its merits. But how different the fact really is may be very briefly shown, In all the decisions of moral adjudication it is an invariable principle, that he who causes a wrong should make recompense for the injury he oc casions. Yet, in the case of a metallic currency, put into circulation by the Government, it is a well-known contingency, apprehended and anti cipated before a sovereign is issued from the Mint, that, in the course of years, it must be abraded and reduced in value, and that which is sent forth to the world as of the full worth of 205., is, in every third exemplar, taken back as entitled to be exchanged for only 19s. 6d. This may appear a trifling loss; but there is a good old Scotch adage, to the effect, that many small units form a large aggre gate, and this aggregate will be seen to consist of no small amount. Besides the loss from abrasion, the admirers of the metallic system, who pin their faith on the supposition of the permanent and unvarying estimate of a gold price, will be surprised to learn, that since its original issue in the time of JAMES 1., with little difference in its intrinsic worth, our principal gold coin has been altered by authority no less than twelve times in its monetary value, to say nothing of the perplexing and injurious influence of those fluctuations which have been caused by political events. What these were during the war the greater part of those now living can very well remember. It is, however, of the silent and comparatively un observed robbery perpetrated on the public, and too often on that portion of the public who are least able to bear it, that we would now speak. The amount of gold coin issued by the Bank of England from January, 1821, to the 15th February, 1833, is stated by Mr. HORSLEY PALMER to have been 38,500,0001. Deducting from this 8,500,000/., supposed to have been exported from the country, the export of which, by-the-bye, cannot have been otherwise than a dead loss, we have just 30,000,0001. left in the hands of the public. We will say nothing of the 5,000,000/. at that time in the vaults of the Bank, because it is reasonable to suppose that some portion, from the hoarding of in dividuals, or from its state of rest in the hands of bankers and others, would remain free from that degree of abrasion to which the other portion of the metallic currency would be subject. Thirty millions of hard sovereigns, then, have been rubbing and jingling together in the hands of the public since they first came forth from the Mint. Now, we give no light advantage to our opponents in supposing that none of this gold is chargeable with any deficiency till three years after the last piece has passed over the counter of the Bank ; but we will ascertain what loss has been suffered by the public on this mass of bullion, and in doing so we quote from one who, whatever may be his judgment, has at least proved himself a zealous partisan for the use of metal in the transactions of life. The account, however, is official, and we, therefore, use it with the less hesitation, notwithstanding the source through which it has come. The following is the amount of gold coin tendered at the Bank of England, together with the amount rejected as light, dr ring the several years specified Amount tendered. Amount rejected. 1836 £6,427,749 £637,565 1837 1838 1839 1840 1841 1842 6,214,439 2,067,091 to June 25 We have here a total, tendered at the Bank, during six years and a half; of 59,880,971/., while, during a period of more than twelve years, the amount issued and circulating, in the hands of the public, was only 30,000,0001., showing, even on this presumption, that the coin issued between January, 1821, and February, 1833, was all of full weight, a presumption more favourable than any the Bank or the Government are entitled to ; that the whole of the gold currency, or that which was equi valent to the whole, had been tendered to the Bank four times over ; four times over had been deliberately exa mined by the authorities in Threadneedle-street, who, gradually sifting from the amount 13,403,6501., or about three-eighths of the whole amount, which had been thrown back upon the public (who were thereby being called upon to endure a further loss on that amount), had received the remainder I from time to time, not as being of full weight, but as not, at the different times of the receipt of the different portions, being so light as to be unfit for circulation ; or, in other words, as not being suffi ciently deprciated for them to derive the greatest gain by its acceptance. The proportion of light gold to the whole gold cur rency rises rapidly from 10 per cent in 1836 through 131 in 1837, 20 per cent. in 1838, 22 per cent. in 1839,28 per cent. in 1840,26 6-10 in 1841, to 33 3-10 at the end of June in 1842. We impute no bad principle to the Bank —we be lieve the Bank Directors to be as honest and as honourable men as any in the empire. But we do say that these facts prove one of two things—either that the Bank knowingly issued, from year to year, a large amount of gold coin with the cognisance that it was light, and uttered it at the rate of value in which every sovereign was counted out to the public as of the worth of 205., with the assurance that it would be returned and received at a less worth, and they would, thereby, make a gain of it, and a greater gain according to the length of time at which its receipt was deferred; or else a metallic currency is subject to so rapid a depreciation, that an inevitable and great loss must be annually sustained by the public. We believe the latter to be the case. We believe that the Bank, unwilling to inflict a loss, and unwilling to bear it, kept the coinage afloat as long as it could, and ultimately received it at a loss to the com- munity. At the end of June light gold was received in Threadneedle-street at the minimum Mint rata of 31. 17s. 1 Oid. per ounce, and by the end of 1843 the amount so received was estimated at more than 10,000,000/., or one-third of the original issue. This was the final loss, but how great a loss had been borne _ by individuals previously, who can tell ? We have, however, facts to guide us. By all the laws of proportion in the estimate of fluctuating sub jects, we have a right to take the average ; and during the whole of the period, from 1836 to the end of 1843, nearly one-fourth of the whole gold circulation was of light weight; and, consequently, of depre ciated value. We find that during the actual trans actions of commercial life, the loss is about 24- per cent. Now, without overburdening our readers with a multitude of figures, we may allow the loss not ascertained, but which must be incurred by individuals whose grievance is never known, such as that of the artisan, the labourer, and the little trader, to go against the loss saved by the yearly amount of gold abstracted from circulation, and replaced by pieces of full weight. We have, then, an annual de• ficiency of two-and-a-half per cent. upon 7,500,000 L, or about 375,0001.; and if we add to this the loss oc- casioned by the admixture of spurious coin, Tilt SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY MORNING, FEBRUA!RY 15, 1844 , The time of the House of Commons on Tuesday was almost exclusively devoted to the debate on the ques tion of Ireland, which was commenced by Lord JOHN RUSSELL, who rose, pursuant to notice, to move for a Committee of the whole House to consider the state of that country. His Lordship's speech, as in deed was to have been expected from him, was re plete with strong common sense, without the slightest attempt at lofty or impassioned eloquence ; and its object was to show that Ireland has never yet been allowed to participate in the benefits promised her by the Act of Union ; and that the equality which the