The Sun. — London, England, 1836-05-25 00:00:00

Stance s were discovered, in which articles had been sold free the d oc k- yar d b y t h e res id ent eng i neer an d store ke ep er , and no account rendered to the Post-off i ce of the Produce of these sales. We found it necessary, in conse 'Aenee of the communication which we received from our Secretary of these frauds and other irregularities, to re _.lllo:roend to your Lordships that some trust-worthy person 7 2,0 ht be immediately sent down to Holyhead to take charge t that establishment. b r raft 111‘Kni g ht h av i ng b een recommended by the Admi as a very e ffi c i en t officer for this service, was directed Inc Postmaster-General, in the first instance, to inves slgate in how far the cases affecting the resident engineer _and stor e -k eeper were to b e a tt r ib u t e d t o f rau d or inaccu _ r a eY, whe n i t appeare d f rom hi s R e p or t th a t h e c ompletely co ncurred i n t h e conc l us i on t o w hi c h we had come from the baying made to us, that there was no doubt as to frauds 'aving been committed by both the officers in question. also directed Captain Evans and Mr. Gardiner to make -a special report of the state in which they had found shi e Holyh ea d s t a ti on , w hi c h we laid before your Lord- Ps ; at the same time recommended that the resident e ngineer and storekeeper should be immediately discharged. We have received a report of the survey of Mr. M'Knight, and now lay it before your Lordships, together with his evid ence. I It has b een i mposs ibl e t o trace the extent to which peen :" has been carried, but from the statement he gives , ere is every reason to suppose it must have been consi siderable. He says that " the accounts of the receipts and Issues are so complicated as to afford no check on the re- I nains in store ; not one half of the things that are in the establishment being made any return of whatever." I‘l Mr, ‘Knight also states that he has clearly proved an overcharge of 1,000 tons of coals a year to the packets ; but with respect to the other stores, he could find, in many e ases, no books or accounts showing what remained, and " that, although he found by his survey what actually re- Thaiaed, be could not tell what ought to have remained." Since the report of Mr. M'Knight on the deficiency of coals at Holyhead, the agent there has requested that the P ostmaster-General will permit an allowance to appear in the accounts for waste, stating as the ground for this appli cation, " that it is a well-known fact' that the wastage in alit; article, especially when it is exposed to the open air, is Very great." If this statement of the agent's was correct, it would in Borne measure account for the great overcharge in coals ; Y the practice ur,iversally adopted in the Admiralty Yards, andthe opinion of private dealers, prove that there is no waste in issuing coals, but that, on the contrary, the reasons assigned by Captain Bevis (the present agent) as Praducing waste, would rather have made a surplus in the measurement. , We have also received another communication from the sate agent, accounting for the deficiency in coals, by sup- Posing that the quantity had been calculated in the survey by a different measure from that by which they were deli vered into store. It appears, however, from Mr. 111‘Knight's evidence, that he used the identical tubs or measures on the SUrvey which had been before used in the delivery of the coals into store, and did not make his calculations with reference to the cubic contents of either the Imperial or Winchester bushel. The four colliers which have been kept at Holyhead have been attended with a very considerable expense, amounting to 10,8021. 13s. 41d. in the last five years. The master and crews do not receive wages, but are Paid 3s. 3d. for every ton of coals they deliver. The system of keeping vessels for the conveyance of the Coals appear to us very injudicious ; as we have no doubt that they could be obtained at less expense by contract. We agree with the opinion expressed by the Commis sioners of Revenue Inquiry, " that vessels retained for such Purposes, whether employed or not, must require a super intendence quite foreign to the duties of the Post Office, which could only be properly exercised by distinct esta blishments, and that in the employment of them much op portunity of abuse must be afforded." With respect to the various kinds of oil, a large quantity of which is required for the packets, we find that irregu larities have taken place, a full account of which will be found in the evidence appended to this Report. In establishing steamers on the Holyhead station, in 1822, the P os t Office did not follow the recommendations at that rime made by the most eminent engineers of the day, with re spect to the power and class of vessels best suited for the service. Improvements have, from time to time, been made is the Holyhead packets, but they are deficient in power, and some of them, as appears from the statements of the Commanders, inferior in other respects. The last new ves sel, the Gulnare, which was built in one of the Admiralty Yards, in point of strength and construction was superior to any of the other packets, but the power is not well propor tioned to the tonnage of the vessel. The comfort and accommodation of passengers, which has been so much attended to in the construction of the Li verpool packets, in consequence of the opposition of the pri vate companies, does not appear to have been sufficiently regarded at Holyhead. We find it stated in the evidence aone of the commanders, " that the accommodation at pre sent is very inferior, especially for ladies,—very little atten tion has been paid to their comfort ; and the Holyhead Packets do not even carry a female steward, which every merchant vessel, carrying passengers, does." The stewards receive no salary, but expect a gratuity of 'I. 6d. from each passenger. On the Liverpool station the st eward's fee is included in the fares. We consider the lil'actice of employing stewards without a salary, and re !luirinc.- passengers to pay them, to be liable to much ob- Jection. consequence of having committed a series of frauds on the tradesmen employed for the supply of stores. The system appeared to have been extremely irregular. Mr. Richard son was employed in trade himself—" he had considerable business as a shipping agent, and at one time had two steamers of his own. Great part of the Post Office ac counts were mixed up with his own private transactions." The Liverpool packets have greater power and are of a better class than any others belonging to the Post Office, and the accommodation for passengers is of the best de scription. Mr. Williams, the Chairman of the Dublin Steam Packet Company, states—" Two of the packets are conceived by the public now to be inadequate, though at first they were not so ; and that impression has arisen out of the change of public feeling as to the size and power requisite for packet vessels." Captain Philipps and Captain Emerson, the commanders of these two packets, are " decidedly of opinion that unless these two vessels are replaced by others of a superior class, the Post Office re venue must suffer greatly by any private Company placing packets on the line, which they have reason to expect is now contemplated. The average passage of the Etna and Comet, is fourteen hours and twenty minutes. With su perior vessels, the passage would not average twelve hours." The receipts from the Post Office packets between Li verpool and Dublin must always be very precarious, in conse quence of private Companies having powerful steamers on that line ; and, as the private steamers depend principally on the freight, and not on passengers, they are enabled to oppose successfully the Post-office packets, by establishing a-low rate of