The Sun. — London, England, 1844-12-23 00:00:00

ETE CONQUEST OF SINDE. General William Napier has commenced a history of thi s i mportant acqu i s iti on , w hi c h i s so f u ll o f in terest, and lays open so many mysteries, that one brief notice could not render it any justice. We have already- called the attention of the public to the F ork, but only in a very summary manner, simply stating f rom th e d ocumen t s pr o duced that Lord El lenborough and Sir Charles Napier (the brother of the author) were fully justified in their course of Policy towards the Ameers, and that we had from the beginning taken the same view of a question which has been so ably illustrated by the historian of the Peninsular campaigns. Much more, however, is r(quired to place the policy of the Government, the d iplomacy of Lord Ellenborough, and the deeds of t he hero of Meanee in a proper light. When intel ligence reached this country that Sinde had been in vaded, that Hyderabad had been taken and plundered °f its treasures, that the "unfortunate" Ameers had b een dispossessed of their domains, and Sinde had been annexed to the British Empire in India, loud Were the complaints heard from nearly all quarters of t he injustice of the proceedings; of the grasping po licy of the new Governor-General, and of the san guinary battles brought on by a General, whose only delight was in repeating the scenes of warfare like t hose which he witnessed in Spain. Several meetings were held on the invasion of Sinde, and the resolu tions were all adverse to the measures adopted, but What appeared the most singular feature in these marks of opposition to this noble and valuable a cquisition, was the loud outcry made by that part of t he press which supported the Whig Government, and denounced the invasion of Sinde as a wanton act of cruelty and rapacity on the part of the Governor- General, Lord Ellenborough. Any one who had Paid attention to the subject knew well that the occu pation of Sinde had been contemplated by Lord Auckland—nay more, that he had seized on four of the most important stations on the Indus, and had he r emained longer in power, that he would have adopted the course pursued by his successor, though the result Would have been probably of a very different c haracter. Sir John Keane, famous for the disasters 111 Affghanistan, for the helpless condition in which he left the troops at Caubul, and his hasty retreat from the scene of action, when the real difficulties com menced, would, we fear, have made but a poor figure at the battle of Meanee. But, leaving these points a lit of the question, we come to the main charge against Lord Ellenborough. The friends of Lord Auckland—we ought rather to call them his enemies denounced his successor for invading Sinde, and tinder vain pretences expelling the harmless Ameers, and annexing the country to British India. General Napier, however, has shown in a way which c an leave no possible doubt that Lord Auck land himself, assisted by Sir Henry Pottinger, 'was the real aggressor, that he had made inroads on t he Country, inveigled the Ameers into treaties, de ceived them by false promises , and only waited for Hie termination of the Affghanistan ss ar to drive them '3 , 11t of the country. The following is a s p ecimen of hallucination policy of Lord Auckland, who, from some stra n g e 411 ucination in the public mind, is believed as inno cent of the invasion of Sinde as of the fall of Adam : " Shame being now laid aside, and occasion rife, Lord dockland, pretending a virtuous indignation at the and of the Ameers—their unwarrantable enmity - ,_ 11(1 jealousy of the British I moved with pity also for 17 distracted state of their government, a state which that Envoy was expressly instructed to foment, declared five thousand troops should instantly seize Shikar- Pore, and such other parts of Sinde as might be deemed eligible to facilitate the invasion of Affghanistan, and to effect to the tripartite treaty. Not only the Ameers "u 0 were inimical to the British, but those who had dis :)sed an y unwillingness to aid the invasion of the di ffghans, with whom they had no quarrel, were to be Placed from power; and this violence was offered to den governments, over which no rights had b n established, save by treaties granted not s , ,ught for R 7 th em, and both in letter and spirit opposed to these fi ssured, ! But to make amends, the Ameers were 411:sured, that the seizure of their territories by a , British of r a t Mewled nothing injurious to their interests . You of 1 ,t . 0 die by my hands, said the executioner to the son V t) ,:le Spanish Philip ; you are to 1 Struggle not father orders it for your good. the henry Pottinger, now so c elebrated, was the e tl ght-hand man of :Lord Auckland, and assisted 111 in these schemes for trampling on t he Ameers. the following extract from - „the work will show with what tact he supported the views of the Governor- General : " His vehement declarations of the good faith and moderation of political acts which the most subtil sophis try cannot palliate, much less justify ; the deference he inculcated for the tyrannical pleasures of the Ameers Whose real rights he had by his treaties just taken away, are somewhat curious specimens of reasoning. Speaking of their Shikargahs' or hunting preserves, which he acknowledged they had formed by turning, within a few Years, one-fourth of the fertile and peopled land into a Wilderness ; and they were still marching onwards in that devastating career, one of them having recently destroyed two large villages to form a future • Shikargah' for his child, then only eight years old; and the whole of i litm declared that their hunting grounds were dearer to them than their wives and children ; he yet desired that they might be respected, because the ancient forest laws of the Normans in England were equally pernicious! Aad while thus recurring to the worst, the most cruel o ppression of the worst periods of English history as a guide for British policy in the nineteenth century, and I T excuse for the Ameers of Sinde, with singular incon 'latency he recommended a conciliating and protecting policy towards the people !" After describing in his usual strong language the "Pensive, ruinous, and uncalled for expedition to eikubul, and the deceitful policy adopted towards the r ulers of Sinde, General Napier thus sums up the lea ding features of Lord Auckland's government in India But a new era was now commencing for Sinde . Lord Auckland quitted India, leaving it in all the confusion, Ina terror, and the danger, necessarily flowing from the political immorality and astounding incapacity which h ad marked his mischievous career. And if a n y man, iree fro m vehement factious feelings and not blinded by Party prejudices, shall doubt the correctness of the pic ture of Whig oppression and folly painted in the fore go,ing pages, let him read and compa re attentivel y , and , a desire to reach the truth, all the Parliamentary Papers on the subject, and he will doubt no longer. Out of their own mouths they are condemned." The next subject is the policy of his successor, and the vile accusations brought against him by the mer cenary press of India, among which the Bombay Times, conducted by a Scotchman of the name of buist, stands pre-eminent. Shortly after Lord El lenborough's arrival in India a large army of reserve I N'aa collected on the frontiers of the Punjaub to pro tect the remains of the Caubul troops on their return to the Sutledge. The paid agents of certain parties tailed an outcry against Lord El!enborough from this a rrangement and had nearly inflicted the greatest c alamity on the country from purely mercenary mo tives. General Napier thus points out the danger caused by these hirelings : " And here it is fitting to notice the true objects of a ssembling that army of reserve, so ridiculed at the time by the Indian press. It is fitting to do so as throwing a light upon Lord Ellenborough's prudence ; but more so, . 