Tories are constantly insisting that she possesses with England, has up to the present moment been nominal rather than real. The Whigs during their period of authority made every effort in their power to ameliorate tine con tion of the sister country, and in some legrek vere successful, but they were hampered ami thew •ted by the Tories, and were in consequence unaole to carry out their remedial schemes to the extent they could have de sired. "In 1841," added the Noble Lord, "the Right Hon. Gentleman opposite had Ireland delivered over to him in a state of political tranquillity. Ido not wish to exaggerate; I do not say those evils which had been accumulating for a century had been dis pelled by five or six years of just administration ; but I do say that the temper of the people had improved —that there was a greater confidence in the adminis- tration of the law—and that if that confidence had been fully confirmed we should have expected from it the most sensible increase in material wealth." In re ference to the state of the sister country at the present moment, Lord JOHN RUSSELL emphatically re marked—" Facts clearly establish that Ireland is only occupied, and not governed, by those who now hold the reins of power. In England the govern , ment of the country is, as it should be, a matter of opinion ; but the government of Ireland is notori ously a government of force." Sir JAMES GRAHAM did not attempt to controvert this statement—indeed how should he I)—but contented himself with observ ing----" most certainly we do occupy Ireland by a military force, when a demonstration is made clearly showing an intention to wrest that country from ' her MAJESTY by a military force." This is very shal low isophistry—in fact, it is a virtual begging of the ques'ti'on. Who ha# ever exhibited an intention of wresting Ireland from her MAJESTY ? Is it Mr. OVOI iNELL ? Why, he has always denounced in the stropc est possible terms the idea of a separation from the CrDwn ! Indeed, he has explicitly stated—not once, but a hundred times—that his great object in seekimg a domestic Parliament is to consolidate, rathe ir than weaken, the union between the two coun tees, and to establish it on a broader, safer, and more enduring basis than that on which it !law stands. Then, how preposterous in Sir JAMES GRAHAM to allude to the " mi litary. force" intentions of the Repealers ; when he n'iu st know that, following the example of their chief, they all, to a man, repudiate the bare idea of ha vtng recourse to military force ! The Right Hon. 13 aronet had far better have held his tongue on thee embarrassing subject of " military force," than iv we justified its adoption by such misinter pretatii mi and downright perversions of fact as this. In notil.cing the question of the striking the Ca tholic !jurors off the panel, Sir JAMES GRAHAM, to dos him justice, was much more suc cessful; and certainly placed the matter in a far leas obnoxious light than that in which we have till now regarded it. He closed a heavy and, on the whole, unsatisfactory speech by stating that it was the intention of Government to propose a considerable addition to the vote for national education in Ire land ; an extension of the county franchise ; and an alter ation in that of the cities and towns. This is a beginning—though a very tame and men gre one—of the great task of Irish improlen cent, and as such we receive it with thanks; but more—much more must be done—and this in a far bolder and nobler spirit —ere Ireland can be said to be placed on a footing of perfect equality with Eng ;land. A creditor to whom a heavy debt is owing, a tough he is of course ready to receive any instalmen it, no matter how small, has still abundant cause for complaint. if, instead of getting a half or even a third, he is put off with a twentieth part of his demand.. Among the alterations which Government intend , making it ► the new Poor-law Bill, Sir JAMES GRA HAM stated that he proposed to relieve it of the whole weight oe its connexion with the question of bas tardy, and to place the mother of a bastard child and her illegitimate offspring as a destitute widow and child, the latter having been born in wedlock. In commenting upon this just and humane provision —hunrine certainly when compared with the clause as it originally stood—the Post observes:—" What ever the Right Hon. Secretary may intend, we think that respect for the destitute widow and child might have prevented him from saying that the mother of a bastard chill and her illegitimate offspring should be held by :the law to stand exactly in the same position.." There is a very prudish, lady's maid sort, of spirit in this remark, and the sense of morality that suggested it—however it may gratify • the nice, ultra-rigid sticklers for convientional respectability seems to us to be at b 4 st but equivocal. What possible injury is done to the " destitute widow and child" by the mo ther of a. 'bastard son or daughter and her illegiti mate offspring being placed in a little better position than they!have been placed in by the stringent new poor-law - for the last ten years and upwards ?- Are the morals of society outraged by such tardy hu- inanity on the part of the Legislature ? Cannot virtue be satisfied with its own immaculate conduct without insisting that vice shall be placed without the pale of redemption, and never be allowed the slightest op portunity of retrieving itself? We do not find this doctrine enforced in the New Testament, or that our SAviouit vi sited the erring woman with the severest pains and penalties, out of consideration to the vir tuous sensibilities of the widows of Judaea. No, he regarded her, despite her frailty, as a human being still deserving the kindness and clemency of her fel low-creatures, his divine nature teaching him that to press on female vice with disproportionate severity is to pay lout a poor and doubtful homage to female virtue. It , ameliorating, in some degree, the con dition of the mother of an illegitimate child, Sir JA:KES, GRAHAM has increased her chances of refornaat ion, and has thereby strengthened, in stead of - weakening, the sacred interests of morality. With respect to the Right Hon. Baronet's proposal to limit the time of application against a putative father to forty days from the birth of a child, we agree with the Post that such a proposition is as un- just as it is absurd. The time should be consider ably extended, for the mother's confinement may happen—nal uncommon case—to have been a danger ous and pi, Aracted one; the fortieth day may still find her lyv 1g on the bed of sickness, unable to stir hand or fo of ; and because her sufferings have been thus severwand tedious, is she, therefore, to lose all the benefit of a n application against the seducer who has brought ha r into such a condition ? The proposi tion is not c inly cruel, but it is partial and one-sided, for it gives a chance to the strong and healthy fe male of ob taining something like a compensation from the nu n who has wronged her, while it effec tually cl ose 3 th e d oo r of relief on the w e ak, th e sickly,' and. the delicate. The time of application must be vix ry considerably extended; otherwise, in many.t will wholly fail o f a case s 4 eserving of th e mos t c l emen t cons id era ti on, good effect. We agree also with our CQ ntemporary in his remark—" We cannot said to be about 600,0001. a-year, we have an aggregate loss, through the use of a metallic currency, between the beginning of 1836 and the end of 1843, of no less a sum than 7,600,0001. A loss wrung out of the very hearts and sinews of the people—a loss which has, not once only, but again and again, reduced the pittance of the poor, and made the hearth which was almost de solate before, look bare indeed ! When will linen