fares. Mr. Freeling, with a view to prevent hostile competition, entered into an arrangement, on the part of the Post-office, with the City of Dublin Company in 1826. The terms of this arrangement are stated to have been, that " the Com pany were not to lay themselves out for cabin passengers, but to consider their principal business to consist in the conveyance of merchandise, cattle, and deck passengers." The Post-office agreed to confine their packets exclusively to the conveyance of cabin passengers, and to carry all proprietors of the City of Dublin Company free of ex penie. The Post-office seem to have adhered strictly to the terms imposed upon them, and, up to the 31st of October 'last, had conveyed 11,313 persons free of charge, as proprietors of the City of Dublin Company. The num ber of free passengers has been increasing every year, and considerably exceeded, in ten months of last year, the total number in any one of the former years. The terms on the part of the City of Dublin Company are not very de finite ; but, whatever may have been their precise import, the Company has, since the period when the arrangement was entered into, advertised for cabin passengers, and occa sionally fixed their fares at about one-half what the Post , office charged. _ _ This arrangement may have been advantageous to the revenue, and had the effect of preventing injurious competi tion ; but we are of opinion that it is most objectionable that a public department should be placed in such a posi tion as to render it necessary to enter into an agreement of this nature with private individuals. The improvements in steam navigation, and the strong feeling of The public in favour of saving time, has led the private companies to increase the power of their engines ; and all the new steam vessels that are at present building are intended to have a much larger power than even 12 or 18 months ago was thought advisable. The steam-vessels at 'Liverpool now building for carrying goods, will, in this respect, be very superior to the Post Office packets. It be comes, therefore, necessary to consider whether it would be expedient on the part of the Government to build new vessels for the Liverpool station, or take advantage of the improvements which have been made, by entering into a contract with a private Company. If suffi cient notice was given of the intention of the Government to throw open any part of the packet service to contract, we have reason to believe that there would be a sufficient competition to insure the contract being taken on terms very advantageous to the Government, as compared with the present expensive esta blishment. It has been represented to us, in a Memorial which we have received, " that it would be a very great convenience to th e public if an agent were appointed in Dublin for the Hol)bead mail-packets, at whose office berths could be secured by passengers, and from whom the information ne cessary for travellers could be obtained. 7 The Post-office have now an agent for the Liverpool packets in Dublin, and the interest which the commanders have in the receipts induces them also to take every pains to get passengers to go by their vessels. It might be well to appoint some per son, with a small salary, to give the necessary information With respect to the Holyhead steamers. W e have considered whether it would be advisable to discontinue the morning packet between Holyhead and Kingstown, but are not prepared to propose to your Lord ships any change which would render this station less effi cient than it is at present. The day-mail from Kingstown to Holyhead insures the arrival of all the correspondence from the interior of Ireland in time for the despatch to London by the mail of the following morning, whilst the Dublin correspondence, which is conveyed by the night Packet, is delayed, in consequence of late arrivals, about twenty times a-year on the average. We should not,how ever, on this account, nor for the sake ofthe correspondence alone arriving by the Chester mail, deem it necesrary to tnaintain a double line of packets from Holyhead to l ingstown ; but when we consider the large sums of money that have been expended on the Holyhead road and bar our, in or der to improve the communication between this country and the seat of government in Ireland, we certainly hesitate to suggest to your Lordships a reduction in the e stablishment at Holyhead, which might prove a great in- C onvenience to passengers, without producing any corres- Ponding reduction in the expenditure. We, therefore, re commend the continuance of the morning packet. We 'would, at the same time, call your Lordships' attention to the evidence of Sir Henry Parnell, relative to establishing a regular communication between London and Dublin every twelve hours. We have reason to suppose that such an arrangement might be effected without much expense by means of one of the post-coaches. We have received various returns connected with the 1 01yhead station, but, from the manner in which the ac count were kept, we fear they cannot be entirely depended 111) °e• This observation, we regret to say, applies to many of the returns connected with the packet estimates. From t he statements of the receipts and expenditure since the e stablishment of steamers on the station, it would appear that up to the year 1826, when the Post Office established Packets of their own at Liverpool, the receipts at Holyhead consider a bly exce eded the expenditure. From 1821 to 182 7. the total receipts amounted to 99,6041. 13s. 10d., .1 , 411 4 ., the expenditure to 69,494/. 3s. 7d. From 1827 to ' 36 , the receipts have been 98,0481. 3s. 2d.—the expen diture 217,787/. 7s. 4d., leaving a loss of 119 , 739 /. 4 s. 2 d . r , We have also thought it right to insert two letters from ir n aPtain Goddard, the late agent at Holyhead, to Mr. Free g--although they did not appear to us to impugn, in ZY material respect, the animadversations which have en mad e on the manner in which that establishment was conducted. LIVERPOOL. The Commissioners of Revenue Inquiry investigated all ( 1 / 4 36 circumstances which led to the establishment of Post 4 f fi,(=e packets in Liverpool. On referring to their Report, t he fairing into consideration the means which existed for co me conveyance of the mails by private steamers, we have t he to the conclusion that it would have been greatly to Ill me interest of the revenue to have accepted the proposals „„ a de by the City of Dublin Company in 1826. The C0m '41,34137, at that time, were willing to undertake the convey ce Of the mail from Liverpool to Dublin, leaving the Ouneration of such service to the consideration of the 11 5 of the Treasury, should it merit any beyond the re lation of certain harbour and light dues rethittad to ,rpackets carry i ng t h e ma il s . Cp n A he expense of this station , since the y ear 1826, has ex en—ued the receipts by 59,0881. 