1 4 showi ng th e infamous and dangerous nature of that 'lndian press, whose efforts have been for several years constantly directed to the support of peculation, the depression of the military spirit, the calumniating of every man of patriotic feeling and useful talent, and the t n eiting and teaching the foreign enemies of the Anglo 2ndian Government how and when to assail the armies with the greatest advantage, even urging the Sepoys at limes to mutiny. Let the people of England judge the follo w i ng sample of their wanton iniquity, their mischief 1112king falsehood. " When Lord Ellenborough arrived in India, there * ere 30,000 Seik troops at Peshawar, and there were tllY 4,000 B r iti s h troops there, of whom 1,800 were in hospital! The presence of these Seiks was a matter of treat anxiety; and when 5,000 of them advanced, un asked and unwished-for as auxiliaries to Jellalsbad, Lord E llenborough directed General Pollock, and through )3 i 3 agency suecetded, to persuade these half hostile, turbulent men, to pass to the left bank of the Caubul 1,-, 15 iv er to leave all the resources of the right bank to the 43rit: 1 1 , and to clear their rear as far as Peshawar. But - 2K', when the army was returning from Caubul, 20,000 °' these Seiks followed the troops, and the army of re serve was most prudently and wisely assembled on the Sutledge, to keep them i n awe , an d to suppor t t h e autho tY of Shere Sing, who was friendly, against the power 11 • 11 11 wishes of most of his sirdars, and more especially ! a gainst the Sindhawalla family, by whom he was after wards assassinated. Dhian Sing, his minister, actually Preposed to attack the British while traversing the Pun {tub on their return from Caubul; and he proposed this, Decause he had been deluded by the infamous Indian !Teas into the belief that the British meant to attack 11 1 Seiks Shere Sing, however, relied on British ' l th ; and supp orted by the presence of the army of re serve, resistt s uccesstully. Ile afterwards strongly represent e d t o t h e f ore i gn secretary, who visited him at Lahore after the armies had passed the Sutledge, the extreme embarrassment which the assertions of Lae Anglo-Indian press, that the English designed to attack him, had created in all his dealings with his own `chiefs and army !" On Lord Ellenborough's arrival at Ferazapore he eha l i led the whole system of diplomacy in Sinde, dig Pensing with the services of Major Outram and r oan Y Other political agents, and gave the whole power :air Charles Napier. Li, general ingruetions were of the most cautious and prudent character. He thus writes to Sir Charles Napier in Septem ber, 184: " Should any Ameer, or chief, with whom we have a treaty of alliance and friendship, have evinced hostile designs against us, during the late events, which may have induced them to doubt the continuance of our power, it is the present intention of the Governor-Ge neral to inflict upon the treachery of such ally and friend so signal a punishment as shall effectually deter others from similar conduct ; but the Governor-General would not proceed in this course without the most complete and convincing evidence of guilt in the person accused. The Governor-General relies entirely on your sense of justice, and is convinced that whatever reports you may make upon the subject, after full investigation, will be such as he may safely act upon." Sir Charles acted according to instructions, and never were more glaring breaches of treaties com mitted than those, produced on the most unexceptionable authority, committed by the Ameers of Sinde. They had levied toll contrary to treaty—expelled the English from the bazaars, fired on British subjects, and formed a con spiracy after the disasters of Caubul for destroying the whole English army in Sinde. These are facts which cannot be disputed, and fully warranted Lord Ellenborough in taking possession of the country. We keep the question of humanity out of view—the miserable condition of the people, the sottish habits of the Ameers, their tyranny and oppression, and the anxious and expressed wish of the people to be placed under English protection. We merely reason on ad mitted principles—the rulers of Sinde had entered into certain conditions with the Indian Government—they were ten times warned of the consequences of a breach of these conditions—they wilfully broke them and took the consequences. They are now exiles and pri soners ; but imprisonment is not necessary, they arc hated by the people, they were in fact rude and un principled conquerors, and established themselves in Sinde under the protection of the rulers of Caubul, whom they betrayed. We conclude these extracts with an affectionate tribute of brotherly affection from the historian of the Peninsular war to the pre sent Governor of Sinde : " The sword had been taken from the Ameers of Upper Sinde, as it were by sleight, but they fled to the desert and to Lower Sinde, there to raise in conjunction with their cousins of Hyderabad the standard of battle. They trusted in their sandy wastes, their strong and numerous fortresses, their deadly sun, in the numbers, courage, strength, and fierceness of their wild Belochee swordsmen, and braver barbarians never gave themselves to slaughter. In these things they trusted, and not without reason ; but they were opposed to what they could not understand, having no previous experience of his like—a man of fiery but vigilant valour, skilled in war and resolute to win ; daring as the boldest chieftain of their hills and stern in tight : they found him so when their thousands went down before the bayonets of his valiant soldiers wallowing in blood, but never cruel or ferocious, for he loves peace and justice with a true heart, and strove hard to avoid the clash of arms. The Ameers would not have it so, and when the shock did come they were broken like potsherds. It was not the English General but the Sindian Princes who sought the co ntest. No Etruscan fecial ever cast his spear across a boundary, invoking his gods to attest the justice of a war, with a purer conscience than Charles Napier marched to battle ; and now it shall be my task to show how victoriously he bore the banner of England across the bloody fields of Meeanee and Dubba ; how widely he has since spread England's fame for justice and gen tleness by his administration : the Beloochs reverence and the Sindians bless him, though the Ameers mourn." CENTRAL CRIMINAL COURT. SENTENCES. Sub;oined are the principal sentences which were passed upon the prisoners convicted in the three Courts at the late session : Banishment. —The undernamed were sentenced to be transported beyond the sea for the terms named— For Seven Years —Mary Davison, J. Prastly, J. James, C. Heath, T. James, J. Sandfoul, G. T. Sanders, G. Haines, 'l'. Maile, J. Barnes, G. Sweeny (19), T. Brown. Ten Years—T. Lucas alias W. cupping, G. Welch,T. NPPhon. Sarah Diprose, E. Edwards, T. Miney, A. Wil son, C. Drake, W. Tefford, H. Barrett, T. G. Batley. Fourteen Years—'W. Hill. Fifteen Years—G. Palmer. Life—W. Burgess, for the Bank robbery. imprisonment. —The following convicts were ordered to be imprisoned in the Houses of Correction for the counties in which their offences were committed, with the adjunct of hard labour. Two Years—J. Greenhall, E. Elbury. One Year—L. Manyon, T. Kemp, Leah Mary Roper, Charlotte Kemp, G. Molloy, 11. Biller, W. Trudge, T. Turner, T. Leech, G. Reeves, W. Cox, G. Ryan, M. Noon, B. Ewen, W. Key. Nine Months—W. Contrell, E. Challis. m T I L f t r , L A AT O E F gROYALness GLOUCESTERHthe a s ch T ee :l se e s sPt establishment m e s le s Sr Inattoiolfdiahlla he G la l t o e uc i e to st y e a r l , at the Ranger's-house, Blackheath, and also at her residence in Curzon-street, are to be broken up on the 6th of the ensuing month, o until ee after which period Park will, i t t he is v u a n c d a e n r c s y to i o n d t , h n e o ß t a brfi r l s le h d i P up. LadnywAiclh•Gordon and Miss Cotes, Ladies in Waiting on the late Princess, are still at the Ranger's-house, Blackheath. STATE OF TRADE.—The news from the West Riding continues of a cheering nature ; not se, we are sorry to say, that from the hosiery and lace districts of Nottinghamshire ; and in Lancashire, the intelligence of the complete closing of the Elbe by ice has put a sudden stop to purchases of yarn for Germany. The accounts from India, too, not being coneidered favourable, the yarn market at Manchester has become exceedingly dull, though, as yet, without any material change in prices. The same market for manufactured goods is also inactive, for which the season may sufficiently account. Reverting to Yorkshire, the demand for winter clothes at Leeds is active, and prices have undergone no change. At Bradford we have much pleasure in stating that a great number of woolcombers who had been on. " stint," and others who were entirely out of work, have received orders to resume their labour. On the whole, there is a more encouraging prospect for the operatives during the winter months than was previously antici pated. On Thursday there was a very good attendance of merchants, and their purchases were more extensive than on any market day for some weeks past. For yarns there was a fair demand, and as the spinners have resolutely kept down the supply by diminishing their hours of labour, prices were firm. The wool market presented no new feature, late prices being fully obtained, with a steady though limited demand. At the last Halifax market there was a large attendance of buyers, and a good deal of business done in the heavier fabrics, especially lastings, damasks, and moreens. Both comb ing and blanket wool was in request, and prices firm. There still continues at Wakefield an animated demand for all deep combing wools, and the turn is in favour of the seller, and this has imparted more confidence to the buyers of the better description of combing wools, as well as to those of short wools. This is the bright side of the picture ; at Nottingham, however, the distress in the machine -knitting manufactures is so far from de creasing that, upon the whole, the hands are worse than they have been for some months past. The drawer and pantaloon branch, which is the largest carried on in Nottingham and the suburbs, is still in a most depressed state, the frames being scarcely half employed. The cotton glove branch is in the best condition of any in the hosiery trade ; still it is much and seriously depressed. The silk hosiery trade has not, nor is it imagined that it is likely, to recover from its present depressed state. The bobbin-net lace trade has become so seriously de pressed that a perfect panic has taken place amongst the manufacturers, some of whom, it is asserted, contemplate a cessation of business for a period.