open their eyes, to see the sophistry of deluding suppositions, and the injustice that may be imposed by the following of groundless notions? We hope our readers, at least, will not put implicit credence in the representation that gold is always safe. We have a few more facts to show that if no loss could be sustained through its use, the mere amount of a gold currency must always be so inadequate for the purposes of trade, that whilst re tained as the main representative of value, though the country may be rich, the people must of necessity be poor. perceive the justice of fixing the maximum of main tenance recoverable from the father at four shillings a week. Cases may easily be supposed in which four pounds a week would not be too much." The maxi mum should certainly in some degree be proportioned to the means of the seducer, otherwise justice will be made a mere mockery, and while the poor offender will be strictly dealt with, the rich one will escape with comparative impunity. The intelligence from Madrid is to the 6th instant and if we may judge from reports which prevailed, the BRAVO Government could not last even till the arrival of Queen CHRISTINA. The resolution to dis arm all the National Guards, had excited great dis content. Other places, in addition to Alicant and Carthagena, were known to have revolted; among others the city of Murcia, Algesiras, in the bay of Gibraltar, and Ponte Vedra, in Galicia. A great many persons had been arrested in some of the pro vinces, and much discontent prevailed. The disarma ment of the National Guards, owing to the stern measures adopted by NARVAEZ, had been effected in a number of towns without resistance. The Three per Cents. were done at 28 5.16, at 60 days ; and the Five per Cents. at 20k, at 60 days. The Paris papers of Monday are chiefly occupied with discussions on a motion of M. REMUSAT, now before the Chamber of Deputies, the object of which is to disqualify all placemen from sitting in the Chamber. A Cabinet Council was held on Sunday, when it was resolved to oppose, if possible, the intro duction of the Bill ; but the Ministerial party in the bureaux were unable to prevent it from being adopted in three committees out of nine. It will, conse quently, be brought forward and discussed in the course of the week. It appears, from some of the journals, the rising in Spain is spreading in all di rections, and causes great uneasiness to the French Go vernment. The Cabinet have come to a determination re lative to the construction of railroads, by which private companies will be allowed, on certain conditions, to take part in the execution of the works. The Go vernment is to fix the minimum contract for the com panies, and if that is not acceded to, the State will take the management of the lines. The leases are to be from 28 to 30 years, and 8 per cent. of the profits to be shared between the companies and the State. The funds remain nearly stationary, the Three per Cents. closing on Monday at 81f. 90c. ; the Five per Cents. at 125 f. 20c.; Orleans Shares at 850 f. ; Rouen, 832 f. 50c.; Havre, 677 if. ; Avignon, 760 f. THE BOURSE-MONDAY, FEB. 12. First Highest Lowest Last p r i m Price. Price. Price. French Five per Cents. •. • 125 20 125 35 • • 125 20 .. 125 20 Four per Cents. .... 106 25 • • 106 25 . • 106 25 • • 106 25 Three per Cents..... 82 • • 82 05 • • 81 95 .. 81 95 Bank of France... ..... 3280 • • 3280 ..3280 .. 3280 Laffitte Bank, I,ooof. Shareslllo 1110 ..1110 ..1110 5,000 f. Sharesso7o 5070 .. 5070 —5070 Belgian Bank 672 50 .. 675 • • 672 50 .. 675 Belgian Fives 107 107 • • 107 • • 107 1840 ..... 1091 .. 1091 • • 1091 • • 1091 1842 ........ 1101 .. 1101 1101 • • 1101 Spanish Active .•• • • • 311 • • 3 1 1 • • 311 • • 311 Passive ...... .. •• • • 61r • • 5 1 • • 51• • 51 Neapolitan lO6 • • 106 . • 106 .. 106 RAILWAY SHARES. Versailles, 352 50 • . 355 .. 352 50 .. 355 L. 8............. 190 .. 191 25 . • 187 50 .. 187 50 840 .. 842 50 .. 842 50 .. 842 50 Rouen .... ... Rouen to:Havre.. ..... 677 50 .. 680 • • 677 50 • • 680 Orleans 856 25 .• 856 25 •• 855 855 Strasburg to 8a1e... • ...... 250 •• 253 75 .• 250 .. 253 75 Montpellier to Cette........ 495 .. 495 •• 495 .. 495 Avignon to Marseilles.. .... 770 •• 770 • • 762 50 .- 762 50 RAILWAY SHARES, FOR THE ACCOUNT. Versailles, R. 8............. 355 .. 357 50 .. 352 50 352 50 L. 8............. 190 .. 192 50 .. 186 25 186 25 Rouen•••••• Rouen to, Havre Orleans ..... .............. 855 .. 855 • • 850 • . 850 Strasburg to Bale.— 250 Avignon to Marseilles-- 765 .. 255 .. 765 • • 250 • • 760 .. 252 50 •• 760' IMPORTANT NEWS FROM PORTUGAL. Lisbon papers of the sth inst., with letters of the 7th, have been received. These papers contain very important intelligence. For some past the Septem brist party have been collecting money for the pur pose of bribing the troops, in order to effect another revolution. News was received at Lisbon, on the 6th inst , of the revolt of the 4th Cavalry at Torres Novas, who have declared against the present Ministry. It appears that the revolted troops have left that town, headed by Cezar de Vasconcellos, and pro ceeded in the direction of Fundoo. It is re ported, too, that the garrison of Elves have revolted and killed the Governor, and similar rumours are in circulation respecting the troops at Santarem Abrantes, and in Algarve, but all these want confirmation. Last night the troops in this city were under arms, and an extra number of sentinels were posted in different places, who loudly challenged every passer-by, and obliged him to walk on the other side of the street. During the night a number of arrests took place. Amongst the persons arrested were Rio Tinto (lately the editor of the Nacio nal)Ba t r h o e n C da olon Fas el w o a f the sth Tavarez (formerly deputy, and a l ea di ng man of the Septembrist party), a n d Cacadores, all of whc'm are now secured on board the Diana frigate. As a measure of 'precaution all the arms in the naval and military arsenals have been removed, and placed on board the ships of war. The Government are taking the most energetic measure, and have applied to be armed, Ist. With extraozdinary and discretionary powers. 2d. Suspension of the habeas corpus. 3d. Suspension of all newspapers except the Diario. 4th. Authorisation for the loan of 2,000 contos. 1 ILLNESS of the KING of SWEDEN. The latest accounts fro m,Stockholm are of the 2d of Fe bruary. The King had had a rather restless night, caused chiefly by swelling and: pain in the leg and foot. The bulletin published at five, o'clo , :lc in the afternoon of the 2d, states, however, that his Maj esty was better than on any preceding day since the comme acement of his illness ; and the pain and swelling of the le:g had abated. In consequence of the progressive improvement in the pr Ayers in the King's health, the palace chapel are discon tinued. on his Royal Hi g hness the A Royal ordinance has been issued, conferring the full The King signed wiitle h is own hand both this ordinance c e) o ex; n ise pr o in f e t e h . e Royal_ authority and a similar one for Yorivay. The Daglizt Allehan cia now contradicts the report which it was the first to publish.. THE DUKE . OF W. JNGTON.—We very much regret to announce that the Duke of Wellington, last evening about six o'clock, had! another attack of the disorder under which he has so, Jong laboured. Upon his arrival, at Apsley House, he Npitto observed to fall down upon the neck of his horse. r.iwo gentlemen passing ran, to his assistance, and he was conveyed in their arms into Apsley House. The Noble Duke was in a state of total unconsciousness ; but: we hope that the attack may be only temporary, and that he may be able to take part in the adjourned debate in the House of Lords. THE NAVY. (FRoM CORRESPONDENT.) There are 188 Ada sirals in the Royal Navy, of which number about 18 in t Irish ; the rest are Scotch and English. At this r eriod 14 Admirals are employed and one Commodore, all Scotch and English. Not one of the al love 18 Irish Admirals are em ployed. Rear-Adrni ir,al Bowles, a Tory, commands the naval force on the col - at of Ireland. This points out what Ireland has gained by the Union! —not an hi' it naval officer at the Admiralty ; three members of flu - It Board, however, are Scotch. LLOY D'S SHIPPING. - • --- LONDON, FEB. 14. -Wind S.W., light breeze and hazy. SCILLY, FEB. 10.