The Sun. — London, England, 1839-10-08 00:00:00

EVENING EDITION. THE CURhENCY AND A S'LVER STANDARD. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SIR,—I n you paper of last night, you point out with great p ro p r i et y t h e sta t e o f t h e currency, and credit of thi s country ; an d you l oo k with alarm, as every other honest man must, to the possibility of the Bank being exhausted of gold, and of the Mi nister stepping forward to sanction the issue of one pound notes. You see; to think that the issue of one pound note s will restore credit and confidence in the City, mnd place commercial affairs as they had wont to be. I e n ti re l y agree w i t h you i n that opinion ; bar, I differ from you in the recommendation which you offer as a remedy for the existing, almost un exampled state of public credit. You ask why is I tt n silver made a legal tender as well as gold ? and you conclude that a suspension of cash Payments would not he produced, as we could always in that case, have silver. You state as the ground of that opinion, that the proportion of silver t o gold in England is not correct, and that gold is dearer on the Continent than in England ; and, therefore, the ) ,c;old is carried from England to the better market. You further think that, if silver were the standard, that it would remain in England, and our payments in commerce would continue to be madly in metal money. In this, I think, von are in error ; and I am somewhat surprised that you do riot perceive that the same reasoning by which you explain why gold is exported to countries where it Is dearer, will apply, and must apply, equally, cn the same principle, to silver, were it made the standard or legal tender, to those countries Where it is dearer than in England. You seem to forget that the currency consists at present o f gold and paper, silver being only as counters for a limited amount. If you make the currency to consist of gold, of silver, and of paper, let me ex amine what would be the result on your own reasoning. In the first place, I agree with you that t he coffers of the Bank, and the stock of every mer chant in the country, will be exhausted of gold when ever .gold becomes dearer at Hamburg or Paris t han In London, and continues for a long tim e t o be dearer abroad ; and, on that principle, the gold as left, an d i s l eav i ng E ng l an d. H ence t h e a l arm m the public mind—hence the doubt as to what will be done to pay the bank notes of the Bank in 'Peel; or by the Chancellor of the Exchequer to Pay the public dividends, and discharge the ex penses of the Government in specie. All is at pre- S ent uncertainty and doubt ; and hence the state of alarm and paralysis in all commercial transactions. I also agree with you that it is a serious reflection On the common sense of the Parliainent, especially after the experience they have had in 1825 and I bas, t o a ll ow any b o dy o f men, however respec tae in mercantile society they may be, to have the Power of producing that vicious state of things w hich you have described, and which becomes so injurious to every interest in the country ; b ut, above all, highly discreditable and injurious to the credit and the character of Great Britain. I n ow ask you to tell us what it is that makes gold now dearer in Hamburg than in England ? We have seen that, in the last year, and up to August, 1 838, gold was of equal value, or even dearer in England tha n i n H am b urg , an d t h e exc h anges were for a great part of the year in favour of England, the best proof that gold was higher here than in Hamburg. What, then, has produced the change ? What has made gold cheaper in Eng land than in Hamburg ? The correct answer to that question will, if understood, apply equally to Your proposition of the silver standard as it will to the gold standard. The cause of gold becoming cheaper in England then is, that paper money has been issued in excess, and the currency has been thereby depreciated. Whenever a mixed currency becomes depreciated, the most valuable part of that currency will be sent abroad. Gold being the most valuable, has, therefore, been sent abroad, and will not be brought back as loug as the paper con tinues in excess ; and that depreciation of the cur rency accounts for the Foreign exchanges being against England, by whickahe bullion has been drained. If the currency Consisted of gold, silver, a nd paper, the same result would take place ; the gold and silver being the most valuable, would both be sent abroad, l a:dbe gold has been, and the pa- Per alone would remain, as it now remains. I will further state, that we shall be obliged, if e paper m one y continues to be greatly de- Preciated, to give an additional vaiue to the silver, to make them tokens, as was done with the Bank tokens during the suspension of cash Payments, when a piece of silver, intrinsically worth only , 4 -s., w as passed at the value of ss. If I have made my statement clear, you must be con vinced that the making silver a legal tender in the currency would not answer the purpose you have in view, the preventing a suspension of cash pay :items ; no, do not be longer deceived, the Bank has , v mrl sheer greediness, and a desire to make a large interest and profit for its proprietors, scandalously issued ba n k notes in excess, amounting to an in crease of 1 4 th or 1-sth of the whole amount of issues, i • e., to 20 or 25 per cent of the whole circulation, and, in 1825, that excess has driven from the front the country nearly all the gold. The issue of o ne pound notes will only increase the evils of our Present situation ; they will complete the exhaus tion, they will take the place of the sovereigns we n ow have in circulation for exchanging five pound notes, and for the ordinary purposes of change, and In a few months, if many notes are issued, every piece of gold will leave the coun.v The only remedy to prevent all the metals going out of the country is, for the Bank to reduce its securities, sell its Government Stock, call in its paper, and discount largely to the commercial world. You will bear in mind that three-fourths of all the dis counts to merchants in England, Scotland, and Ireland are made in ordinary times by private banks and by joint stock banks ; and that the Bank of England does not in the ordinary state of public credit, discount one quarter of what is required and Obtained. But at present, in the state of uncer tainty of the money market, produced in the man ner I have stated, by the misconduct of the Bank ° _, l England, every banker reduces the amount of his di scounts, and thus throws difficulty on the mer chants.a Those merchants who have large balances, ,MI in ordinary times leave them with their °Wa.nkers, become uncertain, in the state of alarm, of ll at may happen, and therefore keep their cash at dhome, and thus it is that the trading interest is eprived of those two usual sources of discount. may be asked, will not the Bank of England givebank s and the assistance to the merchants which these ri " and capitalists have refused ? No ; the Bank can not, having most unwisely invested the larger P r oporti on of the funds it has received from the Publ ic for the bank-notes issued, and also the larger I , ]?rti on of the cash deposits of their constituents in 'i t nve rnment Securities, which are now not saleable, thus prices as the Bank is willing to take. By l 3 means the Bank locks up the money it has re ce'ed ; and, on the best banking principles, ought vh avel° had at least one-third of that amount ready, t av ailable s e curities or in bullion, for disc o unts. h c Y o u l7th doubt that fact, look at their last return on of September, when they had £17,960,000 of note circulation, and : 7,781,000 of cash deposits. X 25,741,000 a r:lable i n cas h on deman d ; an d y et , b y t h e i r own -toceaunt) they bad only 2,816 . ,0001, bullion e _ Pay the 25,741,0001. Moreover it is quite iri crt a i n -,. that the bank had not more than 21 millions '-'ondon, and in all its branches, of gold and b e a r L e `iin, and bullion—a pretty condition for the pi;: (3 f Enaland to be in, which has monopoly • pi;: ite d that the public credit of the British Em pro be supported, and the currency kept at a I lt °l 3 er • to value ; and how can it pay the. public credi tllB Week in gold, if the stockholders shall ea - i re to ask for it? Let the paper money be v a h, ed in, and the currency raised to its proper and there will be no want of gol. o not ceiv e yourself or others about silver as . a re D medy. t ., b , I remain, C o " d tE TRADER AND ANTI.MONOPOLIST. 