The Sun. — London, England, 1844-01-02 00:00:00

IS • - , ATIONS COMME CASE OF THE RELATIONS OF OUR GOVERN MENT WITH THAT OF HOLLAND, BRITISH INDIA, AND THE ARCHIPELAGO. In our City article of Wednesday last, we published the following statement : " The private commercial accounts received yesterday from I n di a and China are upon the whole considerLd very satisf actory. It is most certainly true that the sal es of British manufactures in the Chinese ports had been much less than was expected, and in too many insta nces at price s b elow those marked in the invoice. Still t he r ei was not any h ea d -over heels work —no app e ar t eit at desire to speculate too la rge ly, or i n d ee d to any ext ent all we rth notice." And under the head " Market Intelligence" on the tame day, it will be seen that in the most important commodities of necessity or lux u ry, th e p ro d uc t s o f Java, Sumatra, and various islands of the Indian Ocean, the seat of the Dutch Commercial establishments in Asia, such as sugars, coffee, peppers (black especially), Vices, rice, & c ., t h ere was a much increasing demandit here, a t a d vanced prices. To many of our readers may seem unaccountable how the sugars, the coffees, and rice of Java and Sumatra—the cotton of Timor— the popper of Borneo, and the spices of Gibolo and Ceram,—should be able not only to find their market against the redundant supply of these commodities which our enormous territorial possessions on the main and in the seas of Southern Asia, and especially the peninsula of India, at all times command, but should compete with British Indian and Asiatic pro ducts to absolute advantage. It must appear equally surp r isin g th at the ratification of the very fair tariff, and the advantageous treaty with China, by which it has been promulgated, should, althou g h i mme di a t e l y 14110 wed up by the ope n i ng t o B r i t i s h commerce and traders of four or five additional ports of China, situ ated in commanding positions on the extensive en asts of that m i g h ty emp i re, have failed to create any thing like a corresponding degree of activity in our exPorts of manufactures of hardware from hence, or in the direc " eisuntry trade," as it is called, w hi c h carr i es t between British India and China cargoes co mposed of the natural products, raw and manufactur ed materials of both St a t es . I n the present condition of our general t ra d e , the among v ery natural anxiety which p reva il s ii a " cl asses of our peopl e t o remove a ll unne lices ess ary restraints and restricti ons , t o a b o li s h monopo , to mul tiply the d eman d s of foreign customers, and to facilitate the supply of them ; these state- Meats would present themselves to us as matters of very them Paramount importance. But when we couple with the strangely unimproved, though match con less, advantages of local, moral, and political influence, nexions, establishments, and capital that we pos sess both in China and throughout the wide range of our Indian domination, the case assumes an aspect of graver concernment than that even which its com mercial hearings communicate to it. We largely discussed, in a former number of The Sun, the in sidious and aggressive policy, pertinaci ous ly p ursue d by the D utc h authorities in India to the serious and increasing detriment of our commerce, and the injury of our honour and authority, in that portion of Asia ; and even more strangely permitt e d, acqu i esce d i n , an d formally recognised, by the Anglo-Indian policy of our Government, both here and abroad. It is known that, independently of the disgraceful treaty concl u d e d b y our Ministers at Ghent, with the United States of Holland, in 1814—a subsequent tre aty with th e same Power was executed by us in - ' 24 ' Which we shall never cease to denounce as a still more scandalous surrender of British rights and a nd Possessions, territorial and other, n ego ti ate d by those who r epresente d t h e B r i tish Crown, as a still More Portentous and shameful ignorance of the in terests which they then sacrificed. The only defence ever attain pted for our continued toleration—first, of tthe diplomatic blundering of our profound negotia tors ; and, secondly, of the admitted evasion abd frau dulent violation by the Netherlands Government of even the one-sided stipulation s in their own favour, .'w ich they duped us into making—is, that the treaty b aring been full continuousy consumm a t e d , and established in impoc operation, it w ou ld b e at once difficult and to press the Dutch to consent to re-open and modify it. 'We shall now lay before our readers a more connected view of 'the effect of the treaty as it zstands, e than some of them may, possibly be in posses thof. But we shall address ourselves, previously, _ ebbjection taken, in limine, to its revision. The famous transatlantic mission of Lord Asn -I_lll4oh last year was attended with one result, at ;_asti not to be impugne en the fiercest oppo aents of the Boundary T r eat y . It at once supplied an i rcedent for the re-opening of negotiated questions, 1 ., suggests the particular instance in which it may be ez . -t. „Redient for our Government now to act upon it. of : w e should be the last people in the world to ate ) as a general principle, the right or policy diea.tsinsoitating political questions, after their adju twecann. under the stipulations of solemn treaties be fraught ndependent Powers. No doctrine could be with P eace and 1 consequences more dangerous to the sh ow , , g o od faith of nations, than to cay that they Comm oc . at liberty to " review," on every pretext of ._:: n rcoial injury or political inconvenience, the en here% e f. - .8 th a. ey * one have reciprocally entered into. But that, es the contracting parties can clearly show miich,nethoen..teired into such engagements on data 4 Pted b thou announced by the other, and ac- Prey ed Y _ himself, for facts, have been dis pen infaold destroyed by later inquiries; or rrnation °4 by which, though equally acted d' s " .both parties as authentic, has since been Le ftered ,nrealv, is la to id bfe erroneous ; a plausible ground, as duly instr or the abrogation of any treaty, thus tith er a .,. ucted, and for the substitution of an k •IV nether or not the Government of the United Aates were P l ea in the 1 t ill a condition honestly to press such a li on _ e ,_ a e negotiations at Washington, is a ques eie . w have no intention now to discuss. It is suffi t.at for our -.tice of a Purpose to show, that, in another in- Po another tr eatyp negotiated eighteen years since, eouisi ° Wel', our Government has a case for N en , .0P !Ste.reeiew and reconstruction of the instru sitt; which it was a subsidiary party, infinitely ki s s u _ B.e a r in the essential elements of the stated pre %,,,h:, ad the equity arising u li th e 1 1 _ Pon them, than any on eliesti-„„_ lilted States have relied, and relied suc tat i'B"lY4l.as to the re-opening of the treaties of 1783 iy,:l'ileti:trith,e_ national wrong originally inflicted upon ''n whi„li raisin by the treaty with Holland of 1824, a lt t ._, a ' t tislvee are. now referring, should have been tole vs'everntaentPeriod of its original infliction by a Tory Z,s l , n guish ed ' of which the present Premier was a dig • ore. Butzlierhber, is a circumstance we may de 114at ar e a a .n.Y merely personal considerations vs SCICIEIted with that contingency cannot l't ° } ) arlY wei ht • r ,• able amount g with us, in estimating the ghat Rao of injury produced to our cha tast tueeuessiuvr commerce by such national wrong. 3 , ta ysti e, eLoe. Governments, both Whig and Con >mer is, and , i n uld have acquiescei during so many iriz t i • .`"" to the present time, not merely in the .I, llllzl a rueusuints:lhtischw 0, 4 4 4 2, 11 . 141 'Y, but in the many superadded encroach hfich. have constantly flowed from " t‘s it' g t he Matt urnishes the strongest reason for ' of th. , et:, without further delay, under the :eat th e ' Public, Isi li . s ) „. 0r5,,,, : _ c , os y, it may be premised I,;Litatie "l' flanges which were effected in the a pish c .esarl s ep nbs _ a of the East India Company, under the t„ ai •"ent o f ss , t .ia Lis_ the removal of Which we shall de- Firel it, il `"s name of the fo rei gn t et. 131 t his treat ,q , ~s . ° of Great Britain a n d Holland, in t i h o a n d , i n t h a o g u gr g h a v a a t n i n g a ctchie t • ' Yet GOlpEerr; taae i a Powerful ~ m e onsequences e ' pp„,"e treaty, .K.„ ensuing to our trade from t,i'.'est.... and •'°w the grievances against which . , hie _ , _ commerce of Great , t,5,...., y De shortly thus stated:_ , (41 %tie. , y (concluded between the Ple• q t ot '.l th e 0 . _ _ rthiplati hangexcw of Alarch, 1824), a sort of bar 4,sli ago, kale Was . ,_ dignified withall the forms that . • mill e - eoaracter of h (141 how ever , as holl h nations. It was a trans , 3' end lig a ow and unprincipled "on the th at ,_ bsurd nd rkl isreckless on the other, 1155 Yet Earn • h It ,ished the bases of State r e ••as e th Dut4tio_ .equally creditable to the old e of A „,. " for um—. k• . -CI) i• 'Lupulous cunning in dealing, 14.1,„ lici t n ish t N reity i n be _ diplomatic reputation for egre tlts Y ' ( ireat 13 being' dealt with. By this memo ii 1 ,bri th e c _ ritain ceded all the English set terel2f, t o li " e a s ii t of Sumatra, f rom and after is ' the Du d-- Holland ce di ng to her, in ) a tid the :E .I ! o establishments on the cont i nent ty of Malacca on the Malayan COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, MONDAY.