4s. 41d. ; and the original i st el th e f our ma il packets and the tender amounted to l ati ." ,, ° a/- 12s. 10d. Allowing only 10 pe r cent. on this f the sum for interest of money and deprecia tion in value 14 0 e 'vessels,. the total expense would a vera g e nearl y i t. "/• a year. the w as impossible to mike any investigation relative to ac counts at this station, as the books had been removed • Richardson, who was dismissed some month ago in We directed our secretary to make some inquiries on this subject at Liverpool and the Clyde ; and refer to the communications made to him with respect to the convey ance of the mails from Liverpool ; in one of which the ma nager of City of Dublin Company says—" I would pro pose, for the purpose of avoiding the great expenditure on the present mail packet establishment, which so far exceeds its receipts, and the object being to save the expense of maintaining that establishment in Liverpool, that this Company would undertake to work the present Post Office vessels, and perform the identical service now per formed by them, and in an equally efficient manner, without any expense whatever to the Post Office, beyond that of their agents in Liverpool and Dublin. As, however, two of the present mail packets are of inferior power and efficiency, and it would be necessary to supply their places with others, so as to be equal to any rival vessels that might be brought on the station, this Company would undertake the mail service with two only of the packets now in use (the Dolphin and Thetis), supplying from their own fleet as many additional - vessOtras the service would require." The commanders on this station have salaries of 4001. a-year, and an allowance of Qs. for each passenger they carry, " in accoidance with a private agreement entered into with Mr. Freeling." It is stated, that from these al lowances they find cabin attendance, and keep up the stock of cabin stores. Their total income derived from the Post Office exceeds considerably, that of the commanders on any other station, with the exception of Dover—in addition to which three of them receive half-pay as naval officers. Your Lordships will, from the returns, observe that the salaries of the agents and commanders at the different stations vary greatly, nor do they appear to have been fixed with reference to the length of service, the rank of the officers, or the nature of the duty which they have to perform. We do not, however, wish to make any suggestions to your Lordships with respect to the proper remuneration for the officers employed in the packet service, being of opinion that the whole establishment must be entirely re modelled, and that all the minor arrangements ought to be made under the directions of the Board of Admiralty. THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, MAY 25, 1836. I'RICES OF CANALS, DOCK SI OCKS, ASSURANCE COMPANIES, &c.&c. &c. LONDON, TUESDAY, MAY 24.: Number Dividend - Price of per CANALS. Shares. Annum. Paid. a r ra. ~700 61 pct cent. Ashton and Oidliam....Ar erage 971. 18s. sh. 162 1,492 61. Ashby .de.le-Zoucti Average 113/. sh. 65 1,261 Basingstoke lOO4 sh. 51 1,0;15 5/. Brecknoce. and Ahergavenny 150. sh. 90 4,ooojsh. 121. 10s. Birmingham, 1-16th share l7l. 10s. 206 4.00.) Ditto and Liverpool Junct. -.1004 sh. all pd 301 600 . Bridgewater and Taunton ....100/. sh. all pd 64 400 W. Chelmer and Blackwater 100/. sli. 10° , 500 42/. Coventry 100/. sh. 775 4.546 Croydon Average 314 25.103. sh. 3 2,061: 3/. 10s. Dudley lOO/. sh. 78 600 6/. Derby 1 004 sh. 120 20,000 3,575! ......... Ellesmere and Chester Average 133/. sh. 84 231 43t, Erewash 100/. sh. 400 1,297 294 Forth and Clyde Average 4.0111.105. sh. 590 1. WI 12/. Grand .Tunc" - . .. On!. sh. 211 5%8491 'Grand Union IGO/. sh. 25 1,5,1 Grand Surrey lOO l. sh. 10,000/. 4/. per cent. Ditto (optional) Loan lOO/. 75 3,1196 Grand Western 600 13/. 12s. Rd. Glamorganshire, Average cost 1721. 1 1 4d. 230 1,960 Glouces t e r and Berkle y OO/. sh. 141 719 10t. Grantham 150/. sh. 202 3,238 1/. lOs Huddersfield Average 57/. 6s. 6d. sh. 32 100 Kensington 100 sh all pd. 10 1,3:29 IL Kennet and Avon, Average 391. B s. 10 d. sh. 10 1 2,877; 20/. Leeds and Liverpool 100/. sh. 510 515 121. Leicester Leicester and Northampt on-, Aver i gt . lit. 17498 907 41. 2,409 9/. Moinnouthshire 100/. sh. 192 251) 9/. Molten Mowbray 1001. sh. 200 500 251. Mersey and Irwell • 100/. sh. 530 3,000 Macclesfield 1001. sh. all pd. 54 247 15/. Neat li 1,786 32/. Oxford 100/. sh. 5911 52.2 2/, Oakham 130/. sh. )19 2,400 4/. Peak Forest Average about 781. sh. 104 31,418 14s. Regent's (or London) Aver. 33/. 16s. rd. sh. :71 5,6.19 5/, per cent. 'Rochdale Average 85/. sh. 120 500 8/, Sh ro p s hire /'25/. sh. 140 coo 10/. Somerset Coal 1501. sh. 160 45,000/. 61 percent. Ditto Lock Fund Stock l2/. 108. sh. 111 700 364 Stafford anti Worcester 14 0 /. sh. 690 500 11/. Sh rews bury 125/. sh. 245 300 Si. Stourbridge 3,647 11. 10s. Stratford-on-Avoli ...Average 79/. 9s. fed. sh. 421 533 13/. Swansea 1001. sh. 215 3,762 it. Severn and Wye and Railivay -.Av 35/. sh. 173 2,60e -L sr,. 112/.los. Trent and Mersey , f share 1001. sh. 595. 4 8,14) Thames and Medway...Aver. 19/. ss. Bd. sh. 2 1,0005h.l 151. War Wick and Birmingham. 100/. sh. 276 1,00040 Li 9"to 12,.. Warwick and Napton lOO/. sh. 216 6,000 3/. lOs Worcester and Birmingham-A v.78/.Bs. sh. h 2 5, 0 0 0 255. Wilts and Berks .. Average 671. 10s. Bd. sh. IS.I SOO . ~ pl. Wyrley and Essington ' 1257. sh 75 , 96 • .. ~ .. Wisbeach 945 Wey and Arun I10!.slk. 221 DOCKS. I, It. 2 . 69°8 ' 1 3 n c. C ommer cial 100/. sh, 1,06.50 h • •. 498,6674 4 per cent. East India Stock 3,238,3101/. 5 0 s. p. at. London Stock Ditto Bonds ,380,0001. Si. per ct. West India Stock 2:A.1 3!. Os. 4d. Bristol Average 147/. his. sh. 115,3241. 5/. per cent. Ditto Notes, various amounts 1.352,752 3 per cent. St. Katharine Stock 500,0034# per cent. Ditto Bonds 200,000 4 per cent. Ditto Bonds for 10 years Shoreham Harbour Deptford Pier ' l O/. sh. 31. pd • BRIDGES. 1,600 1!. Hammersmith 5O/. sh. 7,231 Southwark, 010 Av. 63/. 1.25. Bd. sh. 1,700 I/. 15s. Ditto, New, of 7#, per cent. 5O/. sh. 5,000 ... ...... Waterloo lOO/. sh. 5,000 1/. '2g. Ditto, Old Annuities of 8/. GO/. pi 5,000 Ills. 3d. Ditto, New Ditto of 71 40/. pd 60,000/. 51. per cent. Vitro Bonds 6,000 11. Vauxhall. Average 701. 10s. 3d. sh AS'URANCE COMPANIES. 9,000 3/ Ins Albion 50,000 r 5 per cent. / 500/. sh. 50/. pd Alliance, British & Foreign 1001. sh. 10/. pd and ss. 50,000 6 per cent. Ditto, Marine 100/. sh. 51. pd 24,000 $1 per sh. Atlas 501. sh. 5/. pd 1,200 ;sh. 4/. Birmingham Fire 20,000 4/ per cent. British Fire 2501. sh. 50/. pd 12,000 Cl. per cent. British Commercial 50/, sb. 51. pd 5,000 51. per cent. Clerical, Medical,&c. Life, ICO/. sh. 12/10s pd 4,000 2/ lOs County 100/. sh. 101. pd 10,000 ss. Eagle 5O/. sh. Si. pd o s. [5 per cent. -Ou and 30 , ba l Economic Life lOOO/. sh. 2501 . pd 375 2,271 54/. per cent. European Life 'kJ/. sh. all pd 22 50,000 ' os. Ditto, New 'O/. sh. 21. pd 11. I2s. ,000,0001. 71. per ct. Globe Stock 158 20,000 1/. Guardian 100/. sh. 201. pd 37t 40,000 Fire 5 p ct. - Hope [Lite 8 pct..] 50/. sh. 5/. pd 6 2,400 5!. 7s. 6d. Imperial Fire 5001. sh. 50/. pd 120 7,500 Os. Imperial Life 100/. sh. 10/. pd 10 13,158 10s.6d.'per sh. Indemnity Marine 1001. sh. 84 pd 17 2,020 31 108 Kest Fire 50/. sh. all pd 92 31. Ditto Life 79 10, 1, 00 16s. Law Life 100!. sh. 10/. pd 28 3,91)0 London, Fire .51 sh. 12!. 10. s. pd 15 1 000 30,0J0 1,1. per cent. Palladium Life 50/. sh. 2!. pd 217 s 6d 51 ', 00) Is. lid. Protet for File 0 0/. O. 2/. pd 1118. Od 2,500 17. Provident Life lOO/. sh. 10/. pd Bli 100 , 000 ss. Rock Life 0 01. sh. 2/. NI 73 689,2204 51. per coat. Royal Exchange Stock... 202 Sun 2lO _ _ _ 2.500 23 41 14 3} IS 6,000 5 per cent. University Life lOO/. sh. 5/. pd 50,000 4 per cent. United Kingdom Life 9./. pd JOINT STOCK BANKS 5,000 Australasia 4O/. sh. 441. pd 10 , 000 10 per cent. Bank of Birmingham s('l. sh. 10/. pd 10 , 00 0 Inner cent. Birmingham Bank . . 5O/. sh. W. pd 18,0 1 5) 2 per cent. London and Westminster...lool sh. 15/. pd 3,000 Lancaster lOW. sh. 20/. pd 25010 6 per cent. Liverpool 100/ sh. 101. pi 30,000 74 per cent. Manchester and Liverpool/ 100/. sh. 10/ pd Discount 96 , 0 0 0 6 per cent. Manchester 100/. sh. 20/ pd 20,000 b per cent. Provincial Bank o f Ireland 100/. sh. 25/. pd 20 , 1 10 5 per cent. National Bank of Ireland s°l. sh. 1241. pd 10,000 .... ... N a ti ona l Provincial Eng. lOO/. sh. '251. pd .. . 9,000 10 per cent. Gloucestershire 5O/. sh. 7 51. p 6,000 GAS LIGHT AND COKE COMPANIES. 500 1/ 12s Bath 2O/. sh. 1 0 /. pd 5,000 61. per cent. British 4O/. sh. 164 pd E''. cW.per cent./ Ditto Provincial 20 2 . sh. 19 pd 814 5/ lOs Birmingham 5O/. sh. 4,250 2/ Os Bristol Bright Brighton 1,500 9 01. sh. 750 Ditto, New 2,471 5 per cent. Brighton General 90/. sh. all pd 4,000 3/. Continental Cansolidated lOO/. 