4 - o n, October 4, 1839. n e k7puke of Sussex arrived . at Derby on Wed tiou .tternoon, by the Birmingham and . Derby June -14• Railway. The train was kept waiting nearly forty post es b y theßoyal Duke, who on his arrival took t Po, horses, and went on to Newstead Abbey, the sea iinyal Uolonel Wildman. Although rather lame, his Hi ghness appeared in excellent health and A LL t e s It is stated the restorations at Ncwstead end" Y, which have been conducted on the plans and er the superintendence of Mr. Shaw, the architect ter est ant iquary, h ave rendered it an object of great in . 0 Col one l W ildman has spent nearly 200,0001. a the restoration of this magnificent pile.—Derby Pape COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, MONDAY.—This afternoon her Majesty did not take her accustomed airing, although the car riages and saddle horses were ordered to the Castle at the usual hour. The Queen, attended by her suite, walked on the Slopes. . _ _ Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Dent took an airing on horseback, attended by Earl Surrey, Lady Charlotte Dundas, lion. Colonel Grey, and Sir George and Miss Quentin. Her Royal Highness left the Castle at twelve o'clock and returned at two. The Hon. C. Howard took his departure this morning. The Hon. Miss Cavendish left the Castle this after noon, in consequence of the unexpected death of her brother, Mr. Henry Cavendish, which took place this morning, after two days' illness. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by Lord and Lady Barrington an d th e Hen. Miss Mitchell, arrived at the Castle at a quarter past five o'clock this afternoon, on a visit to her Majesty. The Dowager Queen will return to Bushy on Wednesday next. The Royal dinner party this evening will include the following personages :—Her Majesty Queen Adelaide, her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Sand wich, Lady C. Dundas, Hon. Mrs. Campbell, Hon. Miss Cocks, Hon. Miss Paget. Lord Melbourne, Lord Surrey, Lord Falkland, Sir W. Lumley, Hon. Colonel Grey, Hon. Wiliam Cowper, Hon. G. Byng, Earl Sand wich, Baroness Lehzen, Lord and Lady Barrington, and the Hon. Miss Mitchell. Her Majesty the Queen Dowager, attended by Vis count and Viscountess Barrington, and the Hon. Miss Mitchell, left her residence, Bushy House, Bushy Park, yesterday afternoon, on a visit to the Queen, at Windsor Castle. Prince Mavrocordato, the Grecian Minister, tran sacted business, yesterday at the Foreign-office. The Marquis of Normanby arrived in town from Brookman Park, near fhtfield. Viscount Palmerston arrived at his residence in Great Stanhope-street, yesterday morning, from Windsor Cestle. Despatches from Sir George Gipps, Governor of New South %Vales, were received yesterday at the Colonial-office. FASHIONABLE INTELLIGENCE. ARRIVALS Lord Thomas and Lady Sophia Cecil, at the Dowager Duchess of Richmond's; Major Caldwell, from Donington Park; the Hon. Lady Bedingficld, from Germany; Mr. A. Grant, in ArlicgtGn-street ; Sir William and Lady Chatterton, in Seymour-place; Mr. Cecil Pane, in Here ford-street ; Mr. and Mrs. Robert Palk ; Sir Charles, Lady, and Miss Des Vceux, in Harley-street ; the Right Hon. George T. Byng, in Eaton-square ; the Earl of Sandwich, Lord Shelburne, Lady Louisa Stuart, and Col. and Mrs. Chester. DEPARTURES. The Dowager Countess of Pembroke, and Lady Georgiana Herbert, for Nice; Lady Hampson and fa mily. for the Continent ; Sir C. Nugent, for Weymouth ; the Hon. M. Fortescue, for the Manor House, Kent ; the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Ponsonbv, for Chatsworth; the Dowager Lady Colchester, for Kidbrooke, Sussex ; the Hon. Twisleton Fiennes, for Broughton Castle, Oxford shire; Lord Lyndhurst, for Kemptown, Sussex; Lady C. Paulet, for Brighton ; Major-Gen. and Mrs. D'Oyley, on a tour ; Sir C. Ibbotson, for Yorkshire; B. B. Williams, Esq., and Miss Williams, from Portland-place, for Liver.. pool and Ireland; Lady Hall, from the Brunswick Hotel, Jermyn-street, for Richmond ; Mons. Ardoin, from ditto, for Paris; the Misses Bell, from ditto, for Waltham ; J. Campbell, Esq., from ditto, for Windsor ; Conolly, Esq , from ditto, for Harrow; Maxwell Blacker, Esq., from ditto, for Dublin. CHANGES. Colonel and Lady Allice Peel, at Buckenham Hall ; Loid Nurreys, at Nuneham; Sir Thomas Edward Win ninv ton, Bart., at Stanford Court, Worcestershire ; Sir Richard Brooke, Barth, at Lord Skelmersdale's seat ; Lord Stanley and the Hon. Captain Stanley, at Knowsley Hall; Colonel and Lady Arabella Arden, at Pepper Hall, Yorkshire ; Sir Edward Mostyn, Bart., at Liverpool ; Lord and Lady Melville, at Melville Castle; Colonel and Lady Susan North, at Wroxton Abbey, Oxfordshire ; Lord Greenock, at Cathcart Castle ; Sir James Graham, Bart., at Netherby Hall; Edward H. Green, from St. James's-place, to Hinxton Hall, Saffron Walden. The Queen Dowager has deferred for the pre sent her visit to the Duke of Devonshire at his princely mansion at Chatsworth, in consequence of the advanced state of the season, and as being incompatible with her previous engagements. The Queen Dowager intends to visit Lord Denbigh in Warwickshire, Lord Howe in Leicestershire, and afterwards the Duke of Rutland at Belvoir Castle, and return from thence to the Lodge, in Bushy Park. Her Royal Highness the Princess Sophia of Gloucester, attended by Lady Alicia Gordon, is passing the autumn at her marine villa, Cliff House near Peg well Bay. The Duke of Wellington gave several concerts to the illustrious guests who, we last week stated, were visiting his Grace at Walmer Castle. The principal vocalist was Miss Clara Novello, who, leaves the castle this morning on her way to York, where she is en gaged for Dr. Camidge's concert. on Thursday evening next. This engagement will be followed by a series of others, which will keep this accomplished vocalist from the metropolis to the middle of November. The Earl of Albemarle, Master of the Horse, who has been indisposed at the Stud House, Hampton court, since his return from Windsor Castle, was yester day pronounced out of danger by his medical attendant. The Noble Earl will not visit Quiddenham Hall, in Norfolk, this year. Lord and Lady Lovat have a select circle as sembled at Beaufort Castle, their seat in Inverness-shire. We understand, from an indisputable source, that it is not the intention of the Marquis of Waterford to have a tournament at Ford Castle, in the ensuing year. Sir Robert and Lady Peel intend shortly to re ceive a select party of friends at Drayton Manor. Miss Peel hris quite recovered from the measles, which did not extend to the junior branches of the family. Viscount and Viscountess Galway, with their family, are passing the autumn at Dover. Lord Lynedoch arrived at his residence in Strat ton-street, on Sunday, from Cambridgeshire. The gallant and venerable Lord will pass the winter on the Continent. The Dowager Countess of Pembroke, with the Hon. Sydney Herbert, M.P., and Lady Gcorgiana Her bert, were to have passed over from Dover to Calais on Saturday last, en route to the south of France and Italy. The Earl and Countess of Wilton embarked on board their yacht on Thursday last, at Devonport, which sailed the same day for Lisbon, where it is the Noble Lord's intention to pass a few days, and then sail for Gibraltar, and from thence go to Naples, and then return, by Cadiz, to the French coast, when they land, and go to Paris for the winter. Sir H. and Lady Campbell, who returned to town a few days since, from Scotland, have gone on a continental tour. Sir Edward Sugden, M.P., accompanied by Miss Sugden, left his seat in Surrey early in the past week, for Paris. _ _ _ MAIDEN BRADLEY, WILTS.—The Duke of Somerset, who has not resided at this ancient family seat since his marriage, has relinquished it during the present sporting season, to his sons, Lord Seymour, the new Secretary to the Board of Control, and Lord Archi bald St. Mawr. Lord and Lady Seymour and family will reside here until the meeting of Parliament. BROADLANDS, HANTS.