—A xrd. Black Cat, Patras, for Liverpool, with loss of sails, &c., 'mid two men overboard; Invincible, Newman, Marathousie. DARTMOUTH, FEB. s.—The Mantura, Weekes, from Pa lermo to London, whit h put into this port o n the 9th inst., with lots of bowsprit, & c., is ready to proceed. GRAVESEND, FEB. t.—l'he David, of Newburgh, was in contact off the Shears 96 inst., with the Whitton Castle, Butcher, and recei ve d s rime d a mage. PORTSMOUTH, FEB. 13.—Wind, E.N.E. to S.E.—Arrd., Oriental (steamer), Al ricandria. PLYMOUTH, FEB. 13. E.—Arrd., Hymen, London, for Lima. LIVERPOOL, FEB. 1? L--Wind S.S.E.; light.—Sld., Severn, for Bahia; Enterprise New York. HULL, FEB. 13.—Wi ad, S.W., light breeze.—Arrd., Ganges, Blyth, St. John's, New • Brunswick. - HARWICH, FEB. 13.- —Arrd., William • Savarick, London for Middlesborough, with damage, having been in contact, off the Nore, with a brig. GUERNSEY, FEB. 10. ,--Sld., Louisa, Havannah. JERSEY, FEB. 10.--4 Rd., Courier, Madeira. - - The General Ste sun Navigation Company's Mail packet Venezuela arrh Rd at her moorings off the 'lower yes terday morning, with t the Hamburg!' mail. THE REBECCAITE 2 CONVICTS.--ShOni Scybor Fawr and Dailr Cantwrs, sen Sluiced at the last Winter Assizes, the former to transportatio a for life, and the latter for 20 years, are now in Millbank I kinitentiary, preparatory to their em barkation for a penal s. Oltlement. THE EARL OE ( tkRLISLE.—On Tuesday further intelligence was receiv ed in town f r om Castle Howard, nig degree. There great re specting the illnes s o f We above respected Nobleman. It is said that the Earl, bof k tan Sunday an d Monday nights, en joyed some refreshing i2,eep and appe ared to have slightly improved, but to a very •I r ifi uncer tainty as to the resu lt r Clis Lordship's attac k, and should no relapse assail the nobl. 3 7:sufferer, he may possibly regain his strength, and eventually be restored to health. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherlan d, Lady Dover, Hon. Captain and Mrs. Howard, Viscou i t Morpeth, Hon. E. Howard, and other immediate meta ers of the Earl's family, are staying at Castle Howard until h it-Lordship is considered out of danger by his physicians. 'i SUMMARY OF NEWS AND Putatt Optitton. " With runs may read." FOREIGN. On Saturday evening the King and Queen of the French received the British Ambassador, Lady Cowley, and Miss Wellesley, the Turkish and Neapolitan Ambassadors, Nafi Effendi, the Duchess de Trevise, Countess de Barcellos, Count and Countess de Tracey, Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry, Lady Elizabeth Peel, Viscountess de Beuret, and other persons of rank. The Duke de Montpensier left Paris on Monday at eight o'clock for Africa. His Royal Highness goes to join the ex pedition preparing at Constantina, Under the direction of the Duke d'Aumale, Commander-in-Chief of the province. The Patrie mentions a rumour that MM. de Lamartine and Lherbette intend to submitt to the Chamber of Deputies a proposition declaring that the Government shall in no case, and without a law, arm the forte near Paris, or place artillery or engineer corps in them ; and, moreover, that there shall Ue no materiel of siege kept within a distance of at least sixty leagues of the capital. The editor of the France is to take his trial before the Court of Assizes on the 21st inst., on an indictment founded on political articles published in that journal on the 10th, 12th, and 29th of December last. M. Nadau des Islets, member of the Colonial Council at Quadaloupe, died last week at Paris. In the dreadful earth quake he lost his wife, seven children, and a sister. A son, only three years old, is the sole surviving member of this unfortunate family. The great quantity of snow which has fallen lately in Upper Bavaria and the Tyrol has greatly interrupted the communi cations in those parts, and the couriers have been considera bly retarded. Some thousaads of labourers are employed in clearing the roads. The ordinary depth of the snow on the In.spruck road is six feet, but in many places it is from 15 to 30 feet. The last accounts from Spain announce that at Valencia, Seville, Saragossa, Grenada, and Malaga, the inhabitants are ready to make their pronunciamientos. We learn from Berlin, Feb. 5, that the inorease of pauperism in that city has excited the profound attention of the autho rities, and that measures are to be adopted for the diminution of this evil. The marriage of the Grand Duchess Elizabeth Mikhai• lowna with the reigning Duke Adolphe of Nassau was cele. brated on the 31st ult., in the Imperial Palace, at St. Peters• burgh. LAW AND POLICE. In the case of Muntz, M.P. v. Foster and others, re l a ti ve t o a patent, which was tried i n the Common Pleas, the jury gave a verdict for the plaintiff. In the new Central Criminal Court Thomas Seargent, aged 36, was indicted for embezzling and stealing various stuns of money to a considerable amount, the property of Messrs. Thomas Tucker Modsell, Smith, and Co., his employers. There were five indictments against the prisoner, on the first of which he was acquitted, and convicted on the second. In answer to a question from the judge, one of the prosecutors said, that for some years they had lost from 1001. to 2001. a year. The prisoner was sentenced to be transported for seven years. It appeared that between 7001. and 800/. passed through his hands in the course of a month. At Bow-street, Mr. Luke Winton, landlord of the Crooked Billet, corner of Wych-street, Strand, was summoned before Mr. Jardine, charged with permitting persons of disorderly and bad character knowingly to assemble in his house, against the provisions of the Licensed Victuallers' Act, 9th Geo. IV. An inspector named Logan gave evidence against the defen dant, but the Magistrate dismissed the charge on the ground that there was no proof that the character of the parties was known to the defendant or his waiter. The house from all accounts was most respectably conducted. At the Greenwich Police Court, John Roberts, master of the schooner Waterford, of Weymouth, appeared to an in formation, at the instance of Richard Gowland, master of her Majesty's Revenue cutter Vigilant, charged with having on board two boxes of foreign cigars, and ten packages of manufactured tobacco, the duties upon which had not been paid. On the evidence of the master of the Revenue cutter, Mr. Jeremy convicted the prisoner under the 4th of Geo. IV., sec. 48, by which he had incurred: no penalty, but imprisonment in the county gaol for six months. A young man, of respectable appearance, named George Wheldon, was charged at Worship-street, before Mr. Broughton, with having attempted to defraud the Eastern Counties Railway Company of seven shillings, being the amount of fare for travelling in a first-class carriage from Bishop Stortford to London. After an inspector on the rail way had given evidence in support of the charge, the de fendant said he had only c ome f rom E dmonton with' a friend, and they paid one shilling each, and on leaving the station be gave the ticket to an officer. He was quested, however, conveyed like a felon to the station-holtse, immured in a damp cell until nearly three o'clock in the morning, when