5111.1x1 1,000 10?. City of London lOO/. sh. all pd 1, 0 00 61. Ditto, New 4,000 4/. 10s. Equitable 101. pd 0, 1 00 5/. percent. Imperial 5O/. sh. SOO 51. per cent. Isle of Thanet 25/. sh. 20/. pd 2,350 6/. per cent. Independent 3O/. sh. all pd 1,5( 1 0 74 per cent. Leeds 'V sh. 2+lo pd 0,000 3/. per cent. Phoenix 50/. sh. 39/. pd 1,000 4/. per cent. Itateliff lOOl. sh. 60/. pd 4,90 South Metropolitan 5ll. sh. 13/. pd 8,200 5/. per cent. United General 5O/. sh. 45/. pit 24') 51. per cent. Warwick 501. sh. 400 81. per cent Wakefield 2000 3/. Westminster Chartered 5O/. sh. 6,001, 1 2 Ditto, New 5O l. sh. 10/ . pd PCO Yarmouth 20/. sh. 181. pd WATER WORKS. 4,300 Birmingham 9 51. sh. 25/. pd 4,433 51. East London lOO/. sh. 4,500 2/ lOs Grand Junction ....Average 411 13s. 4(1. sh. 2,000 2/. Kent 100/. sh. 3'S 10/. Liverpool Bootle 9 20/. sh. 1,500 2/ 103 New diver London Bridge Water Annuities 6,400 I/. Manchester and Salford 1,900 4 per cent. S.itith London 100/. sh. a,'loo 31. West Middlesex .... Average 63/. 12s. Pd. sh. 1,360 I/ 14s YorkIRON BuildinßAg W Co. Lessee Prop 100/. sh. ILAYS. Aylesbury 9 0/. sh. I/. pd. Birmingham, Bristol, and Thames Junction Bristol and Exeter :ii 660 Bolton and Leigh lOO/. sh. 11,000 Calcutta and Saugur 5O/. sh. 2/. pd. 2,000 Clarence lOO/. eh. 1001. lid 2,500 19s. Forest of Dean SOL pd 50,003 ((rand Junction 1001. sh. 40/. p i 30,000 Great Western lOOl. sh. 20/. pd 2,000 Ilartlepool 100 /. sh. 100/. p d 2100 Hull and •;elby 5O/. sh. 5/. pd 2,100 Leeds and Selby 1,500 Leicester and Swannington ....501. sh. all pd 5,100 9 per cent. Liverpool and Manchester...lool. sh. 100/. pd Ditto Quarter Shares "5/. pd Loughborough London and Brighton lOO/. sh. 5/ pd Ditto ditto (Gibbs') ...201. sh. I/ pd Ditto ditto (Rennie) London and Blackwall 50/. sh. 31. pd London and Dover 50/. sh. 1/. pd 30,000 London and Gravesend 20/ sh 1/. pd 20,000 3 per cent. London and Greenwich 2ll/. eM. '2O/. pd 25,000 London and Birmingham ...1001. sh. 60/. pd 20,000 London and Croydon 5/. pd 20,000 Northern and Eastern lO O/. sh. 51. lid 12,500 ... ...... North Midland lOO/. sh. 5/. pd 2,600 Preston and Wyre 50/. sh. 3/. pd I,i 00 61. per cent. Stockton and Darlington IOW. sh. 8,000 6,000 York and North Midland 5O/. sh. 1/. pd MINES. 8,000 Albion Copper 51. sh. 3/. pd 4,000 Alten 15/. sh. 10/. lOs pd 1(5,000 ... ..... Anglo Mexican, iss. 5/. pm.... 1001. sh. all pd Ditto Subscription ,151. pd 801.,n0s l5Ol. sh all pd Brazilian Imp. iss. 5/. inn. 35/. sh. 20/. pit Macaubas et Cocacs United °5l. 81).22/. pd Ditto St. John Del Rey 20/. sh. 84/. pd 10,000 Bolivar Copper Company. 9 01. sh. 201. IA 10,000 ........., Ditto Scrip 4/. pd %0,0111 11. 10s. British Iron 50/. sh. 5 0 / pd 6,000 British Copper 5/. sh. 3//. pd 11,000 Cata Branca 6 11/. lid Candonga 74/. lid Copiapo • 20/. sh 124/ pd Conimbian, iss. 5/. pm. English ., 12/ Its. pd General Mining Association...2o/. sit. 15L pd Mexican Company 104. sh 51,1. pd Polberou Consols lll. sh. 84 pd Real del Monte, Unregistered I)itto Loan Notes l5O/. pd United Mexican, iss. '2 pm ....401. sh. all Lid Ditto Scrip Ditto Subscription 2l. pd Ditto New Scrip 5l pd Union Gold, iss. 21.55. pm.... 24/. sh. 44/. pd West Cork 501. sh. 50/. pd LITERARY INSTITUTIONS. London, with Bronze Ticket 75gs. sh. London University 10(11. sh. all pd Russell 25gs. sh. King' College 100/. pd MISCELLANEOUS. 1 0 ,000 10s. Australian Agricultural....loo/. sh. 2F1 1. pd 1,010 1/. Auction Mart 5/. eh. 11,11iin British American Land Company l3/. pd 10,000 61 per cent. Canada Company 1001. sh. 20/. pcl 200,000 51. per cent. Upper Canada Loan City Bonds, .4 per cent 15,000 11. per cent. General Steam Navigation ...151. sh. 13/. pd 101. per cent. Hudson's Bay Stock 11. London Com. Sale Rooms Av. 75/. sh l9 New Brunswick Land Company 9 81 pd 254 2,754 5/. per c,nt. Reversionary Interest 50c...100/. sh. 100/. pd 1324 2,633 51. per cent. Ditto New 100/. sh. 45/. pd 771 4,000 10,001) Van Diemet.'s Land 1001, sh. 171. pd 15 2,5n0 7,500 70 1441. 10,000 45,000 12,000 2,000 I 0,000 31. 6,01.0 10 MO 8.500 2;a.',0 `20,000 ......... 6,155 2,000 11,500 ......... 30,000 5,( 00 1,000 1,500 700 l' i 38 4 pm. Iti3 16; 2,000 LIST OF SCOTTISH COMPANIES' PRICES, MAY 14, 1636. BANKS. 1 . 500 ,n0 1 :. 61. p. ct. Bank of Scotland 83/. 6s. &1. sh. all pd 2041. 2,000,0 Y/. 51 p. et. Royal of Scotland 1001. sh. all pd 1704, 500,01(1. sp. et. British Linen COmpany lOO/.sh. all pd 240/. 3,00004 - 1. 61. p. et. Commercial 5OO l. sh. 1001 180/. 5.000 , 0(01. sp. et. National lOOl. sh. 101. pit 1531. 2,00' 1 ,0 0 0/. 41. p. ct. Glasgow Union 251 1 1. sh. 50!. pd 624 t,000,. - 0_ M. 4p. ct. Western of Scotland 2OOl. sh 301. p 4 371. INSURANCE COMPANIES .251 mons!). p. ct. Scottish Union .................. 20/. sh. I/. pd 25s - ,500 sp. et. Hercules 1001. sh. 101. pd 141 Os. 1'x,058) sp. et. Insurance Co. of Scotland ....10/. sh..all pd '7l Os. 50,000 -6 p. et. North British 2004 sh. 101. pd 151. 1 ,000 sp. et. •Caledonian Fire.. ............. 100/. sh. 101. pd 151105 5,000 ti p. et. Edinburgh 1 are lOO/. sh. 10/. pd 14/105 100,000 4p. ct. West of Scotland lol.lxl W los MISCELLANEOU S Ellin, and Glas Un. Cana1...501..h. all pd 02/. Ditto Allocated ................. 1 ) 6 1. sh. all pd 651. 5 , 1 00 5 per cent. Eilinb..Joint Stock Water.... 25/. sh. all pd Carron . Iron Company 27)1. sh. all pd 450/. oeosh. 15 per cent. Shotts Iron Founder)' Sash. 3q. pc! 2 SI. 0 , 00 0 3 per cent. Edinburgh & Leith Glass - 20/. sh. 16/. pd 4,500 10 per cent. Edinburgh Coal Gas 25/. sh. all pd 65/. 4,47.0 1 Oper cent. Glasgow Gas 25 /. sh. all pd 601. 30 6 per cent. Leith Coat Gas ' , Mali. all pd 371. 1 ,2 0 0 5 per cent. Edinburgh and nalkeith Railway...so/. sh. (101. .1 5 000 51 per cent .Equitable LOP't Company 251 sh. 0/. pd ICI. 4,910 SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. If our space permitted such an arrangement, we might easily dispose of the arguments ! put forth from day to day by the Tory journals, in defence of the mis chievous policy of the House of Lords, and in oppo sition to the wish for a reformation of that House— which is unquestionably striking deep root in the public mind—by quoting their respective lucubrations against each other. For instance, the Morning Herald asserts, with wonted self-complacency, that " the Ministerial journals are labouring in their °vocation ; they are fol lowing up the course chalked out on the night of the adjournment, by advocating the reformation, in other words, the abolition, of the House of Lords ;" while the Times assures its readers, that " the more respect able of the Ministry would undoubtedly fall away from the faction, if the destruction of the Peers were made the war cry !" The obvious inference from this col lision of opinion between the journals in the pay of the corruptionists is, that they know not what they say, and that they write on without any other object than the upholding of tyranny and abuse, and the vilification of his Majesty's Ministers ters. According to " Grandmamnia," the Ministry are anxious to destroy the House of Lords ; but if the authority of the renegade be of any weight in the matter, Ministers, at least " the more respectable" portion of the Cabinet, are prepared to stand by the " order" and to uphold all and every its hereditary privileges. Again, if we are to rely upon the dogma of the first-named paper, the H use of Lords is so constituted, its timbers are so frail, that a touch of the COURT OF CHANCERY.