—Viscount Palmer ston's court leet, as Lord of the Manor of Romsey Sufra, was held by Henry Holmes, Esq., his Lordship's Steward, on Saturday, when the various officers were appointed for the year ensuing. The Court afterwards adjourned to the Dolphin Inn, where a large party as sembled in the evening, and partook of an excellent supper provided for the occasion. The Noble Viscount has seen no company for the last two seasons at his seat, in consequence, it is understood, of the deaths of his sisters, the Hon. Mrs. Sulivan and the Hon Mrs. Bowles. GORDON CASTLE.—The Duke and Duchess of Richmond, Lady Caroline Lennox, and Lord Henry Lennox, have returned from Inverne.s, where they proceeded to attend the northern meeting. The Duchess was prevented by indisposition from attending the grand ball, at which was a brilliant assemblage of rank and fashion ; all the chiefs and gentlemen of the various clans were in full Highland costume. Letters have been received from Lord Fitzroy Lennox, who had landed safely at Quebec with the detachment of his regiment, the 43d Light Infantry. The Earl and Countess of Morley have left the princely residence of the Duke of Devonshire, for a short visit to the Duke and Duchess of Sutherland, after which they proceed to Saltram, their seat in Devonshire, for the season. The Duke of Wellington will proceed to Strath fieldsaye the first week in November, having invited a large party to meet him to enjoy the sport of pheasant shooting among the extensive covers on those spacious domains. The Duke of St. Alban's has taken one of the large catacombs in the Highgate Cemetery for a farad) , mausoleum for the noble family of Beauclerc. It will hold about thirty coffins. CHATSWORTH, SUNDAY.—The Duke of De vonshire, in a carriage and four, followed by his Grace's state coach and six, and three other carriages, contain ing Lord and Lady Granville, the Hon. George and Lady Louisa Cavendish, Lord and Lady Morley, the Hon. J. B. Ponsonby, Mrs. Cavendish, &c., proceeded yesterday to Chesterfield to be present at the annual cattle show of the North Derbyshire Agricultural Association. His Grace and visitors ma d e a tour of the Croft, and inspected the different stock exhibited. The party afterwards proceeded to Hardwick H a ll ( w i th the ex ception of Mr. Cavendish, who attended the dinner in the evening at the Angel Hotel), and returned to Chatsworth the same evening. The chateau continues very gay and full of visitants. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1839. LITERATURE. MEMOIRS OF C. MATHEWS. Vols. 3, 4. Bentley, London, 1830. The Memoir of the best mimic of his day—if indeed he ever had a superior on the English stage —is here brought to a close ; and we think it would have been more generally attractive had it been comprised in two volumes, instead of being spun out into four. We find, no other fault with Mrs. Mathews' life of her clever husband, than that she has given us too much of it. Her diffuseness is really quite afflicting. Every scrap of long-forgot ten newspaper criticism on the subject of Mathews' earlier performances, no matter how trashily it might be written, is pressed into the service of the Memoir ; and letters after letters are introduced, many of which have not the slightest public in terest, with no other view, apparently, than to swell the bulk of the volumes. Yet, notwithstanding these obvious blemishes, the work will be read with pleasure, for it is " heaped up, and running over,' with anecdotes, many of them of the most singular and diverting nature ; and furnishes us with racy personal sketches of several eminent literary, political, and theatrical characters, now passed from the stage of life, Among the best of these sketches is one of Sir Walter Scott, to whom Mathews paid a visit at Abbotsford, and of whose manners he gives some pleasant details, all of which redound greatly to the credit of the celebrated novelist. Of the well-known dwarf, Count Borulauski, too, and his interview with George the Fourth at Carlton House, whither Mathews accompanied him, we have a highly diverting record—diverting, if only as it exhibits the sort of gracious flummery which monarchs can so often make to appear as real good ness of heart. Had we space, just at present, we would quote this lengthy extract ; but being some what circumscribed, we subjoin, in preference, an anecdote illustrative of Mathews' unrivalled powers of mimicry : Mr. Plunket, and about forty other gentlemen, after dinner one day, at the time when Queen Caroline formed so frequent a topic of discussion, had grown rather warm upon it, when Mr. Shehan, since editor of a Dublin paper, wishing to turn the channel of the conversation, and longing to draw out Mr. Matthews, proposed the health of John Philpot Curran ! " Pooh, pooh," said Mr. Plunket, who was at this moment rather matter-of•fact in his perceptions, " the man's dead! what do you mean by proposing his health ?" " I differ with you entirely," replied Mr. Shehan, " and I return to my toast." " Then," said Mr. Plunket, " maybe you'll back your assertion with a bet ?''— " With all my heart," replied Mr. Sheehan ; " how much are you inclined to bet ?"—" I'll bet you five pounds," answe re d Mr. Plunket, " that Joh n Philpot Curran is dead."—Done!" added Mr. Shehan, " I'll bet five pounds that he is not! So, gentlemen, I re peat my toast." The " health of Mr. Curran" was ac cordingly drunk with cheers, which were reiterated on the rising of Mr. Mathews, who happened to be disposed to humour the joke agaiast Mr. Plunket. He began by returning thanks, in the tone, look, and manner of Ali.. Curran, and his phraseo!ogy, " for the honour done him ;" and afterwards delivered a most eloquent speech on a subject which Curran could never have spoken, the trial of Queen Caroline—taking the bias of Cur ran's politics, and presenting altogether such a fine spe cimen of his style of oratory, and such a personification of Ireland's celebrated wit, that he completely impressed his hearers with the actual presence of the man, and induced Mr. Plunket (albeit not fond of parting with his money on such occasions), in an enthusiasm of won der and delight, to push over the bank notes to Mr. Shehan, exclaiming, " I've lost, fairly lost ; Curran is not dead, and can never die while Mathews lives 1" ' The following particulars respecting Charles Lamb, are interesting. Elia and his sister had, it appears, been invited to meet Mathews at dinner, at Highgate, Coleridge being particularly anxious that " Elia" should be introduced to the celebrated actor, and be thought well of by him. Unfortunately, however, Lamb suspected that it was intended to make a lion of him, so he resolved on being re venged on his friend Coleridge, by playing at cross purposes the whole evening : " My husband, who was punctuality itself, and all the little party, except the " Elia" and his sister, were assembled. At last, Mr. and Miss Lamb appeared, and Mr. Coleridge led his friend up to my husband with a look that seemed to say, " I pray you, like this fellow." Mr. Lamb's first approach was not prepossess ing. His figure was small and mean.; and no man cer tainly was ever less beholden to his tailor. His " bran" new suit of black cloth (in which he affected several times during the day to take great pride, and to cherish as a novelty that he had long looked for and wanted), was drolly contrasted with his very rusty silk stockings, shown. from his knees, and his much too large thick shoes, without polish. His shirt rejoiced in a wide ill plaited frill, and his very small, tight, white neckcloth was hemmed to a fine point at the ends that formed part of the little bow. His hair was black and sleek, but not formal, and his face the gravest I ever saw, but indicating great intellect, and resembling very much the portraits of King Charles I, Mr. Coleridge was very anxious about his pet Lamb's first impression upon my husband, which I believe his friend saw, and guessing that he had been erolled, he mischie vously resolved to thwart his panegyrist, disappoint the strangers, and altogether to upset the suspected plan of showing him off. Tile lamb, in fact, would not consent to be made a lion of; and'it followed that be became puerile and annoying all the day, to Mr. Cole ridge's visible mortification. Before dinner he was sus picious and silent, as if he was taking measure of the man he came to meet, and about whom he seemed very curious. Dinner, however, opened his lips for more than one purpose ; and the first glass of wine (enough at all times, as we afterwards found, to touch if not shake his brain) set his spirit free, and he became quite impracticable. He made the most absurd puns and ridiculous jokes, and almost harrassed Coleridge out of his self-complacency, though he managed to maintain a tolerable degree of evenness with his tormentor, now and then only rebuking him mildly for what he termed " such unworthy trifling." This only served to exas perate the perverse humour of him it was intended to subdue ; and once Mr. Coleridge exclaimed meekly, after some very bad joke : " Charles Lamb, I'm ashamed of you !"