—Hull Packet. TIIB LATE SMITHFIELD CLUB CATTLE SHOW.—It may be interesting to many of our readers to know the exact weight of the old-improved short-horned steer bred by Mr. Robert Smith, of Burley-on-the-Hill, near Oakam, in Rutlandshire. and purchased at the show by Mr. Minton, of Windsor, purveyor of meatto her Majesty, which gained the first prize in class 1 of 201., and the silver medal. Its weight, by many celebrated judges at the show, was estimated to be from 200 to 210 stone. Upon tho carcass being weighed on Saturday the result was as follows:—Each hind quarter weighed 604 stone, and each fore quarter 50 stone, making in the aggregate 221 stone, or 1,7681b5. In addition to this, the loose fat weighed 24 stone (1921 b.), and the hide 12 stone (96;b.) The short-horned cow, one of Lord Spencer's stock, bred by Mr. Beasley, near Northampton, which gained the first prize of 204 in class 7, and killed by Mr. Al derman Bvnister, of Windsor, weighed 156 stone, ex clusive of 20 stone of loose fat. DEATH OF A MISER.—On Thursday, the sth inst., died Miss Murton, of Trumpington-street, in this town, age d seventy-one, a person of most eccentric habits. She was possessed of property to the amount of 50.0001., but lived in a most wretched state, in a house entirely by herself. She was ix the habit of sitting on the ground, surrounded by filth of all descriptions, and two starved black cats on each side of her. She would have perished through cold and want, or been eaten up with filth, but for the kind attention of her relatives. She has left the bulk of .her property (excepting only a few trifling lega cies) to the family of Mr. Tomson, the stone mason. All her houses are left to Mr. Christopher Pemberton. —Cambridge Independent. LOBSTER FISHING.--Within the last few years the attention of the fishermen belonging to the Hebrides, but more particularly to the islands of Mull and Islay, has been directed to the fishing of lobsters, with which the coasts of the Western Isles abound. A good number of individuals have embarked in that kind of fishing, and have been, up to the present year, abundantly remune rated for their labour by exporting the produce of the fishings from this port by the steamers to Liverpool. This year, however, the lobsters have increased on the hands of the fishermen ; and the Liverpool fishmongers, taking advantage of the supply being only once and sub night from Scotland, have reduced the price, jetted the fishermen to other deductions, whieh hid fair to cripple, if not altogether to destroy, this branch of employment for the inhabitants of the Western Isles. On Saturday evening upwards of 20 la r g e boxes, crammed full of lobsters, from Mull alone, were sent by the steamer from this to Liverpool.—Greenock Advertiser. DARTMOUTH ELECTION.—The nomination for this election is fixed for Thursday, and the polling for Friday next I ri_-?,.ELAND. CIIARITABLF, BEQUESTS BILL. DUBLIN, DEC. 21.—We have been enabled to obtain a copy of the " Pastoral Address to the Roman Catholic Clergy and Laity of the Diocese of Dublin, by Daniel Murray, D.D., &c." This very important document, which we subjoin, will be published in the form of a pamphlet, next week, by Mr. Coyne, of Chapel-street, publisher to the Roman Catholic Bishops of Ireland : " TO THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CLERGY IND LAITY OF THE DIOCESE OF DUBLIN. "Beloved Brethren—The time has at length ar rived when I deem it right to address you, on a sub ject which has given rise to much angry discussion, the recent Act for the more effectual application of Charitable Donations and Bequests in Ireland. "The machinery for carrying that Act into opera tion is now formed. A share in the execution of it has been assigned by her Most Gracious Majesty to me. And as much misapprehension regarding it appears to prevail, it becomes my duty to place it, by a plain statement of facts, in its true light before you. " It is to me a source of inexpressible pain, that the deep convictions of my mind compel me to adopt, on this subject, a course of proceeding at variance with that which some of my most respected and beloved brethren would recommend. But conscience is a stubborn monitor. It is unsafe to despise its admonitions. And it warns me, with a voice which penetrates my inmost soul, that it would be in me a gross dereliction of pastoral duty to fling away, through any human respect, the opportunity which this Act, imperfect as it is, places within my reach, of guarding in safety the treasury of the poor, and of securing for the service of the Church whatever pro perty benevolent individuals may choose to vest in the new Board, to be permanently dedicated to that purpose. This is the duty, and the whole duty, which will devolve upon those whose office it will be to carry this Act into effect. It is a duty worthy of religion, and dear to God ; a duty, in the faithful discharge of which his minister should think it well worth his while to encounter any share of unjust obloquy which the mistaken zeal of his opponents might move them to cast upon him. Few Catholics, perhaps will believe that this Act is anything like a perfect measure. It has defects which I deplore ; they are defects, however, which leave it still a measure of substantial value. And although even these may be removed or lessened when Parliament shall assemble, we should remember, that before that time shall arrive the Act must, of neces sity, come into operation in its present state. The law requires that this Act shall commence from and after the Ist day of January, 1845,' and of course that the Board of Management must be then ready to carry the provisions of it into effect. Ten com missioners must have been previously named, of whom five should 'be persons professing the Roman Catholic religion.' It will be the peculiar duty of those five to watch over the due application of Catholic chari ties, whether intended for the poor or for the Church. And if her Majesty, for the want of accurate infor mation to be derived from the heads of the Catholic religion, should be forced to appoint to that duty professing Catholics, at random, how could we ever afterwards complain, how could we render with confidence an account of our stewardship to God, if, through our fault, an unfortunate choice should be made, and those important interests be confided to unworthy or incompetent hands ? Blessed be God, we have not to answer for that crime. Appointments have been made which, as far as human vigilance can avail, will render those interests secure. " But were not our charities safe hitherto? And who called for any new Act on the subject? " In answer to these questions, permit me to place before you the following document. It is a memo rial adopted by the Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, at their annual meeting, held in Marlborough-street, on the 15th of February, 1840, and addressed to Lord Viscount Morpeth, then Cnief Secretary for Ireland:— " THE MEMORIAL OF THE ROMAN CATHOLIC ARCH BISHOPS AND BISHOPS 07 IRELAND. " Sheweth,—That memorialists having every confi dence in the present Administration, and entertaining, as they gratefully do, a deep conviction that existing abuses in Government departments need only be proved to be promptly reformed, avail themselves of this their general stated meeting in Dublin, to attract, through you, the attention of her Majesty's Cabinet to the following cir circumstances, in immediate relation to the embarrass ments by which the Roman Catholic charities of Ireland have been, and are still, surrounded. " That, in the year 1763, an Act, the 3d Gen. 111., s. 18, was passed, requiring returns of all charitable be quests in Ireland to be made to the Protestant Primate, and bishops of each diocese at their annual visitation, and subsequently, a committee of charity, of the Irish House of Lords, was appointed, under an order of that House, bearing date the 15th day of March, 1792. " That, by the Act of Union, the said committee of charity necessarily ceased ; and by the Act of the the 40th Geo. 111., c. 75, which has never since been either altered or amended, the present Commissioners of charitable donations and bequests were incorporated, and consist of the Protestant Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, the Dean of St. Patrick's, the Incumbents of all the parishes in Dublin, and the Judges. The latter, it is well known, never attended the board; consequently it is managed exclusively by dignitaries and clergymen of the Protestant Church. " That by the Act referred to it is imperative that an archbishop or bishop should attend every meeting of that board, which clause gives an exclusive Protestant charac ter to it and its whole proceedings. Another objection able part of the same Act is, that on empowering the board, on its recovering charities, that should it be deemed inexpedient to apply the same according to the directions or intentions of the donors, then the Coin missioners are empowered to apply the funds to such charitable or pions uses as they shall judge most con formable to the intentions of the donor or donors. `ln expedient' is a word both vague and indefinite, and leads many Roman Catholics to think that their bequests for the purposes of education or other general charitable uses might be transferred to institutions or purposes the very reverse of their benevolent intentions. " That during the last