-TUESDAY finger of reform reduces the whole building to ashes ; though the second advocate of their Lordships—which formerly menaced their most Noble and Right Ho _ _ nourable heads with bludgeons and brickbats because they presumed to question the propriety of a reforma tion of the House of Commons—draws clearly the distinction between a reform and a destruction of a hereditary chamber, and yet the same journal in a re cent number, grossly and wilfully misrepresented the language of Mr. Sheil, and the avowed object of the Learned Gentleman in organizing an associa tion in Ireland, in order again to extort that justice for his countrymen from the fears of the Torv-majo rity in the Upper House, which again they have re fused to concede to reason. Mr. &fell distinctly stated that he did not desire the destruction of the Peerage ; and with equal emphasis he declared his belief that without doing any violence to the Patrician order, a method could - easily be devised whereby the privileges of the Peers might be preserved, and, at the same time, their just rights obtained for the people. We confess we do not comprehend the pro cess by which the Hon. and Learned Member for Tipperary hopes to effect his twofold purpose ; but with that part of the subject we do not now intend to grapple. Our object here is to point out what Mr. Sheil did really say, and, by contrasting the truth with the fabrication of the Times, which had the boldness to assert that the object of the present agitation in Ireland, the real authors of which are the Tory Peers, is the destruction of the House of Lords, to mark the utter weakness of that cause which rests solely upon personal abuse, and glar ing misrepresentation. Good government, impartial justice, equal beneficial laws, these are the wants of Ireland—these she demands as her right ; to obtain these she is now agitated ; and having achieved this purpose, Ireland would not care a rush if Peers were as abundant as pebbles. The people of these countries do not look with envy or hate upon mere titles of ho nour or badges of distinction—quite the contrary ; but they object, and why should they not, to irre sponsible juntas of titled corruptionists, abettors of all manner of abuse in the Church and the State, in terposing between them and those beneficial instil tutions and salutary changes required by the altered circumstances of the State ; and if they have be come, as we firmly believe they have become, ad vocates of a reformation of the House of Lords, this change—for a change it undoubtedly is in public opinion—is the sole handywork of those Tory Lords who have scandalously abused their privileges, in order to curtail the privileges of the people. It is for municipal institutions, properly re-modelled, that our Irish brethren are calling aloud; and should their demaiid be hereafter directed to another and a far different object, viz., the abolition of the hereditary Chamber, it must be by the obsti nate and insulting denial of justice. We are gravely told, indeed, that justice has not been denied to the people of Ireland by the refusal to reform, rather t than totally abolish, Corporations in that country ! Nay, it is boasted by the Conservative destroyers, that they alone bestow equal justice upon the Irish I—we suppose by equally insulting all parties in that part of our dominions. It is " jus tice," we presume, to rob the citizens of their an cient rights, and to transfer their property to the custody and management of the Viceroy ! But, say the Tory apologists, the Ministers themselves in sulted Ireland, by making a difference in the Irish and English Municipal Bills. Who ever imagined that the details—for here alone does a difference exist —of the two measures could •be precisely si milar ? Who ever asked for the establishment in Ire land of municipal institutions identically the same as those of Great Britain ? What the Irish call for, and what they have a clear right to, is a reformed system of municipality, based upon the principle of the British Corporate Reform Act. Such a system has been contemptuously refused them by the Tory Peers. Oh I no, says the honest Times—the Peers have merely refused to sanction the Ministerial mea sure, which is no just cause of complaint, seeing that the Irish are at this moment possessed of all the ad -1 vantages that could result from the enactment of the Ministerial Corporate Reform Bill, by the operation of 9th of George IV.—commonly called in Ireland the Taxing and Lighting Act. This is not true ; and the writer must have been aware of the falsehood he was pawning upon the public. But admitting the truth of the assertion, could a stronger argument be advanced against the proceedings, of the Tory Peers ? or could a more scathing censure be pronounced upon their conduct ? If the Irish already possess all the privileges which the Ministerial Bill for Munici pal Reform could bestow upon them, then the Tory talk about schools of agitation is all the merest hypocritical cant ; and an act which eight millions of British subjects construe into a deliberate insult to them on the part of the House of Lords, is wantonly committed for the sheer love of doing mischief. By degrees the country will learn, through the revelations of the Tories themselves, the whole of the turpitude and wickedness of that faction. Meantime the people of England ought to lose not a moment in recording their sympathy for their fellow-subjects in Ireland, their fellow-sufferers too under Tory domination, and in preparing and transmitting petitions to the House of Commons, and addresses to the Sovereign, praying the extension of British law and justice to that part of the empire, by the establishment there of a reformed system of Municipal Government.—Morn. Chronicle. We are curious to see what will be the amount of the respective subscriptions of his Majesty's Ministers towards the English (or rather anti-English) O'Con nell fund. From what we have seen of the liberality of some of the Liberal Lords and Gentlemen in ques tion upon other occasions, there is no recklessness of disposition among them to part with their money un necessarily ; indeed, some of them, it is pretty well understood, have no great deal of money to part with. But this is an occasion, we apprehend, in which they must and will draw their purse-strings, however re luctantly. The occasion is one which reduces them to this dilemma. The idea of rendering the Irish men dicant a dependent, too, upon English bounty, is either right or it is wrong ; and as such, they must support or denounce it. Denounce it they dare not, and there fore support it they must. What man in England can be expected to subscribe a farthing till they who owe their official existence to Mr. O'Connell, have set the example ? 'What ! reap the harvest and not con tribute to the cost ! The thing is impossible. The English " rent" must be headed by the largest of the landlords' political tenantry, or they will have notice to quit—than which a quit-rent would be infinitely less unpalatable.