—a reproof which produced only an impatient " You be hanged !" from the reproved ; and another jest, " more potent than the former," was superadded to his punning enormities. " Mr. Lamb's last firv,liowever, was at length expended, and Mr. Coleridge took advantage of a pause to introduce some topic that might divert the party from his friend's determined foolery. He chose a subject which he deemed unlikely, if not impossible, for Lamb to inter rupt with a jest. Mr. Coleridge stated that he had originally been intended for the pulpit, and had taken orders ; nay, had actually preached several times. At this moment fancying he saw something in Lamb's face that denoted a lucid interval, and wishing to turn him back from the nonsense which bad so " spoiled the pleasure of the time," with a desire also to conciliate the " pouting boy," as he seemed, (who, to our observation, was only waiting for an opportunity to revenge himself upon his fiiend for all the grave checks he had given to his jocular vein during dinner), Coleridge turned benignly towards him, and observed— oifoecofonociztroantdingwliitiisl p l e e n ss t. u o p i r h e is se w nt o m ot e e n d t " Charles L am b, I b e li eve you never heard me into one preachandpiq:: hesitation, Lamb replied, with great emphasis, " I ne,ever heard you do anything else!" The volumes are embellished with several plates, exhibiting Mathews in many of his most popular characters. We repeat, we think it very likely that they will be generally read and liked—quite as much so as the former volumes—but they are too much spun out, and the style of the original por tion of the work is negligent and diffuse in no or dinary degree. SIX YEARS IN THE ALSTRALIAN PRO. MINCES, WITH AN ACCOUNT OF NEW ZEALAND. BY N. MANN, ESQ. London, Smith, Elder, and Co 0839. The account of New Zealand appended to this work is extracted from some recent publications on that interesting country ; and as the author had not visited these islands himself, and we have already given lengthened details from the works of Mr. Polack and Dr. Lang, who, from per sonal observation, are much better authorities, we pass by without further notice this part of the book. Dr. Lang, too, in his interesting account of New South Wales, has anticipated many of Mr. Mann's descriptions and remarks, and not a few, also, of the severe strictures directed against Land Compa nies, land sharks, and the various classes almost at open hostility to each other in these distant co lonies. Against the late Governor of Van Die men's Land, and also against the Colonial Depart- ment, Mr. Mann has made the most severe attacks, so much so, that, if true only to half the extent, these must be the worst governed colonies be longing to the British Crown. One extract will suffice as a specimen of the charges brought against Colonel Arthur and the Colonial Secretary. After quoting at length an affidavit testifying that the Lieutenant -Governor employed Crown prisoners on one of his farms, he thus proceed.3.:— The foregoing affidavit was made by Jocelyn Thomas, Esq., a member of a most respectable family, and late Treasurer in Van Diemen's Land. It is admitted on all hands that the Colonel was a poor man when he went out to the colony, where he was imprudently per mitted to remain for twelve years, during which he amassed property calculated to be worth upwards of one hundred thousand pounds sterling. It was a matter Of surprise to many inteliigent colonists, how such a man could be allowed to remain so long ; but it would appear that the rules of th e ce l e b rate d Franklin, for " reducing a great empire to a small one," were used and adopted at the Colonial Department. The 16th Rule seems to have been peculiarly attractive there, and which runs thus—" If you are told of the existence of discontent in any of your colonial possessions, do not believe it ; and if any application be made to yeji.for the redress of the grievances of any of your - colonial pos sessions, r .jest the prayer at once ; for if you grant that, you may be asked for something more. Redress no grievance, lest it should lead to a petition for the re moval of another cause of complaint. Believe only the accounts which reach you from Governors, and others officially connected with your colonies ; and treat any statements in opposition to their accounts as the inven tion of demagogues, whom you should hang if you could catch them, and thus tranquillize the colony." By the foregoing means the North American colonies were lost to Britain ; and the same degree of infatua tion seems still to prevail in administering the affairs of the colonies. The statements of the most respectable colonists, who offered to prove what they advanced, were treated with contempt. Persons were thrust out of office on the most frivolous pretences, for the purpose of waking way for a train of relations and dependents. The Colonial Secretary, Mr. Burnett, was dismissed for selling his grant of land, which all the Government officers, who got grants, disposed of in like manner. Mr. Frankland, Surveyor-General, sold his grant, I believe, of 2,560 acres for 1,5001. to Mr. Dry ; but the reason it sold so high was, that, as Surveyor-General, the best land was selected for him. The place of Mr. Burnett was given to the -nephew-in-law of the late Go vernor, which he still retains : he has got two years' leave of absence, and his place is supplied by Captain Forster, Chief Magistrate of Police, another nephew-in law of the Colonel, and now acting Governor, ad inte rim. Another nephew, a Police Magistrate at Norfolk Plains, Van Diemen's Land, has also got leave of ab sence for two years, with permission to retain half his salary, two hundred pounds per annum, his substitute in office being allowed the oth er two h un d re d p oun d s per annum for performing his duty. He is equally loud in his complaints against the abuses in the sale of lands, and the ruinous system of favouritism arising from defective regulations, by which parties are allowed to attend the sales for the purpose of extorting bribes as hush money, to prevent their bidding against those persons who set the land up for sale, and enormous tracts of land are amassed, to the exclusion of new corners. So much importance does he attach to this part of his subject that he has devoted no less than forty five pages to the report of a trial of several of these land sharks instituted by the Attorney-General when they were all found guilty. In Chapter V., on " The State of the Church," Mr. Mann expresses great alarm at the increase of Popish priests in the colony, and quotes from a loeal paper of December, 1838, the following news on the subject :—" The Roman Catholic religion is making fearful and rapid strides among our ignorant and deluded population. On Sunday week the Roman Catholics of Sydney held a meeting for secular purposes. After the dismissal of the con gregation, Doctor Ullathorne, the Vicar General, said, We have now twenty priests engaged in the mission in New South Wales, beside the provision for Van Diemen's Land. Eight divines are pre paring (in Sydney) to enter the field of labour, and three others are equally making their preparations in the College of Douai.' " In reference to this subject, the author makes the following remarks : " These priests are paid by the Government. When they get one hundred adults in number, of emaneipists and others, to set their names down as Catholics, the priest procures .as much from Government as the no minal subscription amounts to. What a fine bonus on proselytism !!!" Now this is very unfair and very absurd. The Protestant clergy have the same bonus, and if they do not choose to take advantage of it, why make an attack on the Government and the Catholics ? He admits that no such success attended the mission of the Bishop of the Established Church in 1836, and why ? Because he was not accompanied by that supply of ministers which the wants of the colony required, insomuch that on the death of the Rev. Mr: Hill, the incumbent of the Cathedral Church of St. James, Sydney, he appointed a Church missionary to officiate in his stead. This misionary was one of the three clergymen con nected with New Zealand, against whom Dr. Lang has made such grievous accusations in his work on that country. Mr. Mann shows that the report against the individual in question was totally un founded, that it was tra ed to an abandoned woman and a drunken fellow, whom the missionary rebuked for their improper conduct on board, and adds, " I am convinced it was in ignorance of the foregoing facts that Dr. Lang,' in his late work on New Ze aland, casts a slur on the character of ," Mr. Mann devotes, three chapters to South Aus tralia, and certainly gives no very flattering account of the colony. The description of the entertain ment given by Colonel Gawler, the new Governor, to the natives, is the most interesting part of the notice ; and that the author has extracted from the South Australian Gazette, a practice to which he is sadly addicted, for more than half the work con sists of extracts. Of this, however, we have. no reason to complain. The book is neatly got up, contains several useful statistical documents, and is accompanied by a very good map of Australia, New Zealand, and the adjacent islands. THE STEAM ENGINE EXPLAINED A...VD ILLUSTRATED. BY DIONTSIUS LARDNER, D. C.L., Taylor and Walton, London, 1839. This work, now in the course of publication, will form the seventh edition of " Dr. Lardner's Treatise on the Steam Engine." It will be ex tended to twelve numbers, and as it is intended to illustrate the great improvements which have taken place in the various applications of steam, more especially to navigation and railways, it will contain a great variety of matter not included in any of the previous editions. These improvements are pro. gressing with railroad speed, and to an extent which even the most sanguine, but a few years ago, never anticipated. Long after the first edition was pub lished, Dr. Lardner almost laid it down as an axiom that steam-ships could not cross the Atlantic, at least for useful purposes ; and that the expense and the difficulty of carrying a sufficient quantity of fuel were such as to warrant him in treating th e scheme as impracticable. We have now three steamers making the passage to New York and back, with clock-work regularity ; two others are ready to be launched ; and Government have enfeed into contracts for conveying the mails by steam:-vessels to almost every part of the Western World.., The Great Western performs the home voyage punc tually within thirteen days, or at the rate •.of ten miles per hour, and possibly, nay, probably,. before this treatise is completed, the voyage will be . rnade . in half the time. Dr. Lardner, then, will have to commence his work anew, or publish an additional number in the shape of a digest of the, new won ders of steam. The work, though necessarily con taining technical details and descriptions, chiefly adapted to those engaged in engineering, is written in a popular form, and suited to the general reader. The following extract is a fair specimen. After stating that the circumstances under which the steam-engine is worked on a railway, are not favour able to the economy of fuel, he draws this remark able contrast : " A train of coaches weighing about eighty tons, and transporting two hundred and forty passengers with their luggage, has been taken from Liverpool to Bir mingham, and back from Birmingham to Liverpool, the trip each way taking about four hours and a quarter, stoppages included. The distance between these places by the railway is ninety-five miles. This d ou bl e j ourne of one hundred and ninety-five miles is effected by the mecha nical force produced in the c ombus t ion of a quarter of a ton of coke, the value of which is six shillings. To carry the same number of passengers daily b etween the same places by stage coaches on a com mon road, would require twenty coaches an d an establishm ent o f three thousand eight hundred horses, with which th e j ourney in each direction would be performed in about twelve hours, stoppages included." ROBINSON CRUSOE. Parts I. and 11. Strange, London, 1839. We are glad to meet with our old f r i en d Robin son Crusoe again, the favourite—.togeth er w i t h t h e Barber in the " Arabian Nights," who was nick named " Silence" because he was eternally chat tering—of our childhood, and the esteßmed of our maturer years. For how many amusing;follies is not this same Crusoe answerable ? How many lads has he not been the means of decoying froM school, to the inexpressible horror o f t h e i r f athers and mothe rs wh o were rearing them to the counter, or it may be, to the pulpit ; and had fondly hoped that they would have turned out " respectable" members of society—steady church-goers, and all that sort of thing—like themselves ; but who having read the magic pages of Defoe, had instantly taken the pen from behind their ears, flung their Latin grammar, and Cocker's Arithmetic to the devil!, arid started off to sea, in the hope of encountering the same adventures, and landing upon the same as the immortal Crusoe ? The reading of Defe,e's masterpiece is an epoch in every boy's life— unl.ess, indeed, it be such a boy as Fielding's Bin_ ; and one of the chief reasons why we like old Dr. Blair, whose lectures are otherwise sad common-place, is, that he speaks of the pranks of this famous voyager in the most heart-felt terms of praise. The. two first parts of a monthly sixpenny republication of Robinson Crusoe are now lying before us ; aiod are got up with so much elegance, and embilished with so many suitable engravings, that we feel quite sa tisfied that the speculation will be —as it deoerves to be—a successful one. PICTORIAL SHAKSPERE. Part XJI. C. Knight, London, 1839. The present number of the completest ediLion cf Shakspere's works that was ever published, comtains the comedy of the " Taming of the Shrew," which is illustrated by a profusion of woodcuts executed in the best style ; together with explanatory notes, which clear up the difficulties that are occasionally to be met with in the text ; and a brief and neatly written introduction. Mr. C. Knight richly merits all the success that he has met with in this bold experiment ; for he hasgrudged neither time, labour, nor expense to make the edition as perfect as was possible. ENGLISH OPERA HOUSE. PROMENADE CONCERTS. These concerts, which deservedly attracted such crowds last season, commenced anew last evening with Signor Negri as conductor, and Mr. Willy leader, and with nearly the same band. The house since then has been greatly improved ; the light, too, appears to be better, and what with these advantages. and full pit, boxes, and gallery, the re-opening commenced under the most favourable auspices. " God save the Queen" was performed with excellent effect. The first overture was Faust, as per formed under the direction of Spohr, at the Norwich Festival, but it went off rather heavily. The quadrille "Le Napolitain" however, by Musard, and performed for the first time, made ample amends. The Siege of Corinth, by Rossini, and a Fantasia on the trumpet, performed by Mr. Harper, were also emi nently successful, and elicited much applause. But the most successful piece of the evening was Les Gondoliers Venetiens, in which some of the performers occasion ally joined with their voices and produced a good effect, This quadrille was loudly encored. Altogether the performances went off well, and seemed to give great satisfaction to a respectable audience, and certainly the most numerous we have seen at any of these con certs. THEATRICAL MISCELLAN Y. It is now mentioned that the new stage of Drury-lane will not be ready by the 19th instant, and that opening must be deferred for another week. Mr. Macready has not entered into any engagement with the new lessee of Drury-lane Theatre, as has been reported. Mr. Macready has received from Sir E. L. Bulwer his new five act play, which will immediately be put into rehearsal at the Haymarket Theatre, and it is more than probable that it will be produced at the latter end of the present month. Phillips has been ,expressly en gaged by Mr. Webster to paint new and appropriate scenery for it, and it will brought out under the able direction and superintendence of Mr. Macready, regard less of expense. A new farce, called Brother Tom, or Dear Relations, taken from