—Her Majesty and his loyal Highness Prince Albert received the Sacrament early yesterday morning. Tbis morning the Queen and Prince Albert, attended by part of the Royal suite, went to the Riding-h ouse t o see the poor r ece i ve her ajesty's bounty. In the afternoon the Royal party left the Castle forsan airing, her Majesty and Prince Albert in a pony phae ton, his Royal Highness driving ; the Marchioness of Douro and the Hon. Miss Hamilton following in another phaeton, with the Shetland ponies ; and Colonel Ar buthnot, Equerry in Waiting, on horseback, in attend ance on her Majesty. Major-General Sir Edward Bowater has succeeded Colonel Bouverie as Equerry in Waiting on his Royal Highness Prince Albert. Colonel Arbuthnot remains at the Castle as Equerry in Waiting on the Queen. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, and his Serene Highness Prince Edward of Saxe Weimar, will join the royal circle at dinner. Lady Montagu and the Hon. Miss Montagu, Viscount Anson, the Hun. Mrs. Arbuthnot, Mr. George and the Hon. Mrs. Hope, and Sir Henry Wheatley, will also have the honour of joining the royal dinner party at the Castle this evening. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, attended by Baron Knesebeck, left town at half-past ten o'clock yesterday morning, to honour the Earl of Cardigan with a visit at his seat, Dean Park, Northamptonshire. Previous to leaving town the Royal Duke visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester at Gloucester House. The Prussian Minister transacted business yesterday at the Foreign -office. Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Co lonial-office for the Earl of Elgin, Governor of Jamaica, and for the Governors of the other West India Colonies. The Earl of Haddington has returned to his residence in the Admiralty, from the seat of Sir George Warren der, Cliefden House, Berkshire. Dispatches were received yesterday, at the Colonial. office, from the Governor of Sierra Leone. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.—WOOLVVICII, JAN. 1.-- The Gladiator, a fine first class steam-vessel, is ordered to be commenced to-day, and the shipwrights will be employed by task and job work ; and as the greater part of her timbers have already been converted, it is expected ! she will be ready for launching in about three months from this period. Two new steam-vessels are to be built at Deptford, one to be named the Spitfire and the other the Porcupine. Peninsula. It was stipulated, under the same treaty, i THE that thereafter no British settlement should be formed in the island of Sumatra—no treaty be concluded with any of the native chiefs by British authority—no establishment be made on the Caremons, on the islands of Bantam, Bintang, Lingan (by name), any other islands south of the straits of Singapore, _ —no treaty be concluded, by British authority, with any of their chiefs respectively. Again —his Bri tannic Majesty, on the one hand, withdrawing the objections which had been taken on our part to the occupation of Billiton and its dependencies by the agents of the Netherlands' Government, the King of Holland on the other, withdrew the objections which h.id been taken to the occupation of Singapore by British subjects, and engaged for himself and subjects, " never to form any establishment on any part of the peni.isula of Malacca, or to conclude any treat✓ with any native prince, chief, or State therein." (This stipulation is the more notable, inasmuch as it is that the spirit and terms of which have been most directly violated by the Dutch authorities, to accom plish indirectly the of which is thus stated and disavowed.) The first article provided that the subjects of the two nations should be admitted to trade with their respective possessions in the Eastern Archipelago, on the continent of India, and in Ceylon, on the footing of the most favoured nations. And by the second, that the subjects and vessels of one nation shall not pay on importation or exportation, at the ports of the other on the eastern seas, any duty at a rate beyond double that at which the subjects and vessels of the nation to which the port belongs are charged. That, as to any article on which no duty is imposed when imported or exported by subjects or in vessels of the nation to w hich the port belongs, the duty charged on subjects or vessels of the other shall, in no case, exceed six per cent. Other articles provided that no thing should be done to impede a free communication of natives of the Eastern Archipelago with the ports cf the two Governments respectively. Second—Let us now see how these conditions have been fulfilled on the part of the Dutch. It is needless to inquire in what way they have been discharged by ourselves, for no pretence of complaint has been ever set up by the Dutch ; and, in these cases, they are never the last to discover themselves aggrieved. They retained possession of Rhio, in Bintang, al though affecting to consider it, under their own Go vernment, a dependency of Dutch Malacca, and therefore covenanted to be given up to us. They have—in disregard of previously existing relations of amity which the British Government had established with all the States on both sides of the Peninsula, and of treaties of commerce which they had concluded with all the chiefs of the western coast—forced some of these native Powers to renew obsolete treaties which had been entered into with the Dutch thirty years back, and therefore have set up heavy claims under their provisions. They have thus, too, strengthened the machinery they have set in motion for subjugating all Sumatra. They have annihilated the independence of Acheen, which, in 1824, they thus pledged them selves, by treaty, to maintain. They have established settlements both in Acheen and Siack, in contraven tion of modern existing treaties of those States with the British Government, in which the former volun tarily undertook that no other nation but the latter should be permitted to do so. They have totally contravened the provisions of Articles 1,2, and 4 of the treaty, in many ways. By a proclathation of the Government of the Netherlands' India (dated Feb. 14, 1824), it had been among other things de creed that all cotton and woollen goods manufactured in foreign countries to the west of the Cape of Good Hope, whether imported in foreign or Netherlands' bottoms, should, thereafter, pay a duty of 35 per cent. when imported from any of the foreign settlements to the eastward of the Cape. Such duty was, ac cordingly (though clearly illegal after the treaty of March, 1824) levied on all cottons and woollens, British manufactured, imported from Singapore into any of the Netherlands' possessions, till the beginning of 1334, when it was increased to a duty of 70 per cent. ! The same Government passed a resolution, dated November 14, 1834, effectually prohi biting the importation of British cottons and woollens from Singapore into any of the Netherlands' dependencies in the Archipelago, saving only the ports of Batavia, Samarang, or Sourabaya, in the island of Java, inasmuch as it declared that they should not be allowed to be imported at all, unless accompanied with a certificate from the Comptroller of Customs at one qf those ports, that such goods had been imported there and re-exported thence. By this proceeding British cotton and woollen manufactures have been totally excluded from ALL ports in the islands of Sumatra, Banca, Borneo, and Celebes. Again, the treaty of March, 182.4, expressly prohibiting interference with inde pendent native States by either party : the Dutch have notoriously and unblushingly employed the influence acquired by their possession of Macassar in Celebes, " to extend their influence by force and intrigue, to prevent the Bugis from carrying on their trade with Singapore, to the great injury of our commerce." This is a brief recapitulation of some particulars in which the Dutch authorities have not merely in inged upon, but outraged the treaty of 1824 between the two Governments. These facts, which are not open to controversy, are extracted from the Asiatic Journal, from the Pulo-Penang papers, Lieutenant NEWBOLD'S " Account of the British Settlements in the Straits of Malacca," private letters from Penang and Singapore, " the Petition of Merchants and In habitants of Singapore to the King in Council" (1837), and very many other documents and parties of equal authority and standing. Tempted as we are to pursue this subject much further, and to illustrate (as we can easily do) still more forcibly the rapacity and bad faith of the Netherlands' Government throughout the whole of these transactions, we are willing, on this brief " outline," to appeal to the public for a confirmation of our own strong impres sion—"that that remedy which our Governments, and even our Legislature, has. so long withheld from these grievous dishonours to the British name and injuries to British Commerce--notwithstanding all the remonstrances, warnings, and memorials addressed to them, year after year, and session after session, by those, whose adoption of the facts must have suf ficiently guaranteed tl% perfect accuracy of the case thus stated—ought not to be postponed one day after the re-assembling of Parliament in February next, beyond that at which the forms of the two Houses will permit it to be organised and promulgated. MAGAZ ON i IN UED.) tangled by the hind-legs, and could not relieve him self. At breakfast, I mentioned the circumstance of Maida's distress. ' And did you relieve him ?'