session the House of Com mons printed copies of the minutes of the Lords of the Treasury, calling upon the Irish Government to intro duce measures tending to divest the board in question of its exclusively religious constitution. " "fhat that board, on its foundation in the year 1800, was substituted for the Committee of the Irish House of Lords, which house was then exclusively Pro testant ; but as Roman Catholics are now eligible to seats in both Houses of Parliament, no just objection can be supposed to exist why that public department should not be promptly remodelled and bear the same resem blance to the existing Legislature. As the great ma jority of the people of Ireland are of the Roman Catholic religion, it is not unreasonable to expect that that religion and its charities should be represented in such a commission, particularly as its expenses are defrayed by Parliament. " That your memorialists and their clergymen are trustees of very considerable funds and property for charitable uses, and the legacies to them for charities have been, and still are, increasing to a very great extent. " That, as such a department must be supposed to have much influence and control over charities intended for Roman Catholic purposes, it is but natural that your memorialists should feel that, whilst it remains constituted as it is, the apprehensions of its utility will not only be doubted by them, but by those of their ro- ligion. " Your memorialists, therefore, entreat. that the Board of Irish Charities may be rendered more gene rally useful and popular, by the introduction to it of Roman Catholic Commissioners, or by some other mea sure which may have a tendency to place their charities upon the same footing as those of their Protestant fellow-countrymen: " Thus spoke the assembled prelates of your Church in 1840. Their prayer could not then be heard ; but the recent Act appears to have been in tended to grans all that we then sought. It admits to the Board of Charitable Donations and Bequests Roman Catholic Commissioners in sufficient number to check any adverse influence which might be attempted regarding the application of Catholic charities ; and it takes away the dangerous power enjoyed by the former board of alienating, under certain circumstances, Catholic bequests from the known objects contemplated by the testator, and of applying them to purposes which, if living, he would abhor. So far our prayer has been granted. The state of insecurity in which our charities were placed has been removed, and had the Act stopped there, we could not, without the greatest inconsistency, utter one word of complaint against it. " But the Act had a second object, namely, to enable us to invest property in perpetual security, for the purpose of procuring glebes for our clergy, and building and maintaining churches for the duo celebration of Catholic worship. Let us now turn our attention to that second object. Towards the close of the session the most distinguished member of the Catholic body introduced into Parliament a Bill which, had it passed into a law, would have been effectual for that purpose. It was a Bib to enable Roman Catholic archbishops, bishops, and priests, to take giants or conveyances to them and their succes sors, without the inter ven ti on of trustees. This would have been a perfect measure. It would secure to the Roman Catholic bishops and parochial clergy respectively the direct conveyance of whatever grants should be intended for the permanent benefit of them selves and their successors, and it also supplied the means of removing all doubts as to the bishop or priest for whom such grant would be intended. It is unfortunate that this Bill did not pass into a law. Afflicting circumstances, however, which are but too an d th e Ch ar it a bl e B equests Act became 4 vary y i well known, prevented it from p ass i ng b eyond its first ; mportant substitute for it. Wh en the latter stage Act was first introduced into Parliament, on the 18th of June, it contained a clause by which it was pro posed to grant a power of vesting property, not in archbishops, bishops,- and parochial clergy for them . TRIM SUN. LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBIRR, 28, 164‘ ..elves and their successors, but in the new Board in trust for the use of the same class of persons, under the denomination of Roman Catholic Ministers of a listrict duly appointed thereto, and continuing to be the Roman Catholic Minister of such district, accord ing to the laws, discipline, and constitution of the Roman Catholic Church.' Hitherto there was no question of any other class but the secular clergy, for whose benefit only this concession was intended. But when, in the progress of the Bill, a general power was granted of vesting property in the new Board, for the purpo se o f b u ildi ng , e nlarging, uphold ing, or furnishing any chapel or place of religious worship, of persons professing the Roman Catholic reli gion, it was discovered that this provision would stretch the benefit of the Act beyond its original object, and extend it to the religious orders, for whom it had not been solicited ; and recourse was, therefore, had to the unfortunate expedient of excluding them by name from a participation in it ; and that, too, by a form of expression which, at first sight, was calcu lated to alarm. But that no new restriction was sought thereby to be imposed upon them is quite clear from the following explanatory clause, contained in the 22d section, whereby it is enacted, that nothing herein contained shall be taken to avoid or render un lawful any donation, devise, or bequest, which but for this Act would he rendered lawful ; except as to ' the time within which the deed, will, or instrument containing such donation, devise, or bequest, for pious or charitable uses, hereinbefore required to be exe cuted and registered. The above limitation with re spect to time, to which I will hereafter refer, affects every Catholic and Protestant in the land, as directly as it does the members of religious orders. In every other respect they remain precisely as they were be fore. They receive no new concession through the Act ; nor are they subjected by it to any new dis ability. " But is it not true that the Commissioners of the new Board, even bishops, if they should accept the office, would be bound in virtue of that office to carry into effect, not only the spirit, but the letter of a penal law, against the religious orders? No. Their office does not even invest them with any such odious power. _ _ " God forbid that any bishop, or any one deserving the name of Catholic, would accept the degrading office of carrying into effect a penal law against those venerated labourers in the sacred ministry, who dis charge with edification all the duties of virtuous citi zens, and whose only crime in the eye of the law is, that they bind thmselves by vow to aspire to the practice of the most exalted virtue, by the faithful observance of the evangelical counsels, in addition to that of the ordinary precepts of the divine law. Fif teen years ago, when those penal clauses, of which there is now question, were introduced into an Act, which enslaved them, whilst it set others free, the secular clergy of Dublin, myself included, were not slow in petitioning Parliament, witli a view to avert that threatened injustice. We did not succeed. But as long as those clauses shall continue to disgrace the statute hook, far from attempting to enforce them, we shall be anxious, on every suitable occasion, to petition for their repeal. And since the attention of our rulers has been now called to the degrading posi tion in which an unjust law has placed those merito rious men, it may not, perhaps, be too much to hope, that the Legislature may be induced to restore them, by an act of wisdom, as well as justice, to the enjoy ment of those civil rights which they have done nothing to forfeit. " Having had occasion to mention the limitation of time within which bequests of land, for charitable pnrposes, would he valid, I cannot avoid expressing my deep concern that such a general limitation has been established. Ilad it been confined, as it was in the original form of the Bill, to bequests for the service of our Church, I would never utter a word of objection against it, because I do not desire that our Church should be enriched by the possession of ex tensive lands. But when I find it extended also to bequests for the poor, I cannot but consider it as an undue interference with the dominion of God over his own gifts, an attempt to limit the operation of his command to give alms' (Luke, xi. 41.), and an un holy instrum e nt f or di s t u rbi ng the peace of a penitent soul, when about to render an account of its abused stewardship before the throne of justice. It is true we have been taught how to obviate the injurious effects of this mischievous clause, by charging lands, to any amount they may be worth, with bequests for charitable purposes in money. But this does not remove my objection to it. For besides the embar rassment and the danger of litigation which might arise from this circuitous mode of conveyance, I hold it to be unwise to leave on the statute-book a law which has the appearance of contravening the law of God, and which, therefore, a virtuous Christian might consider it a conscientious duty to endeavour to evade. " But notwithstanding the partial