The Sun. — London, England, 1868-12-26 00:00:00

IC MARTET .4. N 1, CO AMEROILL BRITISH FUNDS-CLOSING PRICES. GOVERNMENT FUNDS. 3 per Cent. Consols 921 1 xi Ditto for Account, 3 per Cent. Reduced 921 1 New 3 per Cent New 21 psi. Cent. Jan. 1894 Do. i per Cent.. ~ an. 1873 A. muffles, 80 yrs, expire sth Jun., 1881' — Do. for 80 yrs, expire sth April 1885 — Do (Red Sea Telegraph), Aug., 1908 — Exchequer Bills, £l,OOO, 2 per Ct. — pot Do. £5OO Do. £l6O & £2OO — pin 3 mk of England Stock. 4 por Cent Do. accoußt•.. Canada 4 per Cent. Bonds — later-Colonial Umunun — INDIAN 30VERNMENT SECURITIES. India Mock, 10f per Cent., April 1874 — Do. Opening, for Account 2lO Do. 5 per Cent. July, 1880 Do. 4 per Cent.. Oct. 1888 Do. Certificates — Do. Enlaced Yap.. 4 per Cent — Do. 5 per Cent., Jan. 1872 Do. 5} per Ofnt. Ma' 1879 lO9l I D J 5 per Cent., Rnp. Deb. 1872 — Do. do. 1877 — Do. do. 1882 — D.,. Deb., 5 per Cent., Aug. 1873 „ 101} Do. Bonds, 4 per Cent., .£1,000 Do. under £LOOO - pia FOREIGN FUNDS—CLOSING PRICES. Argentine Republic, t: per Cent Do., Scrip £45 paid AuArian Bonds 5 per cent Do. 1869 — Brazilian 5 per Cent — 00. 4} per Cent., 1852 — Do. do. 1858 — Do. do., 1860 -- Do. do., 1863 671 Do. 5 per Cent., 1865 — Do AeCount 7Bf i B..enos Ayres 6 per Cent. Do 2 per Cent. (Deferred 3 per Cent ) 51} 0 u, be, 6 per Cent. — (Lilian 6 per Cent — no. 4i per Cent................. .. ......... Do. 3p - er Cent., — Do. 6 per co-+t. 1867 ••••.... 000000 Do. 7 par Cent, 1866 - C lo abian, 6 per Cent. Dan.sn, 8 per Cent., 1825 Dan ibian Principalities, 7 I,er Cent Do 8 per Cent., 1867 ... --- Equador New Con.solidated, 1 per Cent Egyptian, 7 per Cent '... Do Second Issue — Do. Z 506 Honda Do. £lOO Bonds. Do. 1564 — Do. Account Do. £5OO Bonds . B4k Do. 110 C Bonds B5 4.} English Scrip,:lB6B 74 Do do. .£45 pd dis Government Its.il way Debentures.-- 96k 51 , Greet 5 per Cent., 1824 5, ex Coups. ••• Do. AccOunt Do. Coupons Do. Account Guatemala 5 per Cent .. — Honduras Gov. Rail. Loan, 10p. Ct., all pd It9lian 5 per Cent., 1865 Do. Account . Bll Do Maremmana Railway Mexican 3 per Cent — Ditto for Account — Dn. 1864 — Do 6 per Cont. Anglo-French 1.... siontevidsau 6 per Cent. .. — Moorish imperial 5 per Cent New Granada l4} Do 3 per Cen — Do. Deferred • Do Land Warrants (Hectares) I — Peruvian 5 per Cent. 1865, — Do Account .. ,9} k Portuguese 3 per Ct., 1853, '6, 7,'9,'60,'2,'3 Do. do. 1867 — Do. do. • Scrip, £2O paid — R.lssian 5 per Cent., 1822, £ St Do 4} per Cent. 1850 Do 41 Per Cent., 1860 Do 3 per Cent., 1859 Do 5 per Cent., 1862 Do. Anglo-Dutch, 1864, £lOO B on d s , 90 ` Do. do. £B4 15s. de — Do., 1866, £lOO Bonds Do. do .8415 x. do — Do Nicolas Railway 651: Sarlinian 5 p6a. Cent — Do 4} per Cent. (Uribarren) Do 4* per Cent., 1862 - Do Account - Spanish 3 per ()en . — Do. Aco',unt Do. 1867 Do. Account . 