some of his friends arrived and gave security for his appear ance. Mr. Broughton called on the inspector to show the authority under which he had acted. He could show none, and then went and consulted his superiors, who were in the same predicament, and the defendant was instantly die. charged, COURT-FASHIONABLE. Lady Brougham had a soirée last evening at the residence of theSoble and Learned Lord in Grafton-street. Invite- tions for about 150 were sont out. Sir Robert Peel's dinner party on Saturday next is to be a very numerous circle of the Ministerial Members of the House of Commons. The Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons has appointed the 9th, 16th, and 23d of the ensuing month for his Parliamentary levees. The Marquis and Marchioness of Londonderry, and Lady Alexandrina Vane, who has recovered from the effects of her recent severe illness, are expected at Holde rness H ouse , from the Fre nc h ca pit a l, soon after the Easter recess The Dowager Countess of Leicester and Mr. Ellice, M.P., are expected at the Right Hon. Gentleman's mansion, in Ar lington-street, early in April, from Italy, for the season. Earl and Countess Craven propose to prolong their resi dence at Coombe Abbey till the close of the hunting season. There was another meet of the Atherstone hoUnds, at the Abbey, on Saturday. Mr. Watts Russell gave an elegant dejeuner at the Claren don Hotel, on Monday, on the occasion of the marriage of Miss Watts Russell to the Hon. Captain Denman, to Lord and Lady Denman and the Hon. Misses Denman, the Dowager Lady Arundel, and a family circle. The accounts received from Richmond on Tuesday, of the health of Viscount Sidmouth, represent that venerable noble man tb be going on as favourably as his medical attendants could expect. MISCELLANEOUS. It was generally believed in Dublin, on Monday, that Mr. O'Connell, with h►s two sons, the Members for Kilkenny and Tralee, was about to start for London, in order to attend the debate on Lord John Russell's motion on the state of Ireland. Dr. Gray, one of the traversers, has resigned his seat in the Repeal Association. Among the multitude of advertisements of sales which at this season of the year solicit the public notice, we regret to see announced that of the library of Mr. Black, late editor of the Morning Chronicle. On Saturday about 40,000 mackerel were landed on the beach at Brighton, and sold at 16s. per 100. A new opera, entitled Riguigui, was last week produced at Hanover. The plot related to the period of the French Revo- lotion of 1830, and contained passages and allusions in rather free terms concerning the ancient regime, as well as reflections on the French Nobility in general. The King, who was pre sent, left immediately at the conclusion of the first scene, and signified his displeasure at the production of the work. COURT CIRCULAR. WLVDSOR, WEDNESDAY.—Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert took their accustomed early w& this morning. The Royal Family were taken an ag in the forenoon, and were also taken out in the afternoot. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent dined last even ing with her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince, Albert at the Castle. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge left town at twelve o'clock yesterday for his res id ence at Kew. His Excellency the Turkish Ambassador transacted busi ness at the Foreign-office yesterday. Sir Robert Peel has issued invitations for a grand Parlia mentary dinner on Saturday, the 24th instant, at his resi dence in Whitehall-gardens. The Secretary-at-War transacted business yesterday at the Home-office. Dispatches from the Governors of Ceylon and Western Australia, and also from the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands were received yesterday at the Colonial office. Sir James Graham had an interview with Sir Robert Peel yesterday. Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Colonial office for the Governor of Gibraltar. The Judicial Committee of her Majesty's most Honourable Privy Council, had a meeting yesterday in the Council Chamber, to hear an appeal from the Prerogative Court of Canterbury, " the Right Hon. John Wilson Croker v. the most • Honourable Richard Seymour Conway, Marquis of Hertford, and also the Right Hon. William Baron Lowther, E. Hopkinson, Esq., S. H. de Horsey, Esq., and R. Meynell, Esq.," relative to a codicil of the will of the late Marquis of Hertford, dated 28th October, 1838, at Milan. Sir Charles Wetherell and Mr. Kindersley, Queen's Counsel, were heard for the respondent. Lord Brougham, on the part of the Lords present, ap pointed 'Wednesday next, the 21st inst., to hear the Solicitor- General in reply. The Lords present were the Lord Chief Justice of the Court of Queen's Bench, the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Lord Brougham, Lord Abinger, Lord Campbell, Mr. Baron Parke, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, and the Judge of the Admiralty Court. WILL OF THE LATE MARQUIS OF HERTFORD.--The Judicial Committee of the Queen's Privy Council sat yesterday to hear an appeal respecting the will of the late Marquis of Hertford, being an appeal by the Right Hon. J. Croker against a decision of the Prerogative Court, affecting a codicil for 100,000 dollars left to the Right Hon. Gentleman. Lords Brougham, Denman, Abinger, the Vice-Chancellor Knight Bruce, and other Judges, were present. The Navy Estimates for the years 1844-45, laid upon the table of the House on the Bth instant, have juit been printed. As comp are d w i t h t h e l ast vote for the finan cial years 1843-44, they result in an aggregate unusually approximate. The "grand total "to be voted for the current year, is 6,250,120/. ; the grand total for the last year, was 6,382,990/. ; so that there is a reduction in the present estimate for the navy, from their amount for 1843-44, of 132,8701. For the current Year the total for the Effective Service is estimated at 4,004,7581. ; for the Non-Eff ec ti ve , 1,398,651/. ; total for the Naval Ser vice, 5,403,409/. For the services of other departments, 846,711/. ; together, 6,250,120/. The chief items of these estimates are—Wages, 1,170,4761. (Service afloat, 23,500 seamen, 2,000 boys, 4,500 Royal Marines ; ser vice on shore, 6,000 Royal Marines); Victuals, 544,9601.; Admiralty Office, 126,826/. ; Registry of Merchant Seamen, 2,980/. ; Scientific Branch, 38,076/. ; her Ma jesty's Establishments at Home, 127,927/., an Abroad, 22,426/. ; Wages to Artificers at Home, 649,104/. ; Ditto Abroad, 42,080/. ; Naval Stores for Building and Re pairs of Ships, Docks, &c., 1,053,965/. ; New Wo r k s , 298,866/. ; Medicines and Medical Stores, 20,1651. ; Miscellaneous Services, 61.6301. Half-pay ; name l y, to Officers of the Navy and Royal Marines, 742,296/. ; Military Pensions and Allowances, 495,6261. ; Civil Pensions and Allowances, 1 62,959/. The Estimates for " Services of other Departments of the Government" comprise, Army and Ordnance Departments (per Con veyance of Troops), 160,890/ ; Home Department (Convict Service), 96,5271. ; and Post Office Depart ment (Contract Packet Service), 432,5411. MONEY AND COMMERCIAL NEWS CITY, WEDNESDAY EVENEsZO. Consols closed rather heavily this afternoon, but there have been no sales of importance. The rates were 974 to 4. The New Three-and-a-Half per Cents. were 102 ; and Exchequer Bills, 68s. 695. premium. India Stock brought 2774. The news of an insurrection in Portugal, caused a decline of 2 to 24 per cent. in the value of the Converted Stock, viz to 344 to 44. Spanish Active Bonds were 224 4 ; and th ' Three per Cents., 32 to 31 4 • Colombian were 124; Chilia: Deferred, 51 ; and Peruvian for Account, 274 to 28. The additional transactions in Railway Shares have been these :—Birmingham and Glouceater were 30, Bristol and Exeter 24 to 1, Great North of England 74, Greenwich 74, Manchester and Birmingham 4,-;:and South Eastern 164 to 154 discount. Eastern Union have been 4 to 4, Great Western Fifths 7 to 4, Guildford Junction 2, South Western 354, Manchester and Leeds 434, Ditto Quarter 8, Paris and Rouen 114, Rouen and Havre 54 to 6, Tamworth and Nor wich 6, and-York and North Midland Scarborough Branch 174 premium. (From The Sun of Last Night.) The sales of Cotton at Liverpool, yesterday, were 5,000 bales, 2,000 being on speculation. Prices were without al teration, and the market was quiet. A fair business was done in Railway Shares, but they had still a downward ten dency. Eastern Counties, Registered, were 12 ; Grand Junc tion, 227 ; Great North of England, 91 ; Great Western, 110; Liverpool and Manchester, 224; Birmingham, 2364; Brighton, 434 ; South Western Eighths, 3 9-20 ; North Mid land, 924 ; Paris and Lvons, 2/. 