blemishes which tend to render this Act unpopular, who can look into it with an unprejudiced eye and not perceive, that it confers on us advantages of the very highest value ? It places our charities precisely in the state in which we ourselves wished to have them placed four years ago, and it gives us the power of vesting property without trouble or expense in perpetual security for procuring glebes for our clergy, and for building, en larging, and upholding, or furnishing, our places of religious worship. The same privilege, it is true, has not been extended to the religious orders. This is to be lamented ; but it had not been solicited for them. They remain, h ow e v er, as they were before. A. limited Mortmain Act, which cramps, in some measure, the bestowing of landed property for chari table purp oses , h as , i t i s t rue , b ee n established; but it affects Protestants, as well as us, and is much more limited than that which affects the Protestants of England. Means too have been pointed out, by which its effects may be counteracted. In cases of doubt, as to who is the authorised priest, for whom a donation or legacy may be intended, the usages and discipline of our Church are, for the present, placed under the guardianship of your own bishops, who will be able, with the blessing of God, to have a rule established, whereby, in all such cases, the certi ficate of the diocesan bishop shall be taken as conclu sive evidence. " Thus have you obtained, by this abused Act, im portant benefits, compared with which its defects are of but little moment. And yet, surprising as it must appear, denunciations of the most awful nature have been poured out unsparingly against those who, with out any hope of earthly remunerat i on , b u t th e con sciousness of doing good, undertake the meritorious task of carrying int o e ff ec t th e b ene fi cen t o bjects which it contemplates. Let us hope, that more atten tive reflection on the nature of their office will gra dually dissipate the prejudices which exist most unde servedly against it. But should this not be the case ; should those who, at the expense of time and labour, undertake this work of mercy, be made the objects of ungenerous vituperation, and motives which they abhor be imputed to them, conscious that, in this re spect they have nothing in view but the interests of that holy religion for the safety of which they would be ready to sacrifice their lives - , they will calmly look up to the Great Searcher of Hearts who knows the purity of their intentions, and confiding in his merci ful guidance they will pursue their onward course, cheered by the reflection, that He who went about doing good ;' Ile whose whole life was one continue_ series of the most exalted benevolence; the :ever blessed Jesus himfelf, did not escape the breath of calumny'. The servant is not greater than his master. (John xv. 20.) " You la ill readily believe, beloved brethren, how afflicting it must be to me to observe, that the various views which have been taken of this subject, have caused dissensions to spring up in this hitherto united flock ; and that differences of opinion, which are perfectly lawful on all free questions. have, on this occasion, been sometimes expressed in language which charity would not sanction. I know that in your differences you have had but one object in view, the interests of our holy religion ; and that you differ only as to the means best suited for promoting them. When the plain facts, which I have placed before you, shall be calmly viewed in the presence of God, I venture to hope that the dangers which some have dreaded from the recent Act, will be found to be visionary ; and that the temporary differences of opi nion which it has produced, will gradually die away, without leaving any mutual jealousies or embittered feelings after them, so that loving one another with the charity of brotherhood,' (Rev. xii. 10) ' you may with one mind and with one mouth glorify God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.' (Rom. xv. 6.) You are united in faith ; you love your religion. But remember that charity is that queen of virtues which religion cherishes above every other, and with out which faith itself would be of no avail. For if I speak with the tongues of men and angels,' said St. Paul, and have not charity, lam become as sound ing brass, or a tinkling cymbal. . . . and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove moun tains, and have not charity, lam nothing. And if I should distribute all my goods to feed the poor, and if I should deliver my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.' (1 Cor. xiii. 1, &c.) " I conclude with the words of the same apostle— ' For the rest brethren—he perfect, take exhortation, be of one mind, have peace, and the God of peace and of love shall be with you. . . The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the charity of God, and the communication of the Holy Ghost be with you all. Amen.' (2 Cor. xiii., 11, Ssc.) " Mountjoy-square." " k D. MURRAY. POSTSCRIPT.—Copy of a resolution adopted at a general meeting of the Roman Catholic Archbishops and Bishops of Ireland, held in Marlborough-street, on Saturday, the 16th of November, 1844. " Moved by the Most Rev. Dr. Crolly, seconded by the Right Rev. Dr. Egan Resolved—That as the Prelates have taken different views of the New Charita, ble Bequests Act, it is the opinion or this meeting that every Prelate be left at perfect liberty to act according to the dictates of his own conscience, respecting that measure. " -..4, M. SLATTERY, Chairman. 1 , LAUIts O'DONNELL, Secretary," DEPARTURPI OF Mn. O'CONNELL.-At three o'clock yesterday afternoon Mr. O'Connell left his residence in Merrion-square for Darrynaae Abbey, in order to pass the Christmas with the members of his family there as sembled. Mr. O'Connell intends to leave the Abbey on the 16th of January, on his return to Dublin. Mr. Smith O'Brien, M.P., has arrived in Dublin, from Drornoland, county Clare, the seat of his brother, Sir Lucius O'Brien, Bart. The Hon. Gentleman will attend the meeting of the Repeal Association on Monday. IRISH ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. '1 he Evening Pest says—" We have seen a letter from Rome, written by a distinguished ecclesiastic, dated Dec. 2, from which we take the following passage : " Reports are spread here to the effect that the Bri tish Government are seeking for the right of nominating Bishops in Ireland. Such a move is possible enough. However, we may place full trust in the Pope, who has always been attached to Ireland'." COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, SUNDAY.—Yesterday the Queen, accom panied by the Princess Royal, walked on the Terrace and the grounds adjacent to the Castle in the morning. In the afternoon her Majesty and Prince Albert promenaded in the walks in the Park and the grounds around the Castle for some time. His Royal Highness Prince Albert went to shoot in the royal preserves yesterday morning, attended by Mr. Anson, and returned early in the afternoon. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and the Princess Alice were taken fur their accustomed airings yesterday. This morning the Queen and Prince Albert walked out for some time. Her Majesty and Prince Albert, the Ladies and Gentlemen of the Court, and the Domestic House hold, attended Divine Service in the afternoon in the private chapel of the Castle. The Hon. and Rev. Charles Leslie Courtenay officiated. Their Royal Highnesses the Princess Royal and the Princess Alice were taken an airing this forenoon. The band of the Royal Regiment of Horse Guards attended on Thursday at the Castle, and performed the following selection during dinner : Overture, " Egmont"—Beethoven. Introduction, " Mountain Sylph"—Barnett. Pastoral Symphony—Beethoven. Overture, " Ali 1311 ba"—Cherubini. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and the Hereditary Grand Puke and Duchess of Mecklenburgh Strelitz visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester on Saturday at Gloucester House. The Lord Bishop of London held an Ordination yesterday morning at eight o'clock, in the Chapel Royal, St. James's, :at which thirty gentlemen were admitted Deacons. The Rev. Dr. Wesley and the Rev. Dr. Dakins assisted at the service. The Bishop of London afterwards ordained four teen gentlemen to the office of Priests. The Hon. and Rev. Baptist Noel preached the ser mon yesterday, in the daily service at the Chapel Royal, St. James's. Prayers were read by the Rev. Dr. Wesley, the Lessons by the Rev. Dr. Knapp, and the Communion Service by the Rev. Dr. Sleath. The Anthem was—" Prepare ye the way of the Lord" (West). Sir George Smart presided at the organ. The Earl of Erroll, Lords Campbell and Calthorpe, the Dowager Lady Abinger, and Lady Campbell, were among the nobility present. The Earl of Aberdeen had an interview with Sir James Graham on Saturday at the Home-office. ROYAL POLYTECHNIC INSTITU- TION. MR. HORN'S MUSICAL ENTERTAINMENTS. Mr. C. E. Horn gave a musical entertainment of a somewhat novel character, in the Lecture-room of this Institution, on Saturday evening. Instead of the somewhat desultory series of songs which have, with few exceptions, hitherto formed the staple of these entertainments, Mr. Horn selects a subject for musical illustration, and both the songs and the inci dents are strictly illustrative of