323 3 Do. New Deferrea Do. Account — Do. Passive — Do. Com. Cert. of Coup. not funded — Do. Account — Swedish Provincial Mortgage Loan Do Government, 1864 — Do do, 1868 Do do, Scrip Turkish 6 per Cent. ..,.. Do Account Do 6 per Cent. 1858 ••• Do Account Do £lOO Bonds Do 6 per Cent., 1862 Do Account Do .£lOO Bonds 633 43 Do 5 per Cent. 1865 — Do 83 Account • Of,. 613 Do G per Cent., 1865 6ll 2 Do 4 por Cent., Guaranteed Venezuela 3 per Cent.: Do. Account Dividends on the above payable in London. Austnau a par Cent. Ex 10 Florins — Belgian 41 per cent., Ex. 25f. Dutch 24 per Cent. Ea. 12 Gail . ... Do. 4 per Cent. Certificates .... French Reines, 3 per Cent., Ex. 2M. — Do Account — Italial, 5 per Cent. 1831, Ex. zsf. Do. Account 56 i 6 CLOSING PRICES. Consuls, Money 92} 1 ad Do. Account, Jan. 5 92 .1 1 ad BANK OF FRANCE. PARIS, Dec. 24. The following is the return of the Bank of France for the week ending to-day, together with the cor responding figures of the previous account : DEBTOR. Dec. 24. Dec. 17. fr. c. Capital of the Bank 182,500,000 Profits in addition to capital (Art. 8, Law, June 9, 1857) 7,044,776 2 7,044,776 02 Reserve of the Bank and its branches 22,105,750 14 22,105,750 14 Reserve of landed pro perty 4,000,000 4,000,000 Notes in circulation . Bank notes to order and receipts payable at sight 31,872,504 57 32,460,25 93 Treasury account cur rent creditor 182,275,959 76 183,100,414 78 Current accounts, Paris 266,614,611 86 260,487,407 78 Do. branch banks 44,789,045 44,006,297 Dividends payable 721,286 684,423 Discounts and sundry interests Rediscounted the last 182,500,000 - six months Surplus of receipts not distributed Sundries 703,152 42 703,152 42 8,758,526 31 8,496,978 92 Total CREDITOR. Dec. 17. Dec. 24. Cash in hand and in fr. c. fr. c Branch banks Commercial bills over- 290,248 8 221,386 83 due Commercial bills dis t., t ,. counted, not yet due 239,497,004 70 256,363,107 14 Lo. branch banks 240,350,243 236,923,322 Advances on deposit of bullion 40,239,200 1) o. branch banks 5,740,2 00 Do. on French Public , Securities 11988,700 12,051,600 Do. by b ranc h banks 7,136,000 -- 7,021,100 AO. on railway shares , and debentures - 4 1,0. branch banks 0 0. on Credit Foncier Bonds Do. branches uO. to the State (Con vention, June 10, 1857) 60,000,000 60,000,000 Government Stock re serve 12,980,750 14 12,980,750 14 Do. disposable Rentes Immobalisees „(Law, June 2, 1857) 1C0,000,000 100,000,000 .... ki. otel and furniture of 38,668,000 - 3,316,800 - the Bank and landed propezty branches 8,964,759 8,970,059 -tpenses of manage tnent 2,693,717 76 3,174,595 Sundries Total Certified by the Senator-Governor of the Bank of France. (Signed) ROULAND. The Price of Gold. Th e t , quotalion ol gold at Paris is about at par, and short exchange on London Is 251. 