—' I did not think it at all safe, as he holds me at a grudge.' ' Good heavens!' exclaimed Sir Walter the poor brute's legs may be broken.'—' Do not be alarmed ; I sent Tam Purdic to his relief.' And soon after the dog made his appearance, much fatigued, and the skin peeled from his hind legs." FRASER'S MAGAZINE. Fraser is certainly not among " the shining ones"—ns John Bunyan would say—this month. There are one or two clever papers in the Num ber before us, but the majority of them do not rise above mediocrity, and the utmost we can say in their praise is, that they do riot sink be low it. We miss that pleasant gossip about English poets and poetry which used to be so frequent in the Magazine a few months ago, and whose place is ill supplied by the lucu brations of a writer who signs' himself " One who has a Good Memory." This gentleman's biographical sketch of the Queen, which, in consideration of the subject, takes preeedence of all the other articles in the present Number, is a very wishy-washy affair, fruitful of solemn . twaddle, and of anecdotes which, even if true, were scarcely worth re lating. The close of the memoirs is exceedingly rich. After describing her Majesty's appear ance on her return to Buckingham Palace, when she had prorogued the last session of Parlia ment, and telling us what was passing in her mind at the time—how she reflected with delight that she had expressed herself strongly in favour of the union between England and Ireland ; bad announced her intention to maintain the integrity of the Constitution unim paired ; to put down faction, and, in short, do everything that a Sdvereign should do ;—after assuring us that such were the varied reflections that passed through the Royal mind, the writer proceeds to observe, " the Queen looked all t his !"—a most wonderful and comprehensive look, which reminds us of Lord Burleigh's equally comprehensive shake of the head, whereby be intended it to be implied that he was labouring with philosophic and statesman like thoughts too deep for utterance ! If a gentleman must write nonsense, let bins at least forbear from making Majesty the theme of his twaddle. The Luck of Barry Lyndon" is a paper of a far different order, in point of merit. It is a smart—animated—rapid narrative, which flows easily and uninterruptedly on, and ex hibits much of_ that breadth of humour, which formed so prominent a feature in the periodical contributions of the late Dr. Magian. The sketches of Irish character show that the author—Michael Angelo Titmarsh—had all his wits about him during his late excur sions in the sister-country. " Scenes from the March to Moscow," describe the gradual advance of Napoleon's immense army, after leaving the shores of the Niemen. According to the writer, a Prussian Hussar it must have been a sad scene of confusion and discomfort even from the com mencement of the march, for the commissariat had been wholly neglected, and the enormous masses of troops were in a great measure left to shift for themselves. We quote from a b r i e f memoir of " Kate Kearney,' the following an ecdote, which originated the well-known Irish proverb—" as old as Kate Kearney :"-- " But Kate Kearney, the charmer of Killarney, is known to us only by report of her youthful beauty. The Kate Kearney, whose longevity has passed into a proverb, was a native of Wexford, and is, or ought to be, an historical personage. In the year 1649, Cromwell, reeking from the slaughter committed at the storming of Tredah, appeared before Wexford, and commenced the siege. The garrison made some slight defence, but shortly held a parley, to treat for terms of capitulation. During the parley the gar• rison neglected their guards, as some write, or, as others aver, the guar d s were drawn offby the treachery of Stafford, the governor. Cromwell's troops rushed into the town, and following the com mand of their stern General, to give no quarter, com menced a furious and indiscriminate butchery. The young, the old, the woman, the infant, the armed, the defenceless, all fell victims in the carnage. Cromwell rode slowly and triumphantly up the principal street, unmoved by the yells and screams, and the rivers of blood and mangled carcasses, that met his ears and " or DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE. This Magazi ne i s one of the most carefully conducted of th e M onthly tr ib e) and usually ' contains one or more articles of more than ordi nary interest. We have here not less than three, which are well worthy the reader's attention. The first is a glowing sketch of the gatherings of the Marshals and Generals of France at Bona parte's private residence in Paris, just previous to the mem ora bl e movement which gained him the Consulate ; the second is an account of Egypt and its capital, Cairo, with incidental notices of the memorable battles of the -Nile and Alex andria ; and the third, the most entertaining of all, is a copious memoir of the late Dr. Maginn, evidently from the pen . of one who knew him well. The portrait of the Doctor, which is pre fixed to the biographical sketch, is a good likeness, and the estimate of his versatile talents, is, in the main, just, though here and there if is rather too highly coloured by the partiality of friend ship. The following tribute to Dr. Maginn's extraordinary powers may, perhaps, interest our readers : " I sat, on last Friday, two hours with Doctor Maginn in his bed-room. The Doctor has been raking, I believe, since his family went to France; he was quite ill when I saw him. However, he ma naged to write a leader for the Arzus newspaper, in his shirt, and that completed, he jumped into bed, and we had a long talk. The more J see of him, the more I admire his talent. He is really a splendid fellow. He knows every thing. He will teach you as much in one hour as the best book will in ten. His conversation is the most extraordinary thing pos sible. He jumbles together fun, philosophy, and and polemics ; and in these (so incongruous) he is pre-eminent. At first you would say that he spent all his life reading jest-books; but then there is such admirable philosophy and common-sense in his reflections, that you get rid of your first notion as quickly as possible. But just as you are on the point of averring that this man reads nothing but works of thought and reasoning, you are forced to gulp down the ex c l ama ti on, f or he jumps into theology, and will argue on it like a bishop. Then you declare that he has studied nothing but polemics all his life. Such a man is Maginn. He is a ruin, but a glorious ruin, nevertheless. He takes no care of himself. Could he be induced to do so, he would be the first man of the day in literature, or any thing else. But he lives a rollicking life; and will write you one of his ablest articles while standing in his shirt, or sipping brandy—so naturally do the best and wittiest thoughts flow from his pen. His reading is immense ; his memory powerful,, and his knowledge of the world is perhaps equal to that of any man that ever lived. In fact, I say he knows every thing, and so he does. We talked about a war in France, about which all the John and Jenny Bulls are getting anxious. The Doctor asserted stoutly that there would be none, and quoted Lord Brougham, who said, in allu sion to the national debt, that England was bound in ' eight hundred millions to keep the peace." UNITED SERVICE JOURNAL. An instructive article on the subject of "Slavery in Sinde," which we find in the present Number of this periodical, represents the slave system as being by no means so revolting to humanity as it is in the southern States of America. " The negroes," says Captain Hart, " are always taken care of during their voyage to India from their native country; and when purchased, are, in the majority of instances, treated with kindness and thrbearance, and be come, inconsequence, warmly attached to their purchasers." This is certainly a redeeming point in the Sinde slave-system ; nevertheless, we ex claim with Sterne, " Disguise it as thou wilt, slavery, still thou art a bitter draught." A " Voice from Cafferland" is a condensed abstract of the political history of the colony of the Cape of Good Hope, from the year 1805 down to the present day.. eyes. As he advanced he came to an isolated group of dead. There lay an old man weltering in his blood, and the corpses of several young men heaped around him. A girl, respectably dressed, and appa rently about seventeen years of age, hung over the bleeding bodies, wringing her hands in an agony too deep for words or tears. But she started up at the near tramp of the war-horse ; and, snatching with a frantic grasp at the bridle, she stopped the animal, and glared upon his rider. Her hair was flung back from her forehead, and fell dishevelled on her shoul ders ; her brow and hands were stained with blood, CHURCH OF ENGLAND QUARTERLY REVIEW. As we seldom meddle with purely