the subject. This imparts more of a dramatic character to the per formances, which, in their arrangement, bear a nearer relation to the character of the oratorio than of any other known musical entertainment. The songs and the music were entirely new, and the latter, entirely the composition of Mr. C. Horn, was thoroughly dramatic, and proved that Mr. Horn's talents as a composer are yet in their zenith. The first part consisted of mu sical illustrations of Shakspeare's seven ages, each age being illustrated by an appropriate melody. These melodies were sung by Ow vocalists of the establishment, accompanied by the band, Mr. Horn himself presiding at the piano-forte. The song of the School-boy was sung with great spirit by a young lad, and was much applauded. The accompaniment to this song is admirably characteristic ; it must be come a favourite. The song of the Justice is excel lent, and was deservedly encored. Mr. Horn himself sang the song of the slippered Pantaloon, and infused into it some delicate touches of exquisitely charac teristic expression. He was much applauded. This part, which concluded with the Hymn of the Shadows and the Apotheosis of the Spirit—the words of the first part are by Mr. George Soane, who has exe cuted a task of some difficulty with good taste and sound judgment. The second part is a cantata, entitled, " The Christmas Bells," is from the pen of the Rev. J. W. Brown, and approaches by its subject to the sublimity of the oratorio. Horn has set Mr. Brown's poem admirably ; he rises with his subject, and shows that he is capable of even the highest flights of sacred composition. Why does he not give us an oratorio ? He could compose one worthy of the performance ' even of the Sacred Harmonic Society. The scene opens with daybreak on a Christmas morning, and the bells are heard ringing in the distance. We have then a series of airs, solos, quartettes, and choruses, illustrative of the season, and then comes the carol, " How grand and how bright," which was beautifully given by a lady, and much applauded. Christmas-day pro gresses, and we find ourselves at church. The organ bursts out in a fine voluntary, and there is a beautiful quartette, " Angelic voices soft and low ;" then follows the double chant, " Gloria Patria Venite ;" then a solo alto, with response, " Now faint yet clear a plaintive strain ;" after which comes the double choir and chorus, "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel," followed by the "Benedictus" and anthem, cgncluding with an organ voluntary and chorus. The organ accompaniments throughout this sublime ser vice were exceedingly fine, and were most effectively given on Meyer's iEolophon organ. The cantata con cludes, after leaving the church, with the merry Christmas bells, which again peal forth their cheerful sounds. The entertainment was exceedingly well attended, and this cantata of the Christmas bells, so appropriate to the season, which has been treated so admirably both by poet and composer, and which is executed so efficiently by all engaged in its pro duction, cannot fail to attract numerous audiences throughout the approaching Christmas season. VISIT OF TIER. MAJESTY TO STOWE AND STEAM FIELDSAYE.—The Court will remain at . Windsor Castle during the Christmas festivities. Immediately after wards her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Al bert, according to present arrangements, will honour their Graces the Duke and Duchess of Buckingham with a visit at Stowe. The Court is expected to leave Wind sor for Stowe on Tuesday, the 7th proximo, where the most extensive preparations are in progress for the re ception of the Sovereign and her illustrious Consort. It has been arranged for the Court to proceed to the Wol verton station, on the Birmingham line of railway, en route to the seat of the Duke of Buckingham. At that station her Majesty will be received by the Bucks Yeo manry and Hussars, under the command of the Marquis of Chandos, which will form the military escort thence to the princely residence of the Duke. Her Majesty will likewise be met at the 'Wolverton station by the whole of his Grace's tenantry on horseback, bearing white wands, by whom her Majesty will also be escorted to Stowe. The visit of the Queen and the Prince to his Grace the Duke of Wellington at Strathfieldsaye will take place, it is expected, about the middle of the ensuing month. The honour intended to be conferred upon the Noble Duke by the Sovereigu has been necessarily post poned for a short time in consequence of the demise.of Lady Ann Culling Smith, his Grace's sister. A TRUMPERY Cos.—At the Leicester County assizes, Thomas Barfield (on bail), a young man of re• spectable appearance, was charged with stealing at Loughborough, on the 17th of November, half a gallon of apples, the property of William Ward, of Sholthorpe Cottage, his master, with whom he resided. It ap peared in evidence that he had taken some apples to the house of one Putt, where his linen was washed, Putt having asked him for a few of those which lay on the ground. Prosecutor admitted that he had had some difference with the prisoner on the day in question, about going ont (as ho said) when ordered not to go, though this was not proved. He owed him at the time 91. wages. Harris, the Loughborough constable, ad mitted, in reply to Air. Macauley, that he charged pri soner 12s. 6d for his " keep" from Tuesday to Thurs day, adding that he was in the habit of doing so. When prisoners had nothing, he could not get it ; when they had, it was clear profit. Putt (who had been called for the prosecution) appeared for the defence, and stated that when he took the linen, prisoner was feeding the pigs with apples, and witness asked him for two or three. Prisener, in the afternoon, brought him a few in the bag. Mr. Robinson, solicitor, with whom prisoner had lived two years, gave him a good character. Mr. Macauley's defence was, that the act was a trifling one, in which the prisoner thought there was no wrong in it, His Lordship said, in summing up, that if they (the jury) believed Putt's statement, he thought they might acquit the prisoner, as the manner in which the apples were given was not such as to infer any felonious intent on the part of the prisoner. A verdict of Acquittal was ro• turned.—The Rev. John Dudley was the committing ma gistrate.-IVettingium Review, • POPISH ANXIETY for ENGLAND. To the Hon. and Rev. G. Spencer, a brother of the liberal Earl Spencer, and an old pervert to Popery, is due the questionable honour of having stirred up the sympathies of the Romish Church in Belgium, for the sunken and insecure religious condition of poor England. To the Rev. F. Oakeley, a mem ber of a sect whose teachers, though of our Reformed Protestant Church, yet denounce "Protestants and other herectics," and a gentleman who has pub lished his reasons why he does not "at once" pass over to the camp of iniquity—to him is due the still more questionable honour of exciting the Romish Church to speak authoritatively of the condition of Great Britain, with the implied pro mise, moreover, of listening with humility and re spect to its decision. 'We do not know whether those gentlemen have acted in concert ; but whether or not, the hope of the one and the suggestion of the other have not been allowed to pass by unre ' garded by the listening and attentive ears of Rome. Not that the Vatican itself has given sign of having heard the significant notes of the two reverend gen tlemen—the Roman and the quasi Roman. That has yet to come. The parting knell of St. Cuthbert's found echoes in the Northumbrian rocks, ere it reached the wakzful hermit of - Warkworth ; and it roused the sleepy peasants of Bamborough, before it startled the graceful stag on Cheviot Fell. So here the hint given by Mr. Spencer, or that administered by Mr. Oakeley, has only as yet reached Belgium, where it has sum moned the Primate, Sterckus, to action ; roused the Cardinal Archbishop of Malines ; and shaken the very bones of St. Runabold, over whom it is his privilege to be guardian. Here, then, in closest proximity to us, the work has been commenced. One priest has framed a prayer to save us from that Protestantism which has been anathematised by Mr. Ward ; and another has given his gracious sanction to the same, in order that neither we nor the author may lose any thing by an unfavourable censorship denouncing the composition. The hope of the disinterested gen tlemen who have framed, sanctioned, and offered it. up, is doubtless this—that other Popish countries will follow so good an example, and that finally it may reach that centre of Roman Cristendom whence may, thereupon, be expected to emanate those decisive decretals which are to marshal Mr. Oakeley and his followers the way that they are going. "PRAYER FOR THE CONVERSION OF ENGLAND. " Almighty God ! Father of Mercy ! thou who halt determined to save men, by faith, cast a propitious glance upon the kingdom of England. Disperse the darkness which heresy has spread there, and there make the torch of truth gleam in the eyes of her children, so that all may joyfully return into the bosom of our mother, the holy church, through our Lord Jesus Christ! So be it. "Holy Virgin, Mother of God, pray for England I " St. Peter and St. Paul, pray for her ! " St. Gregory, the Pope, and St. Augustine, the Apostle of England, pray for her ! " St. Thomas of Canterbury, holy martyrs, and holy Confessors of England, pray f)r her " Holy Virgins, and Widows of England, pray for her I " Deign to be moved, 0 Lord, by the prayers of your friends (sic.). Deliver your people; bless your heritage; and save those souls redeemed at the cost of the precious blood of your Divine Son, who liveth and reigneth with you for ev'r and ever. So be it." APPROVAL. "We give our sanction to the above prayer ; and, for every day on which it shall be devoutly repeated, we hereby grant a hundred days' indulgence (from the pains of purgatory). We accord the same favour to those who shall receive the holy communion, as well as to the priests who may celebrate mass with the like views (of bringing about the conversion of England). " We earnestly engage all who are of our diocese, and especially the priesthood, and the members of reli gious societies, to be frequent in prayer for an object so important, and to especially dedicate the Thursdays to this work. (Signed) "ENGLEBERT, " Cardinal Archbishop of Malines. " Malines, 1844." -Church and State Gazette. THE WEST INDIA MAIL. SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 22.