the same French subjects as Alive and Merry, performed at Covent-garden Theatre, will be produced at the Haymarket on Thursday. It is said of the St. James's Theatre that Braham has admitted Mr. Bunn, late of Drury-lane, as his tenant, and the lessee has gone to Paris, principally to engage dancers. Buckstone has worked up a five act drama for the Adelphi, from Ainsworth's novel of Jack Sheppard. The English Opera House will be opened this even ing with the Promenade Concerts, under the same ar rangements as they were first introduced to the public last season. The band will consist of sixty performers, and be selected from her Majesty's Theatre, the Phil harmonic, and the Royal Society of Musicians. The lovers of instrumental music will thus have an opportu nity of hearing the highest class of compositions per formed by the leading musicians of the day, at the smallest charge of any public amusement in London. Sheridan Knowles closed an engagement on Friday last at Newcastle with his benefit, on which occasion he produced a new piece, acted for the first time, entitled Woman's Wit, and in which Miss Elphinstone sustained the heroine. Charles Kean appeared at the " National" (Wal lack's) on Monday the 9th of September, in Hamlet, to a brilliant and overflowing audience, and his reception was the most enthusiastic that can be imagined. Miss Inverarity, Miss Poole, and Giubelei, appeared at the " Park" the same night, and were most rapturously re ceived by an elegant and crowded audience. Madame Celeste also attracted a crowded house at the " Bowery." We regret to hear Charles Kean has been seriously ill since his arrival in New York, and unable to fulfil his engagement at the National Theatre. A private letter gives a very alarming account' of his illness--the dangerous symptoms had not subsided on the departure of the Great Western for England. Mr. Price had arrived and taken the command of the Park Theatre. Mr. Ranger has appeared at the. Park Theatre, New York, in several of the characters he performed so successfully at the Haymarket Theatre. Mr. Ranger at the termination of his engagement at New York, proceeded to Philadelphia, where he is engaged on liberal terms. Died, at Houston, Texas, July 27, Vincent De Camp, Esq., king and favourably known to the theatrical public both in America and in England. Chapman, the captain and manager of Chapman's Floating Theatre, died recently near Manches ter, Mississipi. Mr. Chapman was many years a vary respectable actor at Covent-Garden The atre. He was distinguished above all his brethren for a quick study and retentive memory, and in cases of deep emergency, he would study and play a part from scene to scene without the aid of a prompter. On his arrival in America, he built a floating theatre, and proceeded up the Mississippi, and by touching in popu lous neighbourhoods, and going up small and tributary rivers and performing to the inhabitants, he made out an excellent living for himself and a numerous family, the members of which formed a complete corps drama tique. - The play of Richelieu has been brought out at the Nationil Theatre, New York, with great success ; Forest, the American tragedian, sustaining the principal character with powerful effect. A new theatre, called the Chatham, has been erected in NeW York, and was opened on the 9th of September. This'inferior in its capacity but to two other theatres in the city. By accurate measurement it will hold 2,200 persons, all seated. The managers have it in. contemp lation to give the legitimate drama, and well-varied Popular entertainments. The celebrated 'London pan tornimists, Messrs. Brown, King, arid Gibson,.have been engaged, and were hourly expected. ,;.,• - BOW : THEY mAisT,AGE AT NEW MARKET. Aet. " Newmarket Heath (the most spacious and princi pal.reiec-course in the world) is situated at the west-end of the town of Newmarket, in the counties of Cambridge and Suffolk, and 60 miles nearly north of London. Races were in vogue in the II th century, and much frequented at Newmarket early in the reign of King Charles I. The town was embellished with a palace by Kirin' ' Charles 11. Th e extens i ve d i tch, commonly called the Devil's Ditch, was made by the East Angles, a kingdom founded by Uffa. It is related by Abbe Flo riacensis, who lived in the 9th century, that the ditch was the boundary of their kingdom, by which they de fended themselves against the incursions of the Mer cians." 'There is certainly no portion of the kingdom so qualified for racing as the celebrated heath to which the above historically alludes ; for while it combines all the requisites of space, freedom from hill and valley, and pure air, it at the same time affords to the genuine lovers of the turf the most ample means for gratifying to an unlimited extent their fondness for this their favourite and splendid sport. The attention here is not distracted by the unearthly yells of Bartholomew showmen, nor are the card-women that infest every other race-course, I believe, without exception, allowed to appear. One solitary being dispenses the lists (no cards), and he is amply sufficient to supply everybody. On arrival in the afternoon your stud is to be visited, five o'clock being visiting hour. At dinner the conver sation is racing. nine the list is sent down to he ex hibited in the lobby, with the hour of starting affixed to each race. At eleven it is read aloud by the Secre tary in the cbffee•room, sufficient time being allowed between each race, after which all sober beings retire to rest, that they may be out a la naissance de jour to see the horses take their exercise, and canvass within themselves their respective merits. The breakfast hour then occupies your sportsman until n ear m idd ay, when fashion, if not inclination, directs his attendance in front of the jockey club rooms, where, after settling his account of the previous day, he wagers boldly on the events to come. About two, that being the average hour of stating, we mount our hacks,.and in ten minutes find ourselves forming part of a circle (an antique post the centre), betting with an earnestness of which .I defy the most ingenious of writns to give 3( - itt even a i faint impression. WEST INDIES. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM THE BET. WM. RNIBD TO MR. STURGE, DATED FALMOUTH, JAMAICA, AU GUST THE 9TH, 1839. You will perceive by the papers we held our first anniversary of the Falmouth Anti-Slavery Society. I shall have the whole proceedings printed at our press, and will forward you a copy by the earliest conveyance. We wish to consider ourselves in con nexion with your newly formed Society, and it is with much pleasure that I transmit to you a bill for 1001. sterling as our subscription for this year, and as a small token of the good-will of the beloved members of my Church. You will perceive by the papers that we have totally failed in our efforts to obtain justice in this island. I have at great expense tried rt at Montego Bay and at Kingston, and the result has shown that we are perfectly defenceless. It only now needs any unprincipled being, and many such there are in this colony, to make up a charge against us, and the jury, without any hesitation, at once convicts us. The examination of the different day and Sab bath schools during the first week in August was exceedingly interesting. I assure you my heart was cheered by the evident progress made in reading the word of God, and in other branches of useful know ledge, while the neatness and cleanness of the children was the admiration of all. This was highly creditable to the parents, and I gave them their meed of praise ; and a good part was owing to the very neat little clothes sent from England by young ladies to assist our schools, which being sold among the people, assist in forming proper notions of dress. We hope to establish a small paper for the people, either weekly or twice in the month. lam much set on the accomplishment of this, both in a politi cal and moral view. There are many things very needful for the people to know which are not fit subjects for the pulpit. The removal of our excellent Governor at this critical period is much to be regretted. However, He presides who will do all his pleasure. It is con fiAentiv reported that the Stipendiary Magistrates are to be dismissed. I feel much for such men as --, and hope that something will be done by the Government for them. The falling off of the crops in