religious questions, and this Review is almost exclusively devoted to the consideration of such perplexing themes, we shall be as brief as possible in our notice, and content ourselves with observing that the Number now lying before us contains, among other articles, a clever essay on the "Present Condition and Prospects of the Clergy." her eyes were wild, and her cheeks deadly pale. She presented such a ghastly appearance, that even Crom well's iron heart quailed for a moment. In the name of God,' she addressed him, in a voice hoarse from emotion,—' In the name of God, have you not had blood enough ? Look ! there lie my father, my brothers, my betrothed husband,—all that belonged to me ; Does not this satisfy you ? have you not had blood enough? How will you answer to a mer ciful Creator for what you have already shed ?' Crom well uttered not a word, but disengaged his bridle from her grasp, and rode on. Yet the appearance and the words of Kate Kearney had awed him, and he gave immediate orders to stop the carnage : a rem nant was saved, a miserable remnant indeed ; but Wexford was happier in this respect than Treciab, from which but one solitary individual escaped with life from the swords of Cromvvell's fanatical soldiers. Kate Kearney survived the siege of Wexford, and the slaughter of all near and dear to her, for upwards of a century." BRITISH MAGAZINE. Another exclusi ve ly religious publication, i n which matters of interest ,chiefly to the clergy are discussed at some length. The Monthly Register of Ecclesiastical Information is a useful feature in the Magazine. SPORTING REVIEW. There are here two engravings—one repre senting greyhou n d s i n full ptitsuit of a hare, whose eye expresses terror in its utmost intensity'; and the other, a ga th er i ng of fox-houn d s, just previous, we pre sume ; to the chase. Th e back ground in this last pl ate i s very p l easing and picturesque. The literary contents are of the usual quality. SThIM' AI. .OND'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE. The best article in this Number is the one on ,le subject of our Colonies, is which occurs a mief, conden se d, an d useful tiecount of New Holland and V an Di emen ' s Land: The " Navies of the World" evinces no little statistical resweli; ' F An intellige n t Magazilie, addressed for the , most part, to farmers and agriculturists, and em bellished this month with two plates ofcelebratcd race-horses. LONDON REPERTGRY. Contains a succinct, and apparently correct, account of all the most recent patents that have been granted f or i mprovements in mechanics, manufactures, &c. The periodical, as may be surmised, from this brief reference to it, is wholly of a practical character. PRIVATE TREATRICALS. The first representation at Woburn Abbey took place on Thursday evening, with the burlesque opera of Boni bastes Furioso. For further details of the performances we refer our readers to the following play-bill, which eras printed for the occasion : " WOBURN ABBEY THEATRE. Thursday, December 28, 1843.—This evening will be performed the burlesque tragic opera of Bombustes Furioso. Artaxeminous (King of Utopia) —Mr. Geo. Jr. C. Byng. Fusbos (Minister of State)—The Earl of Chesterfield, (his first appearance on these boards). General Bombastes—Lord Charles Russell. Distaffina—Viscount Anson (his first appearance on any stage.) Attendants, Courtiers, and Brave Army by several noble, and distinguished Amateurs. Vivat Regina. Doors open at half-past eight ; performan ce t o b eg i n at nine precisely." A very crowded and distinguished audience we re pre sent, including—besides the noble host and h os t ess — Lord and Lady John Russell, Lord and Lad y E mlyn, Lord William Russell, Mr. and Lady Georgians Itomilly, Mr. and Lady Caroline Sanford, Mr. Bl a k e , Colonel Cavendish, Mr. and Lady Agnes Byng, &c. An epilogue, very kindly contributed for the Occas i on by Lady John Russell, was very well delivered b y the eldest son of the Hon. G. S. Byng, who perf ormed very cleverly the part of Artaxomineus in the opera. THE MILITAR Y AND THE RAILWAYS.---AD order has just been issued f rom th e War-office, intimating that arrangements have been en t ere d into by the Government with the Lo n d on an d Bi rm i ng ham, Great W estern, Brighton, Dover, Grand Junction, North Midland, Mid land Counties, Northern and Eastern, Eastern Counties, Birmingham and Derby, Manchester and Birmi ng h am, Birmingham and Gloucester, Manchester and Leeds, York and North Midland, Lancaster and Preston, Newcastle and C a rli s l e , an d G r eat North o f Eng _ land Railway Companies, for the conveyance of the horses of field and staff officers and infantry, W h en pro ceeding by route, with regiments and detachments on railways, and likewise for the conveyance of sick horses of cavalry regiments. Th e ra t es of conveyance are fi xe d as follows:—For any di s t ance no t exceeding fifty mil es , 4d. per mile for e ac h h orse; f or b e yond fifty and not ex ceeding one hundred miles, aid.; and exceeding one hundred miles, 3d. Th e rou t e, or or der of the command ing officer of the regiment or detachment is to be pro duced at the railway station, as the authority for the conveyance of the horses, and the written appointment of the principal veterinary surgeon, in regard to th e s i c k horses, is to be annexed t o th e c harge in the publi c ac count for such conveyance. The regulation will have effect from the commencement of this year. HINTS FOIL DRAMATIC AUVIORS.—Prune off shoots of the French stage, and transplant Vaudevilles against the season. Dig up old plots, and nail mana gers. Drill supers, plait friends in pit, and train slips to applaud.--Punch's Almanac,4. BRITISH MUSEUM.—The number of visitors to this national establishment in the whole of last year (1843) was 517,375. This was a f a lli ng o ff from the p rev i ous year (1842), when they were 547,718. In 1839 the numbers were 280,850 ; in 1840 , 247,929 ; and in 1841, 319,374. The number of visitors during the late holi day week was 41,151, being, on Tuesday, 18,377; Wed nesday, 13,281 ; Thursday, 1,683 ; and Friday, 7,810. The useum was closed yesterday, and will remain so during the whole 9f the present week. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY El ENING, JANUARY 2, 1 CANADIAN POLITICS. The following is Mr. Lafontaine's note to Sir Charles Metcalfe, relative to the resignation of the late Cabinet: ".Mr. Lafontaine, in compliance with the request of the Governor-General, and in behalf of himself and his late colleagues, who have feit it to be their duty to tender their resignation of office, states, for his Excellency's information, the substance of the information which they propose to offer in their places in Parliament. " They have avowedly taken office upon the principle of responsibility to the representatives of the people in Parliament, and with a f u ll recogn i t i on on t h e i r parts of the following resolutions introduced into the Legisla tive Assembly, with the knowledge and sanction of her Majesty's representative in the province, on the 3d of September, 1841: " • That the head of the Executive Government of the province, being within the limits of his government, the representative of the Sovereign is responsible to the Imperial authority alone, but that nevertheless the ma nagement of our local affairs can only be conducted by him by and with the assistance, counsel, and informa -1 don of sub Ordinate officers in the province; and that, in order to preserve between the different branches of the provincial Parliament that harmony which is essential to the peace, welfare, and good government of the province, the chief advisers of the representative of the Sovereign, constituting a provincial administration under him, ought to be men possessed of the confidence of the re presentatives of the people; thus affording a guarantee that the well understood wishes and interests of the peo ple, which our gracious Sovereign has declared shall be the rule i f the provincial Government, will on all occa sions be faithfully represented and advocated.' ." They have lately understood that his Excellency took a. widely different view of the position, duties, and responsibilities of the Executive Council from that under which they accepted office, and through which they hare been enabled to conduct the parliamentary business of the Government, sustained , by a large m a j or ity o f t h e popular b ranc h o f the Legislature. "had the difference of opinion between his Excel lency and themselves, and, as they have reason to be lieve, between his Excellency and the Parliament and the people of Canada generally, been merely theoretical, the members of the late Executive Council might and Would have felt it to be their duty to avoid every possi bility of collision which might have a tendency to dis turb the tranquil and amicable relations which apparently subsisted between the Executive Government and the Drovincial Parliaments ; but that difference of opinion has led not merely to appointments to office against their advice, but to appointments and proposals to make ap pointments, of which they were not informed in any manner until all opportunity of offering advice respect ing them had passed by, and to a determination on the part of his Excellency to reserve for the expression of