—The Thames, royal mail steam-ship, Lieutenant P. Hest, R.N., Commander, arrived this day, at ten o'clock, A.M., bringing the usual mails. Her dates of departure are :—Demerara, 18th Nov. ; Carthagena, 18th ; Trinidad, 20th ; Jamaica, 23d ; Barbadoes, 25th ; Grenada, 26th ; St. Thomas's Ist Dec. ; and Fayal, the 14th. The Thames brings home on merchants' account 72,788 dollars, 3,052 07a. of gold dust, 478 oz. of silver, 8501. British coin, 400 dollars' worth of pearls, and passengers. Her Majesty's ships Pique, Eurydice, and Rose were at Barbadoes at the time of the departure of the Thames. The Imaum and Scylla were at Jamaica, the Inconstant had gone to Vera Cruz, and her Majesty's steam-ship Styx was at Fayal. The royal mail steam-ship Tay, and City of Glasgow, were left lying at St. Thomas's. The Dee left Grenada on the 26th with the mails for Jamaica and Mexico. The Medway took the outward mails to Demerara. The whole of the West India Islands were generally in a very healthy state. The Governors of Trinidad and the Windward Islands were about to proceed to Jamaica to consult with Lord Elgin, on the expediency of forming a final settlement for the West India colonies. There is every prospect of good crops throughout the islands generally. The weather has not been so propitious for many years. The House of Assembly was sitting at Jamaica, but no particular business was 'being transacted. The same Company's steam-packet the Clyde, Captain Symmonds, will take out the Mexican and West India mails on the 2d of January. The Iberia steam-ship will leave the Docks on the 28th inst. for Malta and Alexandria, with the view of rendering complete the new arrangements for a twice a month communication with Egypt. The Pacha will take out the Peninsula mails on the 26th. The Oriental Company's steam ship Braganza, Captain Evans, will sail on the Ist of January for Constantinople, &c. ; she will take out the East India and China mails as far as Malta, whence they will be forwarded to Alexandria by the Iberia. The schooner Hervine, Wells master, from St. Michael's, bound for London, was forced by the strong easterly gales to put into Stoke's-bay on Friday. Orders were sent from London yesterday for the vessel to proceed to this port and discharge her cargo. The Hervine conse quently arrived in tho Docks this day, and the fruit will all be sent by railway to London to-morrow, and be sold in time for the Christmas demand ; thus decidedly proving the great advantage which this port offers to the fruit trade, and in all cases when dispatch is important. The Hervine will sail again for St. Michael's on Friday ; and in all probability, as the wind now is, will arrive there before she could have reached London with her pre sent cargo. DEATH OF LIEUTENANT-COLONEL CAMPBELL.— This well-known and much respected officer died at his residence at Creech, in Sutherland, on Friday week. Colonel Campbell was a native of the parish of Halkirk, Caithness, which he left at an early age to fight the battles of his country on foreign shores. Ho entered the army as ensign, in Sir John Sinclair's Fencibles, some time previous to the Irish rebellion, during which event ful period he accompa , ,ied and continued with his regi ment in that country. Some time afterwards he ob tained a commission in the 79th, in which regiment he served in Egypt. He was present at the siege of Copen hagen in 1807, accompanied Sir John Moore in the Peninsula, and fought with marked courage in the battle of Corunna, where his brave General fell. In 1809 he accompanied Lord Chatham into Holland, returned to and served in the Peninsula, until the battle of Toulouse in 1814. He returned to his native country in 1817, where he has ever since remained. About eight years ago he was raised from the rank of Major to that of Lieutenant-Colonel. His character as a soldier placed him in the highest position as brave and undaunted; and as an officer he was looked up by those under him with respect and esteem. Cool, dignified, skilful, and brave, Colonel Campbell won for himself golden honours. It is, however, a most remarkable fact, that, although engaged during service iu about thirty battles, ho never received a single scar. Once a ball penetrated his saddle, and on another occasion a ball went through cap, and in neither instance did the least injury occur to him. He was about seventy years of age.—Edinburgh Observer. REMOVAL OF THE LIGHTHOUSE AT ►SUNDERLAND. —This extraordinary work was undertaken in conse quence of the necessity that arose for lengthening the pier. A wooden cradle was fixed underneath the build ing, which weighs three hundred and thirty tons, and it was then moved on a temporary wooden railway a dis tance of seven hundred and seventy feet. The work was the more difficult in consequence of an angle round which the lighthouse had to be moved, and it had to be elevated nearly two feet above the level it previously oc cupied. The far greater part of the distance was ac complished in thirteen hours, after all the preparations had been completed. The lighthouse did not deviate in th• least from the perpendicular during the removal, and the , gas lights were kept burning all the time.—The' Builder. PRIZE MONET.—Notice is given to the officers and company of her Majesty's brig Waterwitch, Lieutenant Matson, that they will be paid their respective propor tions of prize money for the undermentioned slave , vessels, on the Tuesday after Christmas-day :—Tonnage bounty for Cabaco, seized March 14, 1840. Slave bounty for Andorinha, seized May 28, 1840. Tonnage bounty for Doze d'Autobro, or name unknown, seized November 13, 1840. Slave and tonnage bounties for brigantine, name unknown, seized April 3, 1843. Hull, stores, and tonnage bounty for Almeida, seized April 27, 1843. The Queen -Dowager has caused the liberal sum of 20!. to be transmitted to Truro, in aid of the fund for the completion of St. Paul's Church, St. Clement's. Her Majesty has also handsomely subscribed towards the restoration of the ancient churoh of St. Mary tie Crypt, in Gloucester. ENGLISH THEATRICALS IN PARIS. —The English company in Paris continues to attract crowded audiences. On Friday the second representation of Othello was very crowded, Amongst these present was the Duke of Aiontpensier, accompanied by the Count de la :Tour du Pin, besides a great number of the first people in Paris, The French portion of the audience becomes daily more numerous. The Earl of Chesterfield has accepted the steward ship of the forthcoming Lichfield races, which are ap pointed to take place ea the first Tuesday after Doncaster races, LITERATURE. LUGOL ON SCROFULA. Clurrchih, London, 1844. This is a translation from the French, and the gen tleman to whom we are indebted for the version is Dr. Ranking, physician to the Suff.:lk General llos pital. The work contains a most copious and circum stantial account of the origin and progress of scrofula, of its hereditary transmission, of the causes which are chiefly instrumental in producing it, and of the best mode of treatment for the prevention and eradication of this distressing malady. The author has investi gated his subject with uncommon care, and given several curious cases of hospital patients i❑ illustra tion of some of the leading positions which he has laid down. According to him, scrofula is a far more general complaint than it is usually supposed to be, and is almost always found connected more or less with tubercular consumption. Those afflicted with it may, and sometimes do, live the average term of years, but by far the great majority of them die ere yet they have entered on the autumn of their life. The work is prefaced with an Introduction and an Essay on the treatment of the principal varieties of scrofula, both of which are from the pen of the translator. KNIGHT'S WEEKLY VOLUME. Part 26. C. Knight, London, 1844. The present Part of this cheap weekly Miscellany contains the third and closing volume of " Craik r s History of British Commerce," from the earliest times down to the present day, when the spirit of English commercial enterprise pervades the whole world. The author is of opinion that our modern system, both of manufactures and trade, in most of its leading branches, my be regarded as taking its rise