20c. per £1 sterling. Ua comparing these rates with the English Mint prize of loicl. per ounce for standard gold, it appew's that told s 1 - abut 140th per cent. dearer in London than in qr at course of exchange at New York on London for bills days' eight was on the last date about 1.9) percent. 7 . `t this ra t e t h ere i s no prat on the importatin of gola "la the Untied Mitten. ames Life )ff in schia, to bo boner 1g so Bence Doard f the that ,ptain past visits Capt. 'asco, tie of ,miral ed to g the Club. tiohal If the on of )rt on great anis), ings !come over crew were of the their swag , hard ly got I suc- ace in ,n2ong ,atom• I soon NCE• conl •shott, Own) camp Lion of eople' 3 ad in s() in- men• Lis full Iditioa 6, W 8 o justed. e ather P ad' , T. r. much e pas t stock cted ju ars or° ad that 'orated j ag to Ited for s ; c heer• kely to month idenc e ' 1, as 15 xtrera° ess an i ; markeu :deal to 0 a fford le boot B ed fo r r e been o rders• Y 1 and ' 1r Bor a° ly duly for the s beia Cation to from tlao ieCretsll long a ! Chartr es ineludeS her 111$- nd 0 ° 111 ,! iption of t l 3° )f Fr i inforrae iau D iet .en ttiei i nye atio , 3d dutie s en gOOO - neat. in frail Wecint s : s b oil driY e : ,ut 01 ' 1 ' Q biog inaa- 10 Lip to Non he uthc r. Lie . l " ta ; t h 111 g 3c " e 7 s that — „ e labee °P't u atch , vf souleV .00 used Di O r the 'Orr al , I\l l - -e a ll t 4 ocl :;otau l° A o f writ j p 0 c . hfUll le SHARE LIST. , ItDIAAUY driAismISAND STOCIi;) i'ikare Railways. at Bristol and Exeter ...... 100 75 77 at Caledonian lOO 7, - " 7if st Cstdbrian.. lon 20 Su 23 Cornwall . all 3i 31 at Dublin & Belfast June... 101) 77 74 st Dun„l'erth, &Ab.Junc... 100 70 72 20 East London all 7 9 20 Do 15 - - 2J Do 10 - - at Glasgow &S. Western lOO 90 91 at Great Eastern .. st Do. E. Angl. No. 2 too 7 8 at Great North ol Scotland lOO 15 6 at Great Northern .. 100 106 107 et Do. A stock at Do. B stock— ... 100 124 lal st GtS, and W. of Ireland.. 100 00 97 sc lit. Western -Original.. 100 4•1 18} 4 , :q ,t Do. South Wales l,O 54 58 a. Do. W. Mid.-Oxloro lOO 25 28 at Do. Newport lOO 28 21 at Lancashire & Yorkshire lOO L 271 2.rf 127 i at Lon., Brigh.,& S.Cuast lOO 48 44 ilia 8 10) Do Scrip .... - - at I•on., Chat., and Dovvi 10a 1C: 17f 16, 17 at Do. Metrop. Ex. A lot - - at Lun. 4 North Western lOO 111 i 2 112 11; ,•S Lon. & South Western lot t 7 t 9 S. f 5 at Man., She., & Lincoln 11, ,, ,71 45 at Metropolitan 4lOO It2f ( 3 1031 3 at Do Estonsi)n 101) 53 1 0 rtl 10 Do. New . rd 10 10 1 st Metropolitan District. all - 10 bletrop. at. John's V. oo 1 0 - - at 11.u.alla at Do, dintaiu. 4 lhabs .. 