her. Majesty's pleasure thereon, a Bill introduced into the provincial Parliament, with his Excellency's know ledge and consent, as a Government measure, without an opportunity being given to the members of the Exe cutive Council to state the probability of such a reserva tion. They, therefore, felt themselves in the anomalous position of being, according to their own avowals and solemn public pledges, responsible for all the acts of the Executive Government to Parliament, and at the same time not only without the opportunity of offering advice respecting those acts, but without the knowledge of their existencejiptil informed of them from private and un officiarstatKes. " When the members of the late Executive Council offered their humble remonstrance to his Excellency on this condition of public affairs, his Excellency not only frankly explained the difference of opinion existing be tween him and the Council, but stated that from the time of his arrival in the country he had observed an antagon ism between him and them on the subject, and, notwith standing that the members of the Council repeatedly and distinctly explained to his Excellency that they considered him free to act contrary to their advice, and only claimed an: opportunity of giving such advice, - and of knowing before others his Excellency's intentions, his Excellency did not in any manner remove the impression left upon their minds, by his avowal that there was an antagonism between him and them, and a want of that cordiality and confidence which would enable them in their respective stations to carry on public business to the satisfaction of his Excellency or of the country. The want of this cor diality and confidence had already become a matter of public rumour, and public opinion not only extended it to acts upon which there were apparent grounds for dif ference of opinion, but to all measures of Government involving political principles. His Excellency, on the one hand, was supposed to be coerced by his Council into a course of policy which he did not approve of, and the Council were made liable to the accusation of assuming the tone and position of responsible advisers of the Go vernment, without, in fact, asserting the right of being consulted thereupon. " While his Excellency disclaimed any intentions of altering the course of administration of public affairs which he found on his arrival in Canada, he did not dis guise his opinion, that those affairs would be more satis factorily managed by and through the Governor himself without any necessity of concord amongst the members of the Executive Council, or obligation on their part to defend or 'support in 'Parliament the acts of the Govern ment. To this opinion of his Excellency, as one of theory, the members of the Executive Council might not have objected, but when on Saturday last they discovered that it was the real ground of all their differences with his Excellency, and of the want of confidence and cor diality between his Excellency and the Council since his arrival, they felt it impossible to continue to serve her Majesty as executive councillors for the affairs of this province, consistently with their duty to her Majesty or to hiellxeelleney, or with their public and oft-repeated pledges In the provincial Parliament, if his Excellency should see fit to act upon his opinion of their functions and " Daly's Hotel, Nov. 27, 1843." To this his Excellency replied : " The Governor observes with regret, in the explana tion which the gentlemen who have resigned their seats in the Executive Council propose to offer in their places in Parliament, a total omission of the circumstances which he regards as forming the real grounds of their resignation ; and as this omission may have proceeded froth their ribt considering themselves at liberty to dis 'close those 'circumstances, it becomes necessary that he should state them. " On Friday Mr. Lafontaine and Mr. Baldwin came to the Government-house, and, after some other matters of business and some preliminary remarks as to the cause of their proceeding, demanded of the Governor. General that he should agree to make no appointment; and no offer of an appointment, without pre viously taking the advice of the Council; that the lists of candidates should in every instance be laid before the Council ; that they should recommend Any others at eliscreioNsiind thlietbe overnor - -Genireel in .deciding, Orteet4l4singeitieir advice, should not tilake , ane' appoint s.irJdieial to their influence. In other words, that 'the patronage of the Crown should be surrendered to the Council for the purchase of Parliamentary support ; for, if the demand did not mean that it meant nothing, as it cannot be imagined that the mere form of taking advice without regarding it was the process contem plated. " The Governor-General replied, that he would not make any such stipulation, and could not degrade the character of his office nor violate his duty by such a sur render of the. prerogative of the Crown. " He appealed to the number of appointments made by him on the recommendation of the Council, or to tie members of it in their departmental capacity, and to in stances in which he had abstained from conferring ap pointments on their opponents, as furnishing proofs of the great consideration which he had evinced towards the Council, in the distribution o f th e patronage of the Crown. " He at the same time objected, as he always had dare, to the exclusive distribution of patronage with party views, and maintained the principle that office ought, in every instance, to be given to the man best qualified to render efficient service to the State, and where there was no such pre-eminence he asserted his right to exercise his discretion. " He understood from Messrs. Lafontaine and Baldwin that their continuance in office depended on his final de cision with regard to their demand; and it was agreed that at the Council to be assembled the next day the subject should be fully discussed. " lie accordingly met the Council on Saturday, con vinced that they would resign, as he could not recede from the resolution which he had formed, and the same subject became the principal topic of discussion. " Three or more distinct propositions were made to him over and over again, sometimes in different terms, but alwa i ys aiming at the same purpose, which in his opinion, if ac complished , would ha ve b een a v i rtua l sur render into the hands of the Council of the prerogative of the Crown, and on his uniformly replying to their pro positions in the negative, his refusal was each time fol lowed by' then we must resign,' or words to that pur port, from one or more of the Council. " After the discussion of this question at so much length, being, as he has hitherto conceived, the one upon which the resignation of the Council rested, he is as tonished at finding that it is now ascribed to an alleged difference of opinion in the theory of responsible govern ment. " In the course of the conversations which both on Friday and Saturday followed the explicit demand made by the Council regarding the patronage of the Crown, that demand being based on the construction put by some of the gentlemen on the meaning of responsible government,' different opinions were elicited on the ab stract theory of that still undefined question as appli cable to a colony, a subject on which considerable diffe ' rence of opinion is known everywhere to prevail ; but the Governor-General during _these conversations pro tested against its being supposed that he is practically adverse to the working of the system of responsible go vernment, which he has hitherto pursued, without de viation, and to which it is fully his i n t ent i on to a dh ere. " The Governor-General subscribes entirely to the re solution of the Legislative Assembly of the 3d of Sep tember, 1841, and considers any other system of govern ment than that which recognises responsibility to the people and to the Representative Assembly as impracti cable in this province. " No man is more satisfied that all government exists solely for the benefit of the people, and he appeals con fidently to his uniform conduct here and elsewhere in support of this assertion. " If, indeed, by 'responsible government' the gentle men of the late Council mean that the Council is to be supreme, and the authority of the Governor a nullity, then he cannot agree with them, and must declare his dissent from that perverson of the acknowledged principle. " But if they mean that responsible government as established in this colony is to be worked out with an earnest desire to insure success, he must then express his surprise at their arriving at conclusions which he does not consider to be justified by any part of his con duct, and which he conceives his repeated declarations ought to have prevented. Allusion is made, in the proposed explanation of the gentlemen of the late Coun cil, to the Governor-General having determined to re gerve for the he r Majesty's Government 44 one of the Bills passed by the two Legislative Houses— that is, the Secret Societies Bill. If there is any part of the .functions of the Governor in which he is more than in any other bound to exercise an independent judgment, it must be in giving the Royal assent ta Acts of Parliament. With regard to this duty he has special instructions from her Majesty's Secretary to reserve every, Act of an unusual or extraordinary character. Undoubtedly the Secret Societies Bill answers that de scription, being unexampled in British legislation. The gentlemen of the late Council had his sentiments on it expressed to them. He told them that it was an arbi trary and unwise measure, and not even calculated to effect the object it had in view. " lle had given his consent to its being introduced into Parliament, because he had promised soon after his as sumption of the government that he would sanction legislation on the subject as a substitute for executive measures, which he refused to adopt on account of their proscriptive character, although he deprecates the ex istence of societies which tend to foment religious and civil discord. The gentlemen of the late Council canno• fail to remember with what pertinacity those measures were pressed on Lim, and can hardly but be aware of What would have followed at that time if, in addition to rejecting the proscriptive measures urged, he had re fused to permit any legislation on the subject.