this parish is not all the fault of the people ; it is that entirely of the master, he alone is to blame, and ought alone to bear it. The wonder is that they made any sugar at all. The seasons, it is true, have not been good, but such attempt at cheating and foul dealing would totally disgust any other peasantry in the world. Amidst all this strife, oh, how pleasing to know that the Lord reigneth, and that his dominion must advance 1 None of these circumstances retard it, or prevent the people in their attendance on the ordi nances of religion. Our chapels and schools are more ,filled than ever, and this is, I believe, very generally the case throughout the island. LETTER FROM A STIPENDIARY MAGISTRATE TO MR STURGE, DATED JAMAICA, AUGUST 17, 1839. • Since I last wrote to you another packet has arrived from England, without bringing us any definite in telligence regarding our future legislation ; a delay, I much fear, exceedingly ominous to Jamaica, as ultimately tending to throw unrestrained into the hands of the members of Assembly the same power for mischief as they possessed before. We have, however, the consolation of perceiving that the people enjoy a degree of liberty and prosperity suffi ciently great to enable them to estimate the value of freedom ; and we know that any tendency to oppres sion on the part of their rulers, or of individuals, will arouse them to a resistance that must ultimately produce the best effects, by teaching them their rights and the constitutional mode of securing them. There is a very great error prevalent in England on all subjects relating to the civil condition of this co lony, which is to be attributed chiefly to the misrepresentations and exaggerations of newspapers here and there. What is most required, and what would be productive of the greatest benefit to the whole community, is the pure administration of justice in the higher and lower Courts. As at pre sent constituted, the Supreme Court is unable to decide or try more than half of the cases periodically brought into it, which has occasioned an immense arrear of business, which, without some further aid, will never be reduced. This must operate as a denial of justice to the majority of suitors. EXTRACT OF A LETTEP. FROM THE REV. J. M. FHILLIPPO TO MR. STURGE, DATED SPANISH TOWN, JAMAICA, AUGUST 14, 1839. I need not add to what you receive from the joint communication to you on the subject of our Anti ' Slavery Society and from the newspapers ; upwards of 1501. have been received on its account. The following is a letter from Captain Dar ling, Governor's Secretary, accompanying a dona tion from him to the Society. It was not originally written for publication, but you may make use of it to serve the cause : "TO TIIE REV. J. M. PH ILLIPPO. "My DEAR SIR,—I send enclosed 51., one of which I beg you to receive as my first year's sub scription, and the other four as a donation to our Branch Anti-Slavery Society. To the success of its efforts, under Divine Providence, in effectually destroying slavery throughout the Christian as well as the Heathen world, my sincere wishes are given, and my humble services will ever be cheerfully contributed. I believe I need hardly disclaim any motives of self-interest in the hope I cherish for the success of the Society; indeed, in that point of view, 1 doubt whether the abolition of slavery in foreign colonies will prove beneficial to the British West Indians ; as another year will not pass over our heads without placing beyond a doubt the fact that the cultivation of the soil by free labour may be carried on with less, money expenditure and larger returns than it was under the forced labour system of past times ; while the amount of human happiness will not only be in calculably greater, and diffused more equally among all classes of Society, but will be extended to thou sands of hearts to which it has, until lately, been almost totally unknown. " Your's, my dear sir, very truly, " C. H. DARLING." P.S.—Captain Darling, you will remember, is proprietor of a large sugar estate,—J. M. P. EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM A GENTLEMAN IN JAMAICA TO MR. STURGE, DATED AUGUST 14TH, 1839. I am sorry to learn the little hope we have in the change of Governor. However, if proper laws were passed, we need not so' much care. It is wonderful to see the universal obedience to the laws, and abstinence from crime, on the part of the people. We had only one case tried the other day of consequenc e , at our Parochial Quarter Sessions. I have k nown , d ur i ng the apprenticeship, above twenty, chiefly of thefts. The people have once more enjoyed the Ist of August, and have again gone quietly to work. Several changes have taken place in the management of estates in this parish, and many more yet, I think, will be made. My friend left us in June, after a satisfactory sojourn upon his estate from September 1838. He has rented P— for —/. per annum. It is more forward than any estate in the district, and has been, since October last, managed by two black head-men. Q--- made more sugar this year than he has made during the apprenticeship, and has gone home with a light and easy mind, thanking God for the change. Wages are much the same as before last crop : a common day's work, Is. sterling clear. Able bodied men make more, from ls. 6d. to 2s. sterling. Altogether the friends ought to thank God, and take courage. What is morally right will always be proved to be politically right. ARISTOCRACY IN AMERICA.—We are re quested to state that the new work entitled " Aristo cracy in America," from the Sketch Book of a German Nobleman, edited by Francis G. Grund, Esq.,! author of ‘, Th e Americans in their Moral, Social, and Politi cal Relations," in 2 vols. post Bvo, with Portraits, is published this day by Mr. Bentley, Publisher in Ordi nary to her Majesty, New Burlington-street, and can now be had of all booksellers. M r . Bentl ey will also publish in a few days " Memoirs of his Own 'limes ;" includin; the Ancien Regime, the Revolution, th e Empire, and the Restoration, by Lieutenant-General Count Dumas, in 2 vols. Bvo. Agents for Scotland Mesf,rs. Bell and Bradfute, Edinburgh ; for Ireland, Mr. J. Cumming, Dublin. We are informed by a correspondent at South ampton, who is known to us, that Lord Durham and Mr. Poulett Thomson passed a good deal of time toge ther just before the new Governor's departure, and were often seen, on board his Lordship's yacht and else where, engaged in earnest conversation. It was re marked by spectators that Mr. Thomson seemed to exhibit somewhat ostentatiously his intimacy with the ex dictator.—Colonial Gazette. EVENING EDITION TWOPENNY LETTER CARRIERS TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Sin,—Your excellent remarks on the bad pay of the Twopenny Post-office letter carriers has received the thank s of some hundred of letter carriers, who feel ex ceeding grateful to you. Sir, we are badly paid. The paltry pittance we receive is only nineteen shillings per week. In consequence of this small allowance, there is at present on the books of the Post-office, upwards of fifty defaulters, besides twenty-five having resigned, somehave been tried at the Old Bailey, for taking money out of the letters. It is a fa2t, all this has occurred within the last twelve months. I hope and trust Mr Rowland Hill will pay some attention to this important business. A LETTER CARRIER, OF TWENTY YEARS' STANDING. October 7, 1839. I forgot to mention we have to pay out of our wares twopence per week to the Letter Carrier's Burial Society. [We trust the universal complaints of these ill-paid public servants will not be disregarded, when the new arrangements are made. More than a year ago, Mr. O'Connell, and a number of Members, urged on the Government the expediency and the justice of making better provision for men entrusted with large sum s of money, yet nothing was done, and they are now reduced to the miserable condition described in the above letter, —ED. Su n.] RAILWAY lIIPROVEMENTS. Mr. Coles, of Charing Cross, delivered a lecture last night at the Mechanics' Institute, Southampton buildings, upon certain improvements in Railways and Railway Carriages, for which he has taken out pa tents. The lecture was attended by a numerous audi tory, composed chiefly of the working classes, and Mr. Coles' explanations and illustrations were received with much applause. The principal improvement proposed by Mr. Coles