—Morning Herald. On Wednesday morning last a promisina copper lode wai cut at Wheal 'Montague Mine, near Redrugh ho.ong ing to the Wheal Harmony and Montague Mining Company. West Briton, PORTPATRICK. There are only two packets attached to this station, and the total expenditure for the last four years has been 15,5021., the receipts during the same period 6,5051. The stores are supplied and the accounts checked in the same irregular manner which we have had occasion to notice in our observations on several of the other estab lishments. _ _ _ The commander and officers of the packets are not held in any way responsible for the stores assigned to their ves sels ; they have no regulations with respect to the receipt or issue, and the. agent "is of opinion that it would be most desirable to adopt the system pursued by the Admiralty, not only with respect to stores, but in all other matters con nected with the maritime branch of the Post Office de partment." We have received much evidence on the inconvenience alleged to be experienced in Portpatrick and Donaghadee as steam-packet stations, and upon the propriety of trans ferring the Post Office establishmment to other points, to which we beg to call your particular attention. We have already noticed this subject in a report to your Lordships, and are inclined to believe especially from the testimony of the captains of the packets, that notwithstanding the great expenditure which has taken place on the present stations, it would be expedient to substitute others for them, and that it would be well worthy your Lordships' consideration whether Lame and Cairn Ryan could not at a small ex pense be rendered available for this purpose. Having now brought under the consideration of your Lordships the general system upon which the packet de partment is conducted, as well as the present state of 'the establishments at the several stations, we shall proceed to suggest such alterations as appear to us best calculated to promote the efficiency of this branch of the public service, as well as to protect the interests of the revenue. After the statements which we have submitted to you, it is scarcely necessary for us to call your attention to the total inadequacy of the existing system to ensure efficient service, strict economy, and regularity of accounts. It must be obvious to your Lordships that the control exer cised over the steam-packet establishment on the part of the General Post-office has been completely nugatory in all these respects. The evil consequences which have resulted at the different stations, from the absence of all proper su perintendence, are detailed in the evidence which is before you, and in the analysis which we have made of it. They appear to us to offer a strong confirmation of the truth of the remark made by the Commissioners of Revenue In quiry, that " there is a serious objection to the maintenance of establishments under the nominal sanction of his Ma jesty's Postmaster-General, which persons who may be suitably employed in the duties properly belonging to the Post-office cannot be supposed to be well qualified to su-' perintend." After attentively considering the various modes which have at different times been suggested, in order to ensure the better performance of this service, we are of opinion, in the first place, that it should as much as possible be reduced in extent by contracting for its performance wherever it can be clone on suitable conditions ; and, secondly, that the re mainder should be placed under the management of the Board of Admiralty. We are so convinced Of the advantages which a system of contract must generally secure to the public over one of establishment, however well conducted, that we wish we could have felt justified in recommending that it should be universally and immediately adopted. But we are sa tisfied that notwithstanding the great and rapid extension which has taken place in the private steam navigation of this country, it would not as yet be safe and expedient to throw open to competition at once all the six stations which are now maintained at the public expense. Al though, therefore, we are not prepared to recommend at present the general adopting of a system of contract, we think that it may without delay be had recourse to par tially with great advantage ; and we offer this suggestion with the less hesitation because, while some packt esta blishments are still maintained, a sufficient check will al ways be in readiness in case the contractors should at tempt to force the Government into an ,agreement disad vantageous to the public. If your Lordships should be inclined to accede to this suggestion, we would point out Liverpool as a station where a contract could probably be obtained on satisfac tory conditions. _ _ _ We have stated that we advise your Lordships to pro pose to the Lords of the Admiralty to undertake the ma nagement of the steam-packet establishment ; we conceive that the business and expendituro of the stations, the build ing, outfit, and maintenance of the vessels, the care of the stores, the appointment of the Commanders, and the navi gation of the packets will be much better placed under the control of a department conversant with such subjects than under one which possesses no practical knowledge or expe rience in them ; and we believe that such a transfer would be preferable both with respect to efficiency and economy, to an attempt to introduce into the General Post Office offi cers acquainted with dock-yards and steam-vessels, for the purpose of superintending this particular service. We trust that under this arrangement it may be found practicable to effect any considerable repairs which the packets may re quire in the Kingis naval yards, and that consequently the expensive establishment which is kept up for that purpose at Holyhead may be greatly reduced, if not altogether aban doned. h is obvious that if the alteration of system which we have proposed is carried into effect, it will nevertheless be necessary that the steam-packets should, in certain respects, be under the control of the Post Office. This department must have the discretionary power of regulating the hours of departure, and must be authorised to receive the report of the agent whenever the mail may have been delayed. Although this divided controul may appear to be liable to objection, yet we believe that it need occasion no prac tical inconvenience, but that regulations may, without di fficulty, be framed, which will enable the two departments to act together in promoting the efficiency of the service. We have taken _much pains . to ascertain what' descrip- tion of vessels would generally be best adapted to the ser vice of the Post-office. Your Lordships will find in the evidence much valuable information on this point. The concurrent testimony of almost all the practical men whom we have examined, induces us to recommend the use of a larger class of vessel and a greater power of machinery in proportion to the tonnage, at every station, not only as a means of ensuring the greater efficiency and regularity of the Service, but because we are satisfied that the example of private Companies in this respect is in itself a sufficient guarantee of the ultimate economy of such improvements. It has been stated to us that much inconvenience has been felt by the public from their not knowing the time fixed for the departure of the Post-office packets, and that when persons are at a distance from the station, this infor mation is with difficulty procured. Private companies usually make their hours of departure known by means of advertisements, but the Post-office has a great advantage in this respect, since it possesses in every town and many villages a house where, without any additional expense, this information might be deposited for the convenience of the public. With regard to the passage fares at the different sta- tions, wherever the service is conducted by a public esta blishment, we would recommend that the rates should be fixed by the Post-office, with the concurrence of the Trea sury, and that no fees of any kind, in addition to the sum so fixed, should be allowed to be received. We are also of opinion that the salaries of the officers of the packet service ought to be revised by the Lords of the Ad miralty, and that these charges as well as the rest of the expenditure incurred by them for the Post-office, should be annually submitted to Parliament in the Navy Estimates. Your Lordships will find in the appendix a letter ad dressed by Mr. Freeling to the Postmaster-General, and communicated to us, on the subject of the Holyhead sta , - tion,.as well as a reply by Mr. Gardiner and Captain Evans to some animadversions which it contains on their report. We think it unnecessary to make any other observation on the statement of Mr. Freeling, except to say that we feel persuaded that your Lordships will find in it the strongest confirmation of the opinion we