- Permis sion to introduce a Bill cannot be properly assumed as fettering the judgment of the Government with regard to the Royal assent, fur touch may happen during the passage of the Bill through the Legislature to influence his decision. In this e:'se the Bill was strongly opposed end reprobated in the Assembly, but when it went to the Legaslative . Council many of the Members had seceded, and it did not come up from that House with the advan tage of having been passed in a l u ll meeting. Taking these circumstances into consideration, together wish the precise instructions of her Majesty and the uncertainty of her Majesty's allowing such a Bill to go into opera tion, the Governor-General considered it to be his duty to reserve it for her Majesty's consideration, as it was much better that it should not go into operation until Confirmed by her Majesty's Government, than that it should bo discontinued after its operation had commenced. " In conclusion, the Governor-General protests against the explanation which those gentlemen propose to offer to Parliament, as omitting entirely the actual and pro minent circumstances which led to their resignation ; and as conveying to Parliament a misapprehension of his sentiments and intentions which has no foundation in any part of his conduct, unless his refusal to make a virtual surrender of the prerogative of the Crown to the Council for party purposes, and his anxiety to do justice to those who were injured by the arrangements attend ' ing the union, can be regarded as warranting a repre sentation which is calculated to injure him without just cause in the opinion of the Parliament and the people, on whose confidence he places his sole reliance for the successful administration of the government. - "Government-house, Nov. 28, 1843." On Saturday, the 9th ultimo, the Governor-General prorogued the Parliament to Monday, January 15, in the following speech : " Hon. Gentlemen of the Legislative Council, and " Gentlemen of the Le g i s l at i ve Assembly-, In consequence of the interruption which our joint labours have undergone, entirely against my inclination, and from causes over which I have had no control, I now meet you for the purpose of relieving you from further attendance in Parliament. I am sensible of your unre mitting application to your arduous duties during the session which has been so unexpectedly shortened, and I trust that the measures which you have passed, and to which I have given the Royal Assent in her Majesty's name, will prove beneficial to the country. Some Bills I have been under the necessity of reserving for the consi deration of her Majesty's Government, either from the impracticability of their being carried into execution, owing to their depending on other measures which have not passed into law, or from their affecting the preroga tive of the Crown, or being of a character that, under the Royal instructions, renders that proceeding imperative. • " Gentlemen of the House of Assembly, " I thank you for the readiness with which you have voted the necessary supplies. It will be my duty to take care that they be disbursed with the utmost economy consistent with the efficiency of the public service. " lion. Gentlemen and Gentlemen, " I trust that on your return to your homes you will, by precept and example, endeavour to secure the bless ings and harmony of brotherly love among all classes of the community. .Peace and happiness will render our country a desirahle place of refuge for the superfluous population of the parental state, whose settling here is fraught with benefit to themselves and the colony ; while discord and st r if e must h ave the opposite effect of deter ring them from connecting their destinies with those of a country unceasingly troubled. I humbly hope that the blessings of the Almighty will render this a prosperous and happy land, reaping the fruits of its own industry, and enjoying the powerful protection of our Gracious Sovereign as an integral - portion of the British empire. I will now, Gentlemen, say farewell; and I trust that we shall meet again to renew our efforts for the public good with greater success." CORN AND CURRENCY LAWS. TO TAE, EDITOR OF TUE MORNING POST. Sir,—l have received your paper of the 20th instant, containing my letter of the 14th of August last, and your comments upon the same, which call for some further remarks from me upon the all•important subject of a general protection to agriculture and commerc7 through an alteration of the monetary laws, instead of' the partial and uncertain protection now afforded by the corn-laws. I have no object whatever in recommending a total repeal of the corn-laws, with the proposed alter• ation in the money lens, except to relieve the agricul turists of the odium which the maintenance of the laws casts upon them. My purpose would be nearly accom plished by only raising the nominal value of the ounce of silver to the desired nominal value of the bushel of wheat, which would render the present corn-laws nugatory, excepting in the few cases when a great scarcity raises the price very far above the general aver age. The only reason why I have named 7s. Gd. per ounce is that it_ appears generally acknowledged that 7s: 6d. is a remunerating price, but it is of very little importance to society at large whether the price of wheat be 7s. Gd. or Bs., or even 10s. per bushel, provided the ounce of silver be raised to the relative value. You make me admit that the corn-law was a wise mea sure, because I say that its objects and effect were to in crease the value of English labour, but this is not a correct view of the subject. The intention of the law aas was right, but the working of it bad and unjust, because k it only partially supported the wages of labour. The law was a very unwise one, in my opinion —it was insti tuted to prevent the ruinous prices of agricultural pro duce which the, liability to return to specie payments :within,six,ruontbs -after the 'pence, at the old and lorg unused standard of value, produced in 1814 ; the com plete operation of which was partially suspended by cir cumstances till 1819, has never been permanently or fully carried out ,and never will b e till prices f a l l to the conti nental level. Had the promoters of the corn-laws in 1815 understood what they were doing, they would have obtained their protection by coining the precious metals of that nominal value which their corn had obtained during the war by the depreciation in the value of the unredeemable paper money. By that plan they would not only have perfectly protected themselves, but would also have protected all other interests. You say that it .appears to you, " if both laws were repealed, mat ters would remain much as they are at present ;" but you forget that I do not alone propose the abolition of the two laws, I also propose to alter the nominal price of silver from ss. 2d. to 7s. Gd. per ounce, in which the Bank would pay its notes ; and in this alteration lies all my contemplated protection and improvement ; it would protect produce and labour in England 50 per cent. against foreign produce and labour. As the laws now stand, the protection to agriculture, although very in sufficient, is destructive of our foreign trade, absorbing all its profits; and, if persisted in, an unprostable state of things, like the last four years, will continue. If, how ever, as is probable, the corn-laws alone are repealed, the money interest will take possession of the land, anti the interest of the debt will not be paid. To convince yourself of the soundness of my views you should refer to the state of agriculture in 1800 to 1514 ; the corn- Jaws of that time were quite useless, for the price of corn was always above the protecting price ; and that price was alone maintained by the depreciation in the value of the pound sterling. It was not the war which made high prices --all previous wars made low prices ; it was the new monetary measures which made high nominal prices. Then why should not the same prin ciple now produce the same results? You and your friends, seek for high nominal prices through a corn law which only partially protects you, and ruins others. I seelc for the same high nominal prices through a corre sponding alteration of the coins, which would, I contend, protect all interests equally, and therefore justly and permanently. Trusting that these few remarks from a practical tradesman of nearly forty years' extensive experience may be interesting to your readers, I remain, yours respectfully, G . P. MUNTZ. Lcy Hall, near Birmingham, Dec. 22. ETENTION OF THE OVERLAND INDIAN MAIL.