is what he terms anti-friction wheels. The axle of the wheels, which run upon the rails, instead of bearing upon the collar, as in the wheels at present in use, re volve against the rim of a large friction wheel placed above them ; the axle of the latter bears upon the edge of an upper friction wiled, moving upon a steel axle, which is attached to the frame work of the carriage and supports its weight, and that of the passengers, &c. While the lower or ground-wheel revolves 75 times, the large friction wheel revolves 10 times, and the upper wheel only once, and the friction is thereby consider ably diminished. This was illustrated by a model carriage loaded with a weight of 168Ibs. and a line with a weight of 6 ounces, passed over a pulley; being attached, drew the carriage and its load. A similar carriage with the common wheels required a weight of 48 ounces to draw the same weight. An other improvement of Mr. Coles is a moveabl e ax l e, to enable the wh ee l s t o accommodate themselves to curves of any radius, and thereby do away with the great friction and loss of power which the rigidity of the fixed axle at present in use occa sions. He also proposes an improved sail, having a step on the outer edges of the curve, upon which the flange of the outer wheel runs—the circumference of the outer wheel is thus increased, and it is enabled to keep pace with the wheel moving in the inner or smaller curve. There arc some other minor improvements, one of which is, making the great bulk of the carriages two-wheeled instead of four and six-wheeled as at present, by which the weight will be thrown more evenly in the centre—the train of carriages accommu• date itself more readily to the curves in the line, and greater strength be given to the axles. The only objec tion which struck us was the loss of strength in an axle moveable, and secured in the centre only, as com pared with the axle secured at both ends. The im provements are, however, so valuable and striking, that we have no doubt of their attracting the attention of engineers and Railway Companies. ARRIVALS AT BATH.—The Countess of Bel mour, and Miss Caldwell, Sir Herbert Jenner, Hon. Mrs. Vanneck, Lady Darling and family, the Dean o Salisbury, Captain and Mrs. Gosling, Lady Elizabeth Alexander, Lady Burton, Rev. Mr. Spencer, Captain Henley, Rev. Mr., Mrs., and Miss Gore, Colonel Thomson, Captain Ellis, Colonel and Mrs. Hamilton, Lieutenant Gordon, R.N., Mr. and Mrs. Gwynne, Col. and Mrs. Shubrick, Captain Young, R.N., & c . ARRIVALS AT BRIGHTON.-Lord and Ladr Granville Somerset and family, Lord and Lady George Seymour, Countess of Glengall, Lord Colville, Lord Brougham, Mr. Sergeant Goulburn, Mr. Sergeant Spankie, Lady Wenman, Lieutenant-General Sir John and Lady Gardiner, from Bognor, Lady Sheffield, Mar quis and Marchioness of Thomond, Lady Louisa Lygun, Countess of Carhampton, the Hon. Charles E. Law and Lady, Hon. Mrs. George Lamb, &c. FALMOUTH, ()CT. s.—This morning the steamer Braganza arrived from the Continent with Mediterranean and Peninsular advices of the usual dates. The Hermes brought down the mails to Gib raltar, arriving there on the morning of the 26th, and sailed again the same night. Reported to have met her Majesty's ship Ilastings on Friday previous off the Island of Pantalaria. The Iberia steamer left Lisban for the Southward on this day week. The weather had rendered the bar at Oporto impassable : no continual cation, therefore, was obtained by the Briiganza. Her •Majesty's ships Donegal, Benbow, Hercnles,'and Espoir I were in the Tagus. The Turkish Prince Nadir Achmet Bey is among the passengers, having come down from Malta. Nothing in the shape of news has been communicated by this arrival. Her Majesty's': packet Lyra, Lieut. Collier, late of the Goldfinch, sailed yesterday for the Brazils ; and the Ranger, Lieut. Turner, to-day for Halifax. Mr. Pakinton, M.P., has intimated his intention to move, in the ensuing Session of Parliament, to bring • in a Bill for the creation of a general constabulary sys tem throughout the kingdom, in accordance with the District Constables Bill. He also proposes to delegate to the Commissioners of Police in London the noinina. tion of the chief constable, although it is in the .gift. QC the County Magistrates.—Worcester Chromicle. STATE Or EXCHANGE ON EUROPE IN' RE LIGIOUS MATTERS.—TREMENDOUS REMITTANCE OF PIETY. ~ We have for some time past asserted, that something extraordinary- would result from the late Ire mendous revivals in religion and piety going on all over this country ; and now we have a strong ract to name in proof of the truth of our assertion. The packet ship Oxford, which sailed yesterday for Europe had on board • no less than nine of those pious and pretty young ladies called " nuns." Nine nuns shipped for Europe in one day! they were all from Pittsburg, hound to Antwerp, and each went by the name of Sister Mary. This is a singular state of things, and shows the exact condition of the balance of trade between this country and Eu. rope in regard to religion ; and also proves that the supply of pious sisters hare, since the great Camp Meetings, is greater than the demand for them..Arern York Herald. GENERAL MA ROTO —Maroto continues at Bilboa, but cannot long defer his visit to Madrid, to re gulate the rank and pay of his officers. His wife, a native of Chili, who was, with three daughters, ,return ing in a Liverpool merchant ship in '18'29 to Valparaiso, was lost in that yeesel, being shipwrecked off Cape Horn, when alt the passengers and crew p er i s h e d ; btit a merciful Providence, theConstitutiona!ists say, .pre served him from a watery grave for the good of Ilia country and of Spanish liberty, as well as for the •vexa don and disappointment of Carlismas it did ig'ciitt last February, wben Don Carlos had actually signedilaia death warrant, which the Padre Cyrillo transmitted..tu him, with the names of his appointed executioner's in the margin, whom, as a matter of self-defence lie iris under the necessity of shooting next day at - Estrin, acting upon the advice given to Queen Elizabeth on a similar occasion :—" Si non vis fenri, '. As to the treason he is reproached with, and the • perjury he cam- • mitted against Con Carlos, I would ask his rccusais, - i Don Sebastian, who, after the decease of Ferdinand, had taken the oath of allegiance to Queen, Label, did not commit the same perjury and the same treason by more inexcusably a ft erwa rds joining Don Carlos, and waging war again s t the Queen he had previously:r eeog . nized and s w or n fidelity to, be not having the ap o l ogy safety f a e n t v y personal and danger t might o bare urge,raesmhaL remained d as the t a neu tral spectator at least. Is the same morality and sanc tity of an oath not binding on a prince as well a s a subject, which prince afterwards intrigued to supersede Don Carlos, aided by the machinations of his mother, the Princess of Beira, and to supplant him in the es sential possession of supreme power in Spain, which merciful Heaven, and the so-called treason of Maroto, averted from the pair of them. THE GREAT LORD CHATHAM AND THE DISSENTERS.—I n the House of Lords, Archbishop Drummond (of York) attacked the Dissenting Minis ters as " men of close ambition ;" but they met with an able advocate in the celebrated Lord Chatham, who said, " The Dissenting Ministers are represented as men of' close ambition :' they are so, my Lords, and their ambition is to keep close to the College of Fisher men —not of Cardinals; and to the doctrines of in spired Apostles —not to the decrees of interesting and aspiring Bishops ; they contend for a scriptural creed and spiritual worship. We have a Calvinistic creed— a Popish Liturgy—and an Arminian Clergy? The Re formation has laid open the Scriptures to ail : let not the Bishops shut them again. Laws in support of eccle siastical power are pleaded which it would shock huma nity to execute. It is said that religious sects have done great mischief where they were not kept under restraint ; but history affords no proof that sects have ever been mischievous where they were not oppressed and persecuted by the ruling Church."—Countes s lluntingdon's Life and Times. Colonel Maynard, of the British Army i n t h e West Indies, who was severely sudden quarrel Mr. Simon sons'n'a'oilo,fis ovNreecw York, en inn and out of danger. The carriages of the parties came in contact. Both were passionate, and equally to blame. I