100 70 el st NAIL. British at Do. ha., i'th., & Dub... 108 at P. or. Eastern-- Berwtcs .. 100 1.,1 100 24 Do. p urchu5t:..16.13.4 - - at Do Leeds. ...... ....... 100 54 25 at Do York lOO t 7 8s 87; st Do Carliate at Do Stoct. & Darling lto Iz7 129 127 st North Lon ion 10 Do New 1868 . . 2 11 2 p st North Staffordshira tun 54 4.1 at North and S.-W. Junction 100 103 105 10 Do Now £lO shares 7 at llhymney at Shropihire Union 1 0 53 51 at South Devon st South Eastern lOO 79 7,1 20 Staines, Wok'hani,& Wok all 12 11 St Tau vile lu, 145 130 /0 Do. C st Waterford & Kilkenuy tuu AU Waterloo & Whiteha.l 6 RAILWAYS-PREFERENCE SHARES AND STOCKS. st Bristol and Exeter 4 p.cent. 100 86 88 at Caledonian Qrs., No. 2 NO st Do. Scot. N.E., 4. per cent lOO ... st Do.Abordeeu, gua 6 p.c lOll st Do. do. 7 per cent lOO ... st Do. do. Ordinary lOO 78 (10 st Do, Midland st Do. Dundee and Arbroath lO 20 Cornwall, 5 per cent gua.., all at ; Dundee, Perth, and Aber deen Junction lOO 105 107 st Do. Ist Class preference lOO st Gins. & S.W. gua. 5 per et- 100 st Gt. Lantern, E.O. Ex. No.l 100 97 100 st Do ;- do No. 2 100 P 6 • j st Do do 6 per cent 100 106 106 at Do Elst Anglian A6p. c. 100 100 103 st Do do B 6 do. 100 - st Do do C. 37 do. 100 st Do do No. 1, 5 p.c. 100 100 103 st Do E. Union 4p. c. gua. 100 69 71 at Do Norfolk 5 p.c. Ex. 1846 100 sti Do do p.e.Wo.v.Val. 1847 100 ••• ••• st Great Northern, 5 per cent 10 • et Do 6 p.c., rd at 10 p. c. pm. 100 st Do 43 do do do 100 107} 7 st Do 6 do at bp.c. pm 100 st Do Leeds, Bradford, and Halifax, 6 per cent lOO sti Gt. Nrth of Scotland, Ist pf 100 ~„ st Great South. and Western (Ireland) 4 per cent lOO 96 97 st, Gt•West.—Olig.&Jnt.-Rent chg., per gua. i p.c lOO 102 104 st Do. Ong. (B. &H. Ex). 5 p.c. lOU 95 100 at Do do 4, per cent. 1850... 100 33 88 st Do do 4 do do 100 76 78 st Do do 6 per cent. redem. 100 93 96 941 st Do do Birmingham gua.. 100 63 72 st Do do ' do pref... 100 st Do do Chester gua lOO at Do do do 6 per cent lOO 160 160 st Do do do 5 do 100 95 101 at Do South Wales, gua. 4 p.c. 100 et Do do 41 p.c lOO st Do do 43 1839 lOO „„ st Do do 4 st Do West Mid. Oxford lstg lO 103 112 at Do do 2d gua lOO 106 108 st Do Newport, Ist g. 5 p.c lOO Si 92 st Do do 2d do l 0) .„ at Do gun. 54 per cent. 1863 100 100 Lancaster & Carlisle 41 p.c. all st Lancash. & Yorksh. 6 p.c. 100 1 e 135 at Do Barnsley, £5 Is 10d p.c. 100 ... st Do 6 p.c. (East Lancashire) 100 130 135 at Do 41 (Blackburn purch). 100 97 10 at London & Brighton, 6p. c. guaranteed, No. 1 st Do 5 per cent. gua. No. 2 lOO it Do 6 do do lOO 120 at Do 5 do No. 4 lOO st Do 7 per cent at Do 6 do (W.E. & C.P.) 100 st Da 4 do 1859 lOO st Loudon, Chatham, & Dover I per cent lOO st London and 11. W., C. and Nuneaton 5 per cent lOO 109 111 st Do Bedford &Cambridge lOO S 91 at Do Shrewsb'y & Welchp'l lOO 88 91 st London and 8.