— A notice of which the following is a copy has been issued by command of the Postmaster-General, and was put up this morning at the General Post-office, St. Martin's-le- Grand, and the several branch offices :—" The closed mail for India via Marseilles detained. Letters in time on the 6th inst. (Saturday next)." MORE INCENDIARISM.—Information was received last night, at Bow-street, that on the night of the 26th ult., or early on the following morning, a large wheat hovel, a rick of beans, and one of barley, six tons of straw, seven loads of stubble, a large ladder, a quantity of elm boards, and about thirty yards of rick staddles, the pro perty of Mr. Daniel Simons, of Middlemoor, in the bo • rough of Daventry, were maliciously fired, and totally destroyed. A reward of ten guineas has been offered for the apprehension of the incendiaries, and a similar reward by Mr. Roche. On the night of the 22d ult., some demoniacal persons wilfully set fire to the farm buildings and ricks of Mr. James Speller, of High Roothing, Essex, whereby the same were totally de stroyed. A reward of 1501. has been offered for the apprehension of the incendiaries. In both of the above cases Sir J. Graham has offered a free pardon to any person not being the actual incendiary, who w ill give such information as may lead to convicti on . FREEMASONRY IN WORCESTER.—(From a Corres pondent.)—The brethren of the Worcester Lodge, No. 349, celebrated the festival of St. John on Wednesday last, by a banquet at the Masonic Hall, Broad -street. The lodge was opened in form at four o'clock, and about five the brethren were called from labour to refreshment. The worshipful master, Brother Joseph Bennett, pre sided, assisted by Brother Richard Varden as S. W. (in the absence of Brother Knight, from a severe domestic affliction), and Brother Rising, J. W. Covers were laid for 50, and 52 brethren sat down to a repast comprising every seasonable delicacy. A magnificent dessert of pines, grapes, and other suitable accompaniments, with excellent wines, succeeded, and the evening_ was passed with true masonic conviviality. TAIT'S MAGAZINE. , The indefatigable Mrs. Gore —who fortunately for us is as amusing as she is industrious, and who almost rivals the renowned Princess Sclie hezerade in the number of her tales—contributes another work of fiction to the pages of Tait, under the title of " Blanks and Prizes, or the Wheel of Fortune." As a chapter or two only of this story are yet bet re us, we cannot under take to pronounce a decided o pi n i on onit; but we may state that it opens well; that the mealy mouthed country physician, Dr. Toddles, looks very like a portrait from life; and that the dry, stingy old maid, Miss Lavinia Meade, whose quaint, obsolete furniture, "bequeathed by her grandmother, was rubbed and scrubbed and bur nished till it acquired a sort of ironical freshness, like the youthful airs of an old beau," is sketched in that spirit of "merry malice " which is so conspicuous a feature in the majority of Mrs. Gore's fictions. In the slight and hasty notice of "Lord Jeffrey's Contributions to the Edinburgh Review" his Lordship is taken to task for his well-known criticism on the Lake poets, which, observes the writer, "augur something like limited imagination or a narrow range of poetical emotion." This is by no means a legiti mate inference from the circumstance of the critic's inability to discover the profound genius of Peter Bell, or the fancy and sensibility of the Laureate Odes. On the contrary, we think it a proof of his refined taste and discrimination. Lord Jeffrey was unquestionably —we say was, because we believe he has long ceased to write —the most intelligent critic of his day, endowed with less sensibility perhaps, than Hazlitt, but far sounder in his judgments, because less liable to be biassed by his prejudices, and possessed of a far more extensive range of information. We owe to his pen the subtlest analyses that have ever been given of the poetical powers of Byron, Crabbe, and Moore ; and his account of Swift and h's writings, coloured as it may be here and there by an evident dislike of the man, is full informed with weighty truth. The "National Anti-Corn-law League " is a poem very much in the manner of Ebenezer Elliott, when in one of his ultra-truculent moods. In the "Reminis cences of Dublin College Life," we find some de tails respecting the well-known Historical So ciety when in its decline, but we should have preferred reading about it when it was in its full meridian vigour, and Plunkett and Bushe were among its orators. The " Recollections of Sir Walter Scott," are—if the truth must be told— a little too twaddling this month. Here, how ever, is an amusing anecdote or two respecting the poet's favourite dog Maida, of whom honour able mention is made in Lockhart's Life of his illustrious father-in-law : "One morning, while at breakfast, a woman called, complaining that Maida, Sir Walter's stag-hound, had bit her child. And did not I give you some thing handsome to help to cover it ?' said Sir Walter. You did so ; but lam told that if the dog is not hanged, the bairn will go mad.' Ido not think that the crime deserves death, as the child is not yet dead ; but Maida shall be banished; and if the child die, he shall suffer, which is the law of the land ; and there is some more money.' " Maida was an ill-natured tyke, and no favourite with me. He once attacked me. I met him in a narrow path ; and he stood in the middle, disputing my passage. Having, by good luck, a measuring pole in my hand, about eight feet in length, I pre pared to make my passage good. If I had turned my back, he would have been on me immediately. I advanced, and with my good ash pole hit him a whack along the ribs, on which he gave a fearful howl, and fled. So much for the courage of this Highland brute. On telling it to his master, he would not believe it. will again defend myself in your presence ; indeed, I will snake believe to attack you, and you shall see whether this Highland bear of yours will be bold and faithful in defending his very kind and over-partial master. Ido not entertain the smallest doubt of his courage and affection ; but it may be as well not to put it to too severe a test.' One morning I heard a dog howling in distress. On going to the place, I found Maida, who had been hunting hares ; and on leaping a paling, was en- w ✓(, /~.^. 4;F7.'..'`µ ,, v%j FIRES IN LONDON, 1843. Yesterday, at a meeting of the directors of the principal surance Companies, composing the committee of the endon Fire Establishment, held at the chief station in 'atling-street, Mr. Braidwoed, the superintendent of the brigade force, made his annual report of the fires that have occurred in the metropolis and its suburbs during the past year. The report, which is extrewely voluminous and interesting, commences by etaling that the fires in 1843, as compared with the • previous year, kave decreased by twenty ; the average, however, for the last ten years shows an increase of sixty-two. The number of fires and alarms which have happened from January 1 to December 31, 1843, - at 'which the engines of the establishment have been called into operation, amounts to 901. It further mentions that the tires by which premises were totally destroyed number twenty nine, buildings considerably damaged 231, ditto slightly 489, chimneys eighty-three, and false alarms seventy nine. Total 901. It also appears that large fires, pro videntially, have not been so extensive and numerous as those that have occurred in previous years. Mr. Braid wood observes, that the following mere attended with the most serious loss of property :—On the night of the 16th of January, the two large floor-cloth manufactories of Me;ssrs. J. Rolls and Gunstone, situated in the Old Kent road, were totally consumed, tegether with two dwelling houses. It will be recollected that some surprise was mani fested at the great height which the fire attained, which he attributes to the factories being almost entirely com posed of wood, and the great delay that arose in getting a supply of water after several of the engines Lad arrived. The next took place on the 10th of July at Mark's, the extensive marine-store dealer's, in Leicester-place, Greenwich, and the great fire at Topping's Wharf, on the morning of the 19th of the same month, which, it will be remembered, destroyed four warehouses, besides St. Olave's Church and Watson's Telegraph. The ex tent of this conflagration b e accounts for by the fire breaking cut in an oil warehouse having no party-wags, and an inefficiency of water. It will be recollected, that the church eas sacrificed in orders to preserve property which otherwise would have been destroyed to the amount of 400,000/. The report thus details the fires that occurred At the turpentine distillery, nether !lithe, in January; at the Golden Lion, Bexley-heath, in June ; on the 15th of July, at Pinchin and Johnson'o oil-works, St. George's-in the-East ;at Dewberry's, the chemist's, in Fetter-lane, where five lives were lost, on the 19th of August; the three that fidlewed in rapid succession on the night of the 14th and morning of the 15th of September, at Limehousr, ‘l'apping, and West minster; the fatal lire in St. Martin's court in October— three lives lost; and, lastly, those at the candle ma nufactory in Paradise-street, Lambeth. and Brainah's engineering factory at Pimlico, daring the last month." 