have expressed of the total inadequacy of the existing system of control over the steam packet establishments on the part of the Post-office, and of the evils which must be expected to result from accu mulating in the Secretary's office such a variety of in congruous duties and powers. e desire, in conclusion, to state to your Lordships, that if the sieam-packet department is transferred to the Admiralty, and you are disposed to act upon the recom mendation we made in a previous Report to substitute a Board of Commissioners for the office of Postmaster-Ge neral, we are of opinion that three Commissioners will be sufficient to execute the duties which will devolve upon them. DUNCANNON, H. LABOUCHERE. SEYMOUR. Office of Woods, April 30. COPY OF TREASURY MINUTE, OF 19TH JANUARY, 1836. Read letter from the Commissioners of Post-office In quiry, dated 16th instant, transmitting a special report from Captain Evans, and Mr. Gardiner, on the subject of the establishment of the Post-office at Holyhead, for the steam packet service, together with the evidence on which it is founded, and recommending the dismissal of Mr. Roberts, the storekeeper, and Mr. Johnston, the resident engineer, from the public service ; and that a more efficient and trust worthy person should be appointed agent to the packet es tablishment there, in the room of Mr. Goddard. Write to the Postmaster-General, and transmit to him the several reports and papers. Inform him that upon a full consideration of the report and evidence, my Lords con cur entirely with the Commissioners respecting the conduct of the storekeeper, and engineer, and consider it their impe rative duty to direct that they be forthwith dismissed from the public service. Express to the Postmaster-General the desire of my Lords that they will take the necessary mea sures to carry these directions of my Lords into effect without delay. With respect to Mr. Goddard, my Lords understand that he has already tendered his resignation, and that such resignation has been accepted. However much my Lords would object, as a general course, that any public servant should be permitted to resign while an inquiry upon his con duct is pending, my Lords, in the present case, do not re gret Mr. Goddard's retirement. His neglect and miscon duct rendered it impossible that he should continue in his situation ; but my Lords are glad to have it in their power thus to•mark the distinction between the case of this gentle loan and that of the other two officers, who have been guilty of misconduct of a still more serious character In furtherance of this object, my Lords consider that the gatekeeper, Owen Thomas, should be immediately removed, and any other party in the yard who may be found to have been guilty of peculation should be at once dismissed ; and my Lords rely upon the zeal and firmness of the Post master-General to invest the officers who may be selected to perform the duty, together with Mr. M‘knight, with ample powers to investigate and put an end to a system which appears to my Lords a disgrace to the public service. The plant which springs from the earth, after at taining its growth, and perpetuating its species, falls to the ground, undergoes decomposition, and contributes its remains to the nourishment of plants around it.. The myriads of ani mals which range the woods, or inhabit the air, at length die upon the surface of the earth, and, if not devoured by other animals, prepare for vegetation the place which receives their remains. Were it not for this law of nature, the soil would be soon exhausted, the earth's surface would become a barren waste, and the whole race of organized beings, for want of sustenance, would become extinct. Man alone, the master of the creation, does not willingly stoop to become a participator in the routine of nature. In every age, he has manifested a disposition to exempt himself, and to rescue his fellow from the common fate of living beings. Although he is prodigal of the lives of other classes, and sometimes sacrifices a hundred inferior bodies to procure himself a single repast, yet he re gards with scrupulous anxiety the destination of his own re mains; and much labour and treasure are devoted by him to ward off for a season the inevitable courses of nature. Under the apprehension of posthumous degradation, human bodies have been embalmed, their concentrated dust has been en closed in golden urns, and monumental fortresses have been piled over their decaying bones.—Chamber's Journal. On Thursday evening, as the Perseverance coach was passing Flockside, on its way from Glasgow to Kilmar nock, a lad, named James Paterson, about 14 years of age, leaped on behind, and by some means or other became en tangled between one of the hind wheels and the body of the coach. By the action of the wheel his body was pressed so tight that it had the same effect as a drag, and the coach was drawn along for a few yards in this manner, when fortunately the driver, suspecting that there was something wrong, drew up, and one of the passengers behind noticed the perilous situation of the boy. He was pent up so firmly that he could not be extricated until the coach was backed a little distance. On being released he had just power to make a painful excla mation, and immediately fainted. He presented a frightful spectacle, the flesh being torn in several places off his back. He is now considerably recovered, and is able to partake of food.—Kilmarnock Journal. As Mr. John Hasselby, supervisor of Excise, of Newcastle Emlyn, was proceeding on his way home on horse back, from Eglw•yswrw, some ruffian from behind a hedge struck'him with a stone or the head, which almost cut off his left ear. He was so stunned by the blow that he fell off his horse, and remained insensible on the ground for some time. —Wekhman. The Inverness Courier had an advertisement a fort night ago, thus—" Wanted, an ass with milk, apply person ally." It would be 'a little amusing to know what number of long-earned applicants offered themselves, and who acted as interpreter to them. FERRERS V. FISHER. Mr. JACOB, on the part of the defendant Mr. Fisher, ap peared in support of a petition to have an order of attach ment set aside, on the ground of irregularity. The peti tioner, who is one of the late solicitors of Earl Ferrers, had neglected to put in an answer to a bill filed by his Lord ship. An attachment was then moved for and put. in force, and the objection to this proceeding was, that the motion had not been made on a seal day. The SOLICITOR-GENERAL argued that the practice of late years permitted motions to be made at any time with the permission of the Court. The LORD CHANCELLOR said the defendant was too late even if he had a ground of complaint, and the petition must be dismissed, with costs. EXPARTE THE MAYOR OF READING. Mr. SHARPE was instructed to apply to his Lordship for the expression of an opinion with respect to the opera tion of the clauses of the new Municipal Corporation Act. By the 57th section of the Act it was provided that the mayor for the time being of every borough shall be a justice of the peace for the borough by right of his office. By the 98th section it was provided that his Majesty should have power from time to time to assign to so many persons as be should think proper his commission to act as justices of the peace in and for each borough ; and by the 104th section it was enacted that no recorder, or person assigned to keep the peace within any such borough, shall be capable of acting until he shall have taken the oaths provided to be taken by justices of the peace. Now, in the commission sent to the borough of Reading the mayor of that borough was named, not as A. D., Esq., but as Mayor in conjunction with certain other persons, and on his applying to the clerk of the Crown for a dedimus in common with these persons, he was