-W. 7 p,c late 3d shares lOO 141 14G 25.6 d. Do (Portsm. perp ans. 2c6d) all st Man., Shef., & Lincln. 6 p.c lOO 111 117 1141 6 Do £6 all par a pin st Do 31 per cent lOO 60 65 10 Do redeem. 6 percent i..„ st Mid. Consolidated., 6p. C lOO 130 135 st Do Bristol & p. c lOO 1 u 133 at Do 44 per cent, redeem lOO 97 9sl stj Do 44 per cent. irredeem lOO 97 PP st Do Leicester &Li:chi:l,4 p.c lOO 89 91 et North 6ritish, 6 p.c. No.l lOO cc Do E. tt (I. 4p.c. S. D lOO .„ at Do N. 8., N 0.2, 5 per can.t lOO • atDo Border Union, Li p.c lOO ••• ••• st N.-Eastern—Cons. 4 p.c lOO 86 8; st Do 44 per cent, redeem.— 100 63 95 st Do 11.N.E. 4 per cent., lOO 17 Do Berwick capital . 8 13.4. . 25 Do York, H. &S. purchase lO 10 . 1 . 01 st Do Stcktn & Drling. 5 p.c lOO 103 no at Do W, tiartlepoolli. anti It IUJ 87 Si 20 North Staffordshire all 20 21 lOs Devon Annuities, 1 s all 91 104 10s Do Tavistock Anns., 10s all 9 10 10s Do Fixed 44 per cent all 8 9 1.0.6. S. East. (head. Anns., 1.0.6) all 22 23 22i st Do 44 per cent lOO ... st Do Fixed 44 per cent lOO ... at Taff Vale No.l lOO 145 150 st Waterford & Kilkenny, 6pc 100 41 43 raid. Closing Business Price. done. RAILWaYS.—PREFERENCE SIIARES AND STOCKS. With Dividends contingent on the Profits of each separate year. at Caledonian 41 p c gua. st Do Scot. Oen. min. 7p c lOO st Do 41 p irredeem all ... st Do 4p e eon. is sue d at 8U 65 ... st Great Eastern 41 per cent. 100 77 81 st Do 5 do, 1864 lOO 1 , 1 at Do New 5 do, 1863 lOO 87 90 st Do do 6 do, 1164 lOO 84 83 81 st Great Northern, 5p c irrod IOU at Do Permanent 5 per cent lOO st Do Boston & Sleafd, 41 pc 100 ... at Great West., W. Jlidl., sp e 100 86 90 t Do Joint perpe. 5 p c,1565 100 85 90 st Do do 6p c irred., 1866 100 103 105 104 31 2J Do Vale N eath perp. 5p e all 194 201 at Kent Coast, 6 per tout, B lOO 5 Lane. and York. New 41 per ..• ..• Cent till July, 1871 .. ...... 2 1 st Loud., Brig., &c., 41 pc, 1858 100 ••• at Do du 4 do, 1860 100 ••• st Do do 41 do, 1861 100 st Do do 41 do, 1103 100 ,t Do do b do, 1865 100 • st Do No. 6 8 do, 1866 100 st Do No. 7 6do • at Loud , Chat., &c., 20, 6 p. c 100 :" st Metrop. Ex., B 6 p.c 100 *** . • Du du C 6 p.c Diu st London &N. Western, 5p s 100 107; 11 . 6 st Loudun &S. Western, 41 p c 1 00 93 94 10 Man. chef. & Lin., S pe, 1865 all 51 at Metropolitan a per cent st Midland, A 5 per cent pref lOl 105 107 st Do B 5 do 100 108 107 18 Do Sp c opt. to Cony. to Ord. Stk., Sept. 1, 1665 all l' 11 • IP 18 Do Incony. Now Snares 16 # IP 22 Do S p a con. into Old Stk., Aug. SI, 1872 st North British, E. and (1,, No. 1, i per cent.— •.. 100 at Do £lO guaranteed, 1861 100 ••• •▪ •• st Do E., P., & Dun., 2d, 4ps 100 at Do E. &G , N 0 . 