17s. ; Paris and Orleans, 324 • South Eastern, 344 ; Ditto, Scrip, 344. The Exchange from llamburgh comes over at 13 84, and the price of gold at 4334. As the foggy state of the atmosphere, and according to the advices received from the outports, the rather tempes tuous character of the weather has prevented a large number of homeward-bound vessels from arriving within the last few days, it is probable that some may require aid or supplies which steamers .would be usefully employed in conveying to them. The West India steamer, it has been suggested by some, may have been detained at Vera Cruz, for Government dispatches, seeing the rather involved state of our political relations with Mexico ; but it should be borne in mind that the contract with the Royal Mail Company does not justify any lengthened detention, as this would disarrange the whole service. The position of affairs in Spain still engrosses a good deal of attention here, and the accounts periodically arriving are expected to bring intelligence of further insurrectionary movements. There are, indeed, few Spaniards in the City who can venture to predict where th e ma tt er w ill en d, a nd for the moment the vaunted financial projects that were to resuscitate credit: are no more thought of. The Bonds have been fluctuating, the Five per Cents. at from 23i to 23i ; and the Three per Cents. at from 31* to 32. The English Funds have been quiet to-day, but prices are Sustained. Consols ,have realised 97i to 97* for Money, and 97i to a for Account. Bank Stock has been firm at 193 to 193 k. Exchequer Bills have been 695. premium ; and India Bonds 83s. to 84s. pretniuin. The New Three-and-a-Half per Cents, have been 102 to a ; and the Redu ce d 103 t o a. The Three per Cents, are 98 to The Foreign investments are also dull. Portuguese Con verted at 46 to 46* ; Mexican at 34i to ; the Deferred at 1 ; and Columbian at 12i. Brazilian have been dull, but firm at 79*. Danish Bonds are 87* ; Russian, 1184 ; and the Dutch Two-and-a-Half per Cents., 55 to Businessin the Share market has been very restricted, and the quotations below will. show that the Railways are all lower. • MANCHESTER STOCK EXCHANGE, FEB. 13.—Considerable business has been transacted in ourmarket to-day, and (with the exception of Manch es t er an d Birmingham) at a slight reduction in .price. —Eastern Counties, registered, 12 to 12 1-16 ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 593 ; Manchester and Birmingham, 393 to 40 ; Manchester and Leeds, Halves, 503 ; Paris and Lyons, 23 ; South Eastern, Scrip, 343 ; Sheffield and Manchester, 64 ; Ditto, Quarters, 7 13-16 ; Manchester Assurance, 10 1-16. CLOSING PRICES. BRITISH FUNDS. Bank Stock 3 per Cent. Red. 3 per Cent. C0n5...... 97/ Ditto Old Annuities - 3i per Cent. Red IO3A Ditto New Annuities.. New 3ip per Cent lO2 Ex. Bills, 1,0001. lid. 69 pm New 5 per Cent — Ditto 5001....... 69 pm Long Annuities to expire Ditto 5ma11..... 67 pm Jan. 1860 Oct. 1859 Jan. 1860 Consols for Acct...... 971 FOREIGN FUNDS. A totrian, 5 per cent. — Portuguese, 5 per cent. Be!gian, b per cent — Ditto, New Ditto Brazilian ...... 79/ Prussian, 5 per cent B :enos Ayres 6 per cent Russian, 5 per cent..., Onilian, 6 per cent — Ditto, Metallic ...... . Colombian, 6 per cent — Spanish, 5 per cent 22, Ditto 1824 — Ditto, 3 per cent... 3ll Cuba Bonds, 6 per cent 93 Ditto, Deferred.... . . Danish, 3 per sent French, 5 per cent. —f. —e. Greek, 1825, 5 per cent Exchange........., —f. —c. Heaican, 5 per cent 341 French, 3 percent. —f. —c. Ditto, 6 per cent. 1837 iDutch, 21 per cent. 55i Peruvian, 1825,6 per ct. 271 Ditto, 5 per cent.... 1011 SHARES. Birmingham and Gloucester Railway (100 pd) 70 Bristol and Exeter (70 paid) .... 69 Great North of England Railway (100 pd) 921 Great Western (75 paid) ... 110 Ditto Fifths (12 paid) l9/ London and Greenwich Railway (12115 s 4d p d) 5/ London and Guildford Junction ( 5 paid)... 7 London and South Western (41163 10d pd) 77i Manchester and Leeds (70 paid) ...... 113* Ditto Quarter Sharos ( 2 paid) lO A MAN WORRIED by a LEOPARD. On Sunday morning last considerable excitement was caused in Bolton by a report that the keeper at the me nagerie and museum of the Star Inn, had been worried by one of the leopards. It appears, that the unfortunate man, whose name is Matthew Ferguson, was seen going up to the menagerie, about half-past seven o'clock on Sunday morning, by one of the waiters. About half past eight another man, who assists in cleaning the room on a Sunday morning, went into the menagerie, and was alone for a considerable time. The keeper not making his appearance he went down stairs with the in tention of looking for him, but was informed by the waiter that he saw him come in about half-past seven it was now about half-past nine o'clock. The waiter went into the menagerie to look for Ferguson ; he found his jacket and hat in the usual place ' - and, his atten tion being called to the cages of th e leopards, by the female jumping from a ledge at the top, he observed the unfortunate man lying dead in the den of the male leopard, and literally weltering in his blood. He imme diately gave an alarm, and Mr..§harples and other assist ance were instantly on the spot. The leopard, which is one of the finest in England, was driven into the adjoin. ing cage to the female ; and Mr. Watson, surgeon, was sent for ; but there were no signs of animation left, the poor man having evidently been dead for some time. The body was fyund to be dreadfully man gled about the throat, and the scalp of the head was nearly torn off. He must have been seized by the throat, end killed almost instantaneously ; for, had he given an alarm, he must have been heard by the waiterin the room below. How he came to go into the den to the leopard can only be conjectured. The animals were purchased at the sale of the Manchester Zoological Gardens, where Ferguson was their keeper; and being in the habit, for a long time, of caressing the male, it is thought that he must have gone into the cage with the intention of teaching the animal some tricks, after the fashion of Carter and Van Amburgh, as he had a whip with him, and had carefully fastened the door on going in. He had been strictly forbidden by Mr. Sharpies to go into the cage when the animals were in, and he had, therefore, probably taken the opportunity of doing so clandestinely when no person was near. THE INQUEST. At twelve o'clock, on Tuesday, an inquest was held at the Star Inn, before - Mr:Taylor, the borough Coroner, and a highly respectable jury, when the ICA lowing evidence wrs given : John Wardle said:---I am employed as a waiter by Mr. Sharpies. The name of the deceased is Matthew Fer guson. He is thirty-six years of age, and has been employed by Mr. Sharpies as a keter for about tw e l ve months. I never saw him in the leopard's