from the commenceing portion of the reign of George the Third, and then proceeds to discuss the question, which he does with learning and acutene ss . The work—as we observed when speaking of the two former volumes—is reprinted, with corrections and additions, from the " Pictorial History of England." TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Szn,—l think the following paragraph, from the Liverpool Standard, so significant as to deserve a pro minent place in the columns of The Sun, and, more over, the most serious attention of the friends of the Established Church in this country. When we hear, as we do continually, of the munificent gifts of Roman Catholics, Unitarians, and Dissenters, for the support of the public worship of Almighty God, in the manner they severally deem the most proper ; when we ob serve that they can find money to erect large, costly, and beautiful temples of religion, how truly con temptible, paltry, and disgraceful does the infliction on the people of the halfpenny and farthing Offer tory, appear I When the Pope and Socinus are prowling about the fold, it is madness on the part of the Shepherd of Canterbury to worry and scatter his sheep. A CATHOLIC CHRISTIAN. "The Unitarians of Hyde are now contemplating the erection of a chapel of more than uncommon magnificence, and, judging from present appearances, in the way of donations, the plan IA ill undoubtedly be fully realised. The Messrs. Ashton, of Hyde, four brothers, have, it is understood, given 1,0001. each; Mr. Thornley, of Godley, 500/. ; and Mr. Randle, of Hibbert, 300/. ; to say nothing of smaller sums. It is intended to raise, b 7 voluntary subscriptions, the large sum of 10,0001. ' Mr. Kemp, of Kemptown, died suddenly at Paris on Friday. He was in the 61st year of his age. '1 he Duke of St. Albans, the Earl of Yarborough, Lord Worsley, M.P., Earl Brownlow, the Earl of Hare rowby, the Earl of Dysart, Sir John Nelthorpe, Bart., Sir Robert Sheffield, Bart, Sir Montague John Cholme ley, Bart., Sir William Earl Welby, Bart., Sir J. C. Thorold. Bart., Mr. C. Turnor, M.P., Mr. G. J. Beath cote. M.P., are among the members who are about to establish an association for the general protection of property against incendiarism in the county of Lincoln. THE GAME PRESERVING.—Odious as the life of a poacher may be, farmers have no cause to regret their nightly visits; but, on the contrary, woul.l, no doubt, be very glad if they were to carry off the entire " surplus" game. SAVINGS Basms.—Although the late Act of Par liament regarding savings' banks has but been in opera tion barely a month, much discontent is manifesting itself in respect to the rates of interest now allowed to depositors. Some banks allow 31. Fer cent., others 9 1. 18s. 4d., and others 2L 15s. 6d. The Government only now allows to trustees 21.(55. per cent., to pay de positors' interest, and all demands upon them for neces eery salaries, for rents and taxes, and for all incidental charges. With all this before us, the Government, from the produce of savings' banks, has an immen e sum in their hands called " surplus money." The reduction which has been made in the interest (and especially where only the lesser rates are allowed) will be a serious loss to those classes of individuals for v► hose convenience and advantage savings' banks were established. THE UNITED STATES AND CANADA —LIVERPOOL, SUNDAY.—The next steamer, which, we anticir ate, will arrive here on Sunday next, will, should there be no intermediate arrival with late dates, bring important advices from the United States. The day appointed for the meeting of Congress is Monday, the 2d of December, but a quorum would not, it was thought, be assembled before the middle of the week. We may conclude, therefore, that the last annual message which President Tyler's term of office will allow him to issue, and which will, of course, strenuously advocate the annexation of Texas, would be delivered about the 6th instant. The Whigs had a majority of four in the Senate—a majority considered sufficient to prevent the accomplishment of annexation, or any other democratic measure, should they be firm and steadfast in their opposition. Their policy in that respect was, however, a doubtful question; and, until it is decided, no opinion entitled to any weight can be given as to the prospects of the future. From Canada we shall have the meeting of the new Provincial Parliament, appointed for the 28th ult., and the opening speech of Sir Charles Metcalf, which is looked forward to with great interest. The packet-ship Hottinguer, which arrived off Holyhead on Wednesday week, reached the river on Thursday night last, having been upwards of a week vainly endeavouring to enter. The easterly winds which delayed her arril al continue, and the docks are extremely bare of shipping. The Court of France is enchanted with the Duchess* d'Aumale, who has won the hearts of all about her. Though somewhat below the middle size, the Princess is exceedingly elegant in her deportment, affable and courteous in her manners, and is said to coins bi great instruction with good natural talents. The Duc d'Aumale piques himself on being the father of hie own marriage, for the Princess is known to have been his own unbiassed choice.—Court Journal. THE WEATHER AND TUE PARES.—ACCIDENTS ON THE ICE —The frost within the last two days has set in with great severity, with a cutting wind from the south east. The rapid thaw which commenced on Sunday week had not entirely destroyed the ice on the orna mental water in the Regent's Park, when the frost again set in, and yesterday the frozen surface was of sufficient strength to bear. The ice, however, was in a most dan gerous condition, and, despite the endeavours of the men belonging to the Royal Humane Society, a great number of skaters persisted in going CR. As already stated, the ice was very dangerous, being full of cracks, and in detached pieces, and it was not a little amusing to see a dozen skaters on a piece of ice surrounded by water. To get off, the skaters had to jump across the chasm. and owing to the inconvenience of skates, generally jumped in amidst the shouts of thousands who lined the banks. To prevent persons from going on, the ice had been broken away all round the edges to a distance of two yards. This was no preventative, for many waded up to their knees in water to get in rather than be de barred from the pleasure of skating. About one o'clock, a young man, named George Thornton, residing in King-street, Somers-town, became immersed up to his neck, but was speedily rescued by means of one of the breaker ladders. He was carried to the marquee be longing to the Royal Humane Society, and having been supplied with dry clothing, was enabled to proceed home. Several other immersions took place during the day, but of no importance, The number of skaters upon the ice at any one time during the day did not exceed sixty ; but. the number of persons on the banks was far greater than on any day this winter. The ornamental water in St. James's Park was frozen over, but not of sufficient strength, and no one had the temerity to venture: on it. The Serpentine wes not at all frozen. In Kensington-gar dens the Round-pond:was frozen over, but not to bear. The beauty of the day, however, caused a great number of persons to visit the parks, &c. At the receiving house last evening the mercury stood at 32. In the morning it was as low as 30 ; the barometer at 30 denoting a conti nuance of fair weather, with the wind blowing stee n ey, from the E.S.E. Mr. Donald Horne, from the office of her Ma jesty's Works, has been inspecting the locality of the ancient and Royal Palace of Linlithgow, between Glas gow and Edinburgh. This famed mansion has lately undergone extensive repairs and embellishments under the sanction and at the expense of Government. Mr. Home has fully confirmed the ancient right of the public to free access round the loch. JOHN APGREGOR, ESQ., OF THE BOARD OF TRADE. —Among the guests at the dinner to Sir Henry Pot tieger, last evening, was Mr. M`Gregor, one of the joint assistant secretaries of the Board o f T ra d e . W e believe this gentleman will remain a day or two in Manchester. He is staying at the Queen's Hotel. —Manchester Guardian. EXTRAORDINARY INSTANCE OF FELINE FECUN DITY AND LONGEVITY.—The baker at Burghley has recently suffered a bereavement in the death of a cat, which was kittened in 1827, and died on Friday the 13th inst., in the eighteenth year of her age : She ha s g i ven birth to 360 kittens, the last of which is now lining, and one of the finest of the feline race, weighing - upwards of two stone.—Lincolnshire Chronicle. His Excellency Sir Eardly Wilmot has appointed Mr. Roderick O'Connor, a brother of F earges , to a seat in the Legislative Council at Hobart Town.—Southern Reporter. The Journal des Debals announces that OR the 14th inst. the regicide Tschech, who attempted to assassinate the King of Prussia, was executed at Spandau, where he had been conveyed under an escort of cavalry. The King had remitted that part of his sentence which stated that he was to be broken on the wheel. FALL OF SNOW IN SPAIN.—A Madrid letter of the 13th says—" The city is covered with snow a foot in depth. It is ten years since we had anything of the, kind. From Barcelona, the 12th, we learn that there has been a heavy fall of snow in that city, and that the cold was intense."