in formed that it was unnecessary to sue out such dedimus, and that it could not be granted, because the act of parliament made him a justice of the peace without any interference on the part of the Crown. Doubts had arisen whether the mayor was not liable to the penalties prescribed by the act for acting as ajustice of the peace without having the usual dedimus, and it therefore became necessary to apply to the Court for a direction to the clerk of the Crown in the event of its being considered necessary. The LORD CHANCELLOR said that he must make inqui ries on the subject before he pronounced an opinion. VICE-CHANCERY-TUESDAY. GRISSELL V. MARQUIS OF SALISBURY. Mr. KNIGHT called his Honour's recollection to this case respecting some stabling buildings on a first floor, which Lord Salisbury was erecting behind Fenton's Hotel. The Court in refusing the proprietors of the Hotel, the trustees of the late Mr. Pete, an injunction to restrain his Lordship from completing the buildings, had given them liberty to bring an action for a nuisance if they were so ad vised. The stables were now completed, and the horses inducted, and the consequences which were expected had been realised. It appeared from the affidavit of Mr. Fenton that Mr. Peel and Lady Ann Peel had one night since occupied a room adjacent to the stables, from which they had to remove in consequence of the in cessant noise, which was as if ten or twelve men were continually at woic. General Sharpe occupied another room, of which he complained as equally uninhabitable. The pacing of the horses, and the rattling of their collars, were particularly distressing and alarming. This state of things would be most injurious to the hotel. And it was most desirable that the fact of the nuisance should be established at once in a Court of Law. There was, however, a technical difficulty in the way of an action, in consequence of the legal estate in the hotel being out standing. He had, therefore, now to apply that upon the trial of the action which it was resolved should be com menced immediately, his Lordship should admit the title of the plaintiffs, and that the stables had been erected and the horses put there by his Lordship's orders. • Mr..WIGRAM opposed the motion. His HONOUR was of opinion the parties should proceed to a trial at law. And as it was suggested there was a legal estate outstanding, he should make an order that. Lord Salisbury sh'ould not set up any more outstanding legal titles as a formal bar to the action. The question of fact should certainly be ascertained. COMMON PLEAS.-TUESDAY. Mr. CROWDER applied to the ✓Court for the discharge of __aprisoner. The name of the case he did not mention. The individual in question was arrested for the damages and costs in an action brought against him for trim. con., and which was tried in Dorsetshire. The` parties were farmers, and in an humble class of life. The damages were under 201., and the defendunt had been more than twelve months in prison. The Learned Counsel applied for his discharge under the 48th of George 111., which enabled the Court 4o discharge any prisoner for any debt under 20L, who had suffered twelve mouths' incarceration. Mr. BARSTOW opposed the discharge. The COURT felt.it their duty to order the discharge of the prisoner. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. 211ARYLEBONE. It will be remembered that on Monday last a man named Jerome was charged with having stolen, on the King's highway, a silver watch from a gentleman who at the station-house gave his name Peter Simpkins, 24, Curzon street, May fair. The particulars of the case appeared in our paper of yesterday, and from the report it will be seen that Sergeant Elliott, of the D division, stated positively that the person charging (who, however, neglected to ap pear at the office) was no other than the Marquis of Wa terford, and that the name and address given were both fictitious. Yesterday morning, between 11 and 12 o'clock, while a case of felony was going on, a smartly dressed young man, having gained admittance by the Magistrates' private door, in High-street, entered the Justice-room (accompanied by a gentleman about sixty years of age), and, evidently in a state of considerable excitement, advanced towards the sitting Magistrate, Mr. HOSKINS, when the following col loquy took place : Mr. HOSKINS (to the applicant.)—What is the nature of your business, Sir—what can I do for you ?—Applicant (whose eagerness would scarcely permit him to wait for the termination of the Magistrate's interrogatory),—l am the Marquis of Waterford, and I feel— Mr. HOSKlNS—Perhaps you will state briefly, my Lord, the nature of your application ?—The Marquis—The ac cusation against me, Sir, is untrue ; and therefore— Mr. HOSKINS-4 really know nothing about any accusa tion, as far as you are concerned. Mr. Fell (the chief clerk)—The case alluded to, Sir, is one which came on yesterday before Mr. Rawlinson : it was respecting a stolen watch. _ _ _ Mr. 'Hosici - Ns—lf it came on before Mr. Rawlinson, had it not better stand over till that Magistrate is present ? I was not here, and therefore can know nothing about it.— The Marquis (hastily)—Must I, then, wait for Mr. Raw linson before I can have an opportunity of making a de nial ? Is Sergeant Elliott here ? The Sergeant, who happened to be in the office, stood up. The Marquis• You are Sergeant Elliott, are you ? Ser. geant—l am. The Marquis—Look at me. Am I the person who on Sunday morning charged a man with stealing my watch ? Do you recognise me to be the same ? Elliott—No, Sir ; you are not the gentleman. • The Marquis (to Mr. Hoskins) —The papers state that a summons has been taken out against me, in order to compel my attendance. I have not received any such summons. Mr. HOSKINS (to Mr. •Fell)—ls there any summons made out ? Mr. Fell—There is, Sir ; and that course was taken in consequence of Sergeant Elliot stating positively that the person charging, and who n•ave his name Peter Simpkins, was the Marquis of Waterford. The hearing of the case is appointed for to-morrow. Mr. HOSKINS (to Mr. Fell)—Then the summons has not yet been served ? Mr. Fell—lt has not. The Marquis (to Sergeant Elliott)—Now I ask you again, did I give the charge ? Elliott—You are not the person. The Marquis (with much warmth) --Then I request that you'll contradict in every paper in London what ycu so un warrantably stated, and pay the expenses out of your own pocket. Mr. HOSKINS—I'm sorry, my Lord, that— The Marquis—So false and unfounded a statement as that which has been made by this sergeant is of a very disagree able:and unpleasant nature, and I trust that my explanation will go forth to the public. I have been similarly maligned before in a police report in another place, which lof course took upon myself to contradict. The Noble Marquis then left the office with his friend. - - Mr. Disney, whilst looking over some depositions during the Session. said be was glad to observe the remark lately made by Mr. Justice Parke, that he should fine the Clerks of Magistrates when depositions were not written in a legible hand. Those who can personally apply the hint will, we hope, take it.—Essex Herald. At a dinner last week. at Downham Market to cele brate Mr. Coke's birth-day, Mr. Milnes, secretary to the West Norfolk Association, stated that he had successfully tried feeedthdeing use of ycu ar t al W i s t t h ro z i n : e r l ec w o u nt rz rae el i l i e d a e v d es th s e tea sa m n e le d for to for his ffe brother earthquakes h ave b ee n exper i ence d i n France — namely, at Nantes, Ch o let, and oe.eseirie‘r;iict era. l Harts fsaAlrimtg of t e fi rs . 1i elast-mentioned place two shocks were felt on the 13th inst., one at 6 o'clock in the morning, the other at 2 in the afternoon. At Cholet th e shock was very alarming , having lasted about three seconds.