cage when alive. The door is fastened by a.screw at the bottom, and another at the top, and by a chain and lock. I saw him go past the bar about half-past seven o'clock on Sunday morning, and going up to the museum to his work. He did not appear to me at all the. worse for liquor. I heard no noise afterwards. Sutton, who was cleaning the museum, came down stairs at about half-past nine or a quarter to ten, and said that Matthew had not come. I said he had come in about half-past seven, and went up to look for him. I could not find him, and was coming away again, when I heard one of the leopards move, and, on turning round, saw the deceased lying on his back, in the den, with his head towards the top. The leopard was lying at his feet, with its head to the bars, and its legs crossed, After the leopards are fed they generally go upon the shelf. The leopard's neck was marked with blood. There was a great quantity of blood in the den. I gave an alarm, and Chas. Sutton went up with me, and we drove the leopard into the other den. The deceased was quite dead. Mr. Watson, surgeon, was immediately sent for, and ex amined the body. I could see that he was wounded bn both sides of his neck, and the scalp of his head was much torn. He was removed out of the den. He had taken the chain off, and put it upon the squirrell's cage, unloosed the screws, and, when he got in, he had screwed them up again. I have heard that the previous keeper had been in to the leopards ; and I remember Mr. Sharpies forbidding him, and saying, that if he went in again he would dismiss him. I never heard him say anything to the deceased. The whip used by the de ceased in the room was lying at the bottom of the cage. Mr. William Wolfenden, agent, said—l knew the de ceased as keeper. I heard him say, in the month of De cember, that he had been in the cage. There was a ru mour in the town, that Mr. Carter had been in the cage, and I asked him if it was true. He said it was not, but that he had been in himself several times, though Mr. Sharples did not know it, or he would be very angry with him. The CORONER said, it appeared to him quite un neccesary to go further, if the jury believed the witnesses already examined. There could not be the slightest blame to Mr. Sharples, even if he knew that the deceased was in the habit of going into the den. The man was in his service as k ee p er of the anim a l s; h e had experience of, such duty, and ought to be better able to judge of their temper and disposition than his employer, as he had been a keeper in the Manchester Zoological Gardens before lie came to Mr. Sharpies. The probability was, that he had an idea that it would be a profitable speculation, if he could train wild beasts to exhibit like Carter and Van Am burgh; and, like them, he must take the consequence in case of failure in such dangerous employment. It appeared that he had gone into the cage with a whip, when no one but himself was present; screwed the door fast after him ; and, if that were so, it was his own act, and their verdict must be that of ac cidental death. If a man even worked in a factory, he was subjected to accidents by the machinery ; but a man who foolishly hazarded his life by going into the cage of a wild beast, an d p er h a p s to f orce it to do something foreign to its habits and its nature, did that which was likely to lead to his death. The jury unanimously agreed in the opinion_ of the Coroner, and imm e diately returned a verdict of " Ac cidental death." IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT• HOUSE OF COMMONS, Feb. 14. The SPEAKER took the Chair at the usual hour. Mr. L. BRUGES took the oaths and his seat for the borough of Devizes, in the room of Mr. Sotheron, who has accepted the Stewardship of her Majesty's Chiltern e Hundreds. Mr. PAKINGTON brought in the County Coroners' Bill, which was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Friday next. Lord GRANVILLE SOMERSET brought up th e Report of the General Committee on Elections, stating that the 4th of March next had been fixed to ballot for Committees to try the merits of the petitions against the returns from the c ity o f D ur h am an d t h e borough of Athlone. Sir G. CLERK laid upon the table returns relating t° the Post-office, the Ordnance, and other public depart' meats. COUNTY RATES (IRELAND). Sir R. FERGUSON moved for a return of *e several counties, counties of cities, and counties of towns in Il e ; land, of which the valuation, under the Act 6 and ' Will. 4, c. 84, has been completed ; specifying the nuns of each barony or half barony, the acreable contents and the valuation thereof ; stating also, the sum ordered to be levied by the grand jury warrant of Spring Assize* 1843, for each such ba ro ny or h a lf b aron y, and the rate per centum which each such sum bears t° the valuation; also the sum ordered to be levied by th e grand jury warrant o f S ummer A ss i zes, 1843, f or each such barony or half barony, and the rate per cent which such sum b e a rs t o th e valuation •, stating also th ° name and acreable contents of each such county, county of a city, and c o unty o f a town ; t h e annua l value thereof, according to the valuation under that Act ; th e amount of the expense of such valuation, the cost Pe r , acre of such valuati o n, an d th e rate w hi c h t h e cost 0 1 such valuation bears to each 100/. of the valuation (being in continuation of P ar li amen t ary P aper , No. SY O of 1843).—Ordered. Mr. FEFSRAND said, he must request the indulgell e. of the House for a few moments whilst he made one 01 ' two remarks on a subject which was somew h a t p e rson" to himself. It would be in the recollection of the House' that in the answer he had received from the Right Heat Baronet (Sir James Graham) th e o th er even i n g, on the subject of what had fallen from Lord Chief Justice Denman in the Court of Queen's Bench, on the subject of the separation of mother and child, that he ( Sir James Graham) had stated that such words es those attributed to him had never been used by his Lordship. He (Mr. Ferrand) had stated in that House that, in giving judgment in a case in the Court of Queen's Bench, Lord Denman had delivered it as the . unanimous opinion of the Court that there were some' cases in which it was necessary to break in upon an'Ae of Parliament. Now the House might conceive that? before he brought such a dictum as that • before th.g: House, he had taken eve r y p recaut i on to b e satisfied that it had been so laid down by that Learned Lord- He begged to say that, since the denial by the B' Hon. Baronet (Sir James Graham) of the utter-. :Ince of the words in question by Lord Denref he (Mr. Ferrand) had ref erre d to hi s aut h or i t y for whi t he had advanced to the House, and that that authoriti had re-asserted and confirmed hi s original statern ear^ Referring, too, to the M orn i ng Chronicle, to the 7210 4 to the Morning Herald, and to the Post, he found t he same judgment in substan ce , an d a l most in the yell words in which he (Mr. Ferrand) had brought it befall the House. All these papers, generally so accurate faithful in their reports, an of them agreed in a ttributing to Lord Denman almost the ver y same wor ds he ha d quoted to the House. He hop e d, th ere f ore , he fully justified himself to the House for the colt/ he had taken.