01 the 29 large tires which are noticed at the com mencement of the Report., the number of buildings consumed thereby amounts to 40. Further on it men tions the difKrent trades at which fires have occurred and their causes. There are a great number of them, however, marked unknown, and it is too strongly be lieved that the principal part of them have been occa sioned by ixcendiaries. 280 in private houses, chiefly caused by bed and eindow-curtains igniting through neglect of domestics, 39 lodging-houses, 30 licensed victuallers, 23 coffee-shops, 20 woollen and silk mercers, 23 sale-shops, 20 cabinet makers, 5 public buildings, 10 bakers, 7 'heifer manufactories, and 3 ships. A large number, however, are described to have originated in offices, sheds, &c. The chief causes are stated to kie carelessness of servants, and defects in stoves and flues. The number of fires that have taken place since the for mation of the establishment in 1832 up to the present time amounts to 6,523. The Report then concludes by observing that the most valuable assistance has been, on all occasions, rendered by the police at the above conflagrations. THE INDIA MAILS.— SOUTHAMPTON, JAN. The Oriental Company's steam-ship Oriental, Captain Soy, left this p,,rt to-day fur Alexandria, with th e mails for Egypt, India, and China, consisting of 80 boxes and 7 bags, also upwards of 100 passengers, and a large freight of Manchester goods, so large as to compel her to leave several tons behind for the next boat. The Peninsular packet Lady Mary Woad, which mired here on Saturday evening, has brought from Gibraltar the damaged shaft of the Great Liverpool, which has been forwarded to Scotland to be rejoined, and it is expected to be in readiness to be taken out in the Iberia on the 10th. The Peninsular Company's beat Royal Tar is taking in cargo at the East India Docks, and will sail on the 10th for Constantinople, &c. She has been obliged to take down the saloon and berths, to enable her to receive all her goods. The Royal West India mail-packet Teviot, Captain Allen, will leave here to morrow with the mails for the West Indies, South Ame rica, &c. All her berths are engaged. She has also 860 bottles of quicksilver. THE LIGHT GOLD COlNAGE.—Yesterday the order in Council issued by her Majeity on the 2d day of October last on the light gold currency, came into opera tion, which commands " that light sovereigns of less weight than 5 pennyweights 21 grains, and every gold half-sovereign of less weight than 2 pennyweights 13 grains and one-eighth, shall not be allowed to be cur rent, and shall be cut, broke, and defaced by all Govern ment employes and officers, receivers of the public re venue, so that they be no longer circulated." The Go vernor and Company of the Bank of England have given notice that on and after this day, the 2d of January, they will receive gold coin below the legal current weight in amounts of not less than 51., at the rate of 31. 17s. Cid. per ounce ; and further that at the respective branch banks of the Bank of England it will be received in like amounts at the rate of 3L 17s. sd. per ounce, being, after deducting the charges of transmission to London, equal to the, above price of 31' 17s. 6id. per ounce.—N.B. The above, after deducting the expenses of converting the light gold coin into bullion, will be equal to the price paid by the Bank for their gold bars—viz., 31. 17s. 9d. per -ounce standard. The employes at the Royal Mint have been busily engaged for some time in striking off the new coinage for the Bank of England, so that no inconvenience may be felt by the public in ex changing their light gold. The applications yesterday were very numerous, when the old ones were defaced by the clerks as they received them. DECLINE OF THE DRAMA.—(From the New York Morning Herald.)—The result of our own experience and observation during our late tour in England, and also in this city since our return, quite convin ce s us of the decline of the drama. During the last week Macready, both h ds si a d r es acknow ledged to be the greatest artist in the line, has been play ing empty, t three cold,c cheerless, r ifez inhospitablehundred . dollar h o a s e A s d rn a e l a l g t this vocalists ldi houses.sr drama on o a i n l whilst the rentg musicians and . It t a i k s i v n e g ry th e z d t e h n o t u t s h a a n t d i a th n e d t E w n o g. thousand dollars a night. e of the Atlantic is on its last l egs. And it is also very clear that this state of decrepitude has been the result as much, if not more, from the want of th e mac h inery to keep it up, as from the change in the public taste. We regret to hear that the venerable Earl of Lons dale is suffering from severe indisposition. 7 DEATH FROM ILL-TREATMENT. SUDDIIRY.—This town and neighbourhocti bare, dur ing the past week, been in the greatest state of excite ment, in consequeric, r of a rumour that a boy, 13 y9ars of age, named Joseph Cl!trk, late in the employ of Mr. Simon Vial!, of .Alidtiletonll, a short distance from the town, had come to his death in consequence of blows and kicks inflicted by his master. Mr. Viall is a re spectable farmer, occupying, it is said, 700 acres of land. The poor boy expired at his father's house, in Cross street, All Saints, Sudbury, on Sunday, the 24th ult. his father is an agricultural labourer, in the employ of Mr.Viall. The investigation was carried on for four days, and at the conclusion on Friday the jury retired at a quar ter-past five, and after consulting an hour and a half, re turned the following verdict :--" The jury, after fear days careful investigation, are unanimously of opinion that Joseph Clark, deceased, on whom this intl./est h2s been hehi, came by his death from a kick or blow given him by Simon Viall, cf Middleton-hall, in the county of Essex ; and that the jury return a verdict of manslaughter against the aforesaid Simon \Tian." A rumour Las just reached us, that Mr. Viall has absconded.---/pwvich Express. MONEY MARKET and CITY NEWS. FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY. CITY, MoNLIAY EVENING. TIMES. —A n important correspondence has taken place between the Committee of Spanish AmeriCan bondholders and Messrs. Lizardi and Ce., the Mexican rgents. The Committee protest against Messrs. Lizardi retaining the sum of 11,=5/. ss. 11d,, out of the money remitted for dividends, as commission due to them from the Mexican Government, contending, that, according to the agreement of September, 1837, they were authorised to appropriate it to dividends atone. They, therefore, request to know whether it is Messrs. Lizsrdi's intention to restore the sum to the dividend account ; and put another question, of no less importance, asking what re mittances have come to hand since the payment of the half dividend on the October coupon, and whether Messrs. Liiardi are prepared to complete the payment of the coupon at once. To this application, which is dated Dec. 28, they have received the following reply : " 26, Austin-friars, Dec. aO, 1343. "Sir,—We have received your letter of the 28th inst., and are unable to reply to the questions therein contained until we reecho further information from Mexico, espe cially as regards the distribution of the funds in hand, and such as we may receive henceforward, for account of the Mexican Government, as to whether the said funds shall be appropriated to the payment of the remainln; half of the dividend for October, 1843, or that for April, 1844. " We remain, &e. " F. DE LiZARDI and CO. "Per pro. JOHN F. BACON. " G. R. Rubinson, Esq." By this correspondence it appears that the wholeaffair of the Mexican stock remains in a complete state of ob scurity. There are no means of obtaining an undisputed estimate of the funds now in this country available fur the purposes of the dividends, with the additional cir cumstance, that we are left in the dark as to the particu lar dividend to which the available funds (whatever they may be) will be appropriated. a most buoy ant a SUN.—Th e F un d s, b ot h h ome and foreign, closed with ppearance, almost everything being higher than in the morning. There was a purchase for the Court of Chancery of 10,000/. Reduced Three-itud-a- Half per Cents. Consols were last marked 97 to k. Spanish Bonds touched 22i a for the Actives, and 31 to k for the Three per Cents. Mexican rose also to 89k t. The Committee of Spanish American Bondholders have received a communication from Messrs. Lizardi to the effect that they await further instructions as to the dis posal of the funds in hand ; and also as to whether they shall give up their claim to the 11,000/. in dispute. This, however, was not generally known in the market, or it might have made them go lower. In Railway Shares the advance of the morning .was in several instances carried still further, as a reference to closing prices will serve to show. .1 ta;