—(Hea r , h ear .) A n d now, h av i n g this statement, he wished to ask the Right Honourable,,, Baronet (Sir James G ra h am ) whether the denial of the, words in this judgment were persisted in, and whet b l also the remaining w or d s w hi c h h e (Mr. Ferran d) put upon the notice paper had not likewise been used? t Sir JAMES GRAHAM was un d erstoo d t o say he was not fully prepared to re-enter upon this subj e t but he would gi ve a ll th e i n f orm ation in big'. power. The Hon. Gentleman said, the words asserted to have been used by Lord Denn i . „ l t that he had made every inquiry to ascertain that the y' had been uttered, and it was evident he had done The morning papers, too, confirmed the version that ",„ private authority had given to him, and this, taken D. together, he freely admitted constituted strong testimal in its favour. But he (Sir James Graham) could affa l assure the House, and that from the highest rity, that Lord Denman had been misunder; before quoting stood in what he had been asserted to h.g a uttered—that he did not utter it; but that what h e 'l O say was exa c tly th e converse of what he was reported have said. What Lord D enman h a d state d was thier o that it was sometim es necessary to break in 11 ,c,, general principles i n or d er to get at a ri g a; rule of conduct an d ma i nta i n t h e str i ct a d m i n istratio of justice and the law.—(Hear.) It was a monstrou s ' doctrine to suppose that a Chief Justice, or any Ju d e whatever, could, under any conceivable circumstan ce. or in any conceivable case, lay down the doctrine thatit was necessary in any matter or thing to break throngi; or set aside the law, or infringe upon rules which be" existed from: all time. SMALL DEBTS. The Small Debts Bill was read a second time. The Superior Courtt of Common Law Bill was also read a second time. HORSE-RACING PENALTIES' REPEAL BIL% Mr. J. S. WORTLEY moved the s econ d rea di ng o' this Bill. The Hon. Gentleman stated that; in perfect ignorance of the law, penalties had been incurred by various parties, amounting to no less than half a million of money. He then proceeded to explai ll the state of the law, which was that a bet on any racer in which a stake of money above 101. was involved, w ai , an illegal bet. These qui tam actions had been a° . menced by informers for the express purpose of rec d vering the penalties incurred unde r an ob s olete statute es the 9th of Queen Anne, and another of 16th of Charles tu I-Second. He was not himself connected with horse-racing: though he had, long enough ago to render him no lo n g!: liable, won and lost as much as ten pounds at a time a race. But though h e h a d a d opte d t h e p r ofessionr t the law, and might say th a t h e h a d some ex perience , , P o , was still in perfect ignorance that he was then illegally. The object of the present Bill was two-fold ; hs believed all th e act i ons were b roug ht under La 9th of Anne, a n d a ll t h e present Bill Pr e r sc - - to do was, t o enact t h at t h ese vexa tious tions, on payment of the costs to the parties brinEfe them, should be stopp e d. Th e on ly o th er object t 7, Bill was to assist i n a n i nves ti ga ti on o f the whole w t i ioo relating to gambling, and provided that the opera eoc t of the old Act be suspended for a limited time, till t he „ x i of the present session, as much of it at least as confeThss, on the common inform e r th e r i g ht o f t ry i ng such ac ti° A The present state of the law was ver y anomalou s '. bet bet on a race while it was p en di ng was ill e gal; bu t ,;; 0 00, on a race after it had bee n d ec id e d, b etween tWebP e 'bet• as to which horse had won it, h a d b een h e ld to be a lega l ra Under the present law th e m os t i n d ece nt bets t he legal. A most famous instance of this occurred Incod year 1771, between two young men, the one nanleG l A the rington, the son of Sir William Codrington, it other named Bigot. Th e y ran th e i r f at h ers ' liv es w hich were against each other, and they ma d e a bet to t e „ r y as would die first. The bet was r e f erre d t o Lord Os s- t hey to what the odds should be, and he thought a nd ought to be 1,6001. t o 500/. The bet was made' ! too afterwards M r . C o d r i ng t on th oug h t t h e ter ms W . , i . er dis' much in favour of Mr. Pigot. It was afterWarl' A ' 0 ,3 at covered that Mr. Bigot's father was actually' " e sit aer the time the bet was made, although li t lost party knew it ; and acccordingly Mr. Pig ° . was the bet, but he disputed it, and the ca s ' tried before Lord Mansfield, who directed t he ra rea to find for the plaintiff, and the 500/. was rec? b , Could they conceive a greater anomaly tha n which allowed bets of so disgusting a descril3,ooo - did not allow a person to make bets on r u, racing without being subjected to all the chicanery The attorney's clerk might think proper to adopt ; we re present actions had been commenced for the w oral' purpose of extortion, and not for any witb,. purpose. The first Act which was Pass e reference to this subject was in the r e h lj pre Charles H., which Act was entitled an Act fo r t the' vention of Fraudulent Betting. The next Act Noi' It present one—namely, the Act of the 9th of Anneei c in was remarkable that this Sovereign indulged lagre'she the sports of the field; and only two daYs . This died one of her own hors es won th e c up at Yor'i le tair Bill was brought i n i n th e y ear 1711, for the pose of impo s in g f res h pena l t i es f or e xcessive 6 0 - st ja- It was evident th a t th e c l ause i n t h e Bill wa s atoll , tended to apply to ho rse - rac i ng, f or there was ex tend in the Act declaring that it was not intended to v o i ce• c to games played withi n t h e precincts o f the - I - old Now, he could not we ll understand how ra- Fals e ' take place in the drawing-room of the , for the. In the reign of George 11. two Acts were passeu__ a cted encouragement of horse-racing, one of which en acted that races should not be run for any tnita t •onne tif 50/. After these Acts had passed, the constrisages, relied on had been given to . the law by the faitire. but that was in a civil case, and the House ,11!..rseat, iu that the constraint placed upon an Act of P.r ii i' wou ld b e d , a civil case, was very different from that which t can placed on it in a criminal proceeding. T hat then de.' been decided in the year 1744 ; and it w "nclucl ed in ternined by the judges that horse-racing was ;iatsoever•ci the clause,which mentioned " all othergarnesw a_ t_te h tn o r r t s e e . : The penal clauses of the statute had never beg to be enforced against persons making h t t hat races. For one hundred and thirty-three Yvy,ersons clause had remained unnoticed and forgotten; that t he, had broken the law without any knowledgo:_ift w ho r l were doing anything illegal. The persons aCu' una ws these actions had been brought were quir e be lieve! , , that they were doing anything illegal-1 , 11 1;e of P ri t t et r that if any Hon. Gentleman would take , wood should liament and read it, and nothing else, be Act , a say that it was intended that the D roc apply to horse-racing. He should ne'll' ex ;ticli 9 .?. to show that the actions had been ?An brought. Who were the parties bringil e lg he " c i ;on attorney and an attorney's clerk. -1 1 o f th" tf the Exchequer-office for the purpose whom these actions had been brought. A ll ßs ell, cept one had been brought by Charles t i l er acti on the ° roc,' James Russell was the attory ; and in the 800 James Russell was both then nformer and of die 113° to He held in his hand five writs against one _ stint ing se honourable men in this country, for sums a 4 °'" the 11°11 0 of artaining _PI); nearly 80,0001. The members of the bar ept v _ were aware, were incapable of actio n en whop' the intervention of an attorney, and themselves the greatest confidence._Ted olgu, But this attorney went to a distinct is" t duorePrese°i one of the ablest men in his rofessiont eO, himself by name as the attorney in one ot - s I , l _ef orne a a nd and by this means he got the opinion ofhl2J e e cie f e ada esteemed Friend, and stole a marl? upon / Wed Wi"'. The principle upon which this Bill was '" . ~.. Th 1(1 1) et