2, 6 1 ) .6 100 st Do N. 8.. S per cent, 1882 100 st Du E. & G., No. a, 5 p.O .., iou st Do E. & G., (Ordiry) 41 p s 100 66 6▪ 7 Zst North Eastern, 41 per cent 100 9 ‘ v 7 st Do Stock. & Dart., D 101 112 114 ct North London, 41, per coat (Max. S per cent) st North Staffordshire Sp c IOU „. st South Eastern, 41 pc, 1859 100 st Do sdo 1861 100 " • at Do sdo (Ch. Cross) 1803 100 at Do S du, 1864 at Victoria St. & Pimlico, 41 pa 100 RAIL SWAYS.-LINES LEASED AT FIXED RENTALS] st Birkenhead lOO 94 94 100 Do. 41 per cent. Prefer all 101 103 it Buckinghamshire it Chester and Holyhead lOO 64 56 st Do. bi per cent. at Do. 4 do. st Clydesdale, guaranteed lO6 ... ... st Colchester Stour Valley st East Lincoln, gua. 6p. c lOO 133 135 20 Gloster and Dean Forest ail .., ..,, a Gt. Easn., Newm., &c., 5 p.c 100 .., ~.. a Do. E. U. Harwich, 4 p.c 100 60 72 st Do. do. Woodbrg. Ex., do. 100 69 72 st Gt. West, W. Mid., Heref los 95 97 50 Hull and Selby all 109 111 st Lancaster and Carlisle lOO 211 213 213 st London and Blacltwall lOO 93 93 it Do. 41 per cent lOO ••• ••• st London, Chat., &c., 41 pc. 100 ••• ••• st Do. Com. Fund, 6 do. 100 ... ... st London and Greenwich st Do. do. Preference lOO ... ... s t London, Tilbury, & South 100 73 t 2 st Lowestoft, gua 4 per cent lOO 79 8 3 st Do. do. 6 do. 44 M a nch., Buxton, & Matlk all 6 ji at 3lidland, Bradford.,. Pref lOO 92 94 10 Mid Kent Cray Line) 50 Northern& East., 5 per cent all 51 6 , , , so Do. do. 6 do. all ... ... st N. Eastern—Hartlepool at N.West. A perp. pret, 6p. c. 100 103 110 st Do B minimum 11 p.c lOO ... ... st Totting. &Granth. it. et C WO 92 94 25 Preston and 11 yre. all 41 46 ... Royston, Hitch., and Shep. IUU 133 135 it Shrewsbury and Hereford 100 113 133 10 Do do i 21 2 p at S. Yorksh. sad layer Dun 100 98 100 at Du 4 per cent gua lO , 79 81 at Do b do it Vict. Station and Pimlico lOO 175 ISO at West Cornwall 20 West London, Class A all 13 14 20 Do do B ail ... ... 20 Do d o c all • 64 74 st Weymouth and Portland lOO at Wilts and Somerset DOCKS. st East and West India me 117 119 st London and St. Katherine lOO 53 45 103 1) oDeb. stock, 4 per cent al..; „, „ 141 H nym Freehold Land st Dock lOO 34 36 st Southampton lOO 74 76 st surrey c9anzQvrcl4l JOINT-STOCK BANKS. MORAL INCURABLES. Closing Business Share NAMZ. Paid. Price. done 10 Agra Limited, A all 111 121 121 12 A Do B lO 5 6 b 0 Albion 100 Alliance, Limited 20 Anglo-Austrian 20 Anglo-Egyptian, lim all 17 14 171 20 Anglo-Hungarian 8 2 S 20 Anglo-Italian 1566, limited 10 6 4 40 Australasian 20 Bank of British Columbia all 11 13 20 Do issued at 2pm ~.. S ... . 25 Bank of Egypt 20 Bank of Otago, lim. 25 Bank of South Australia all 31 33 50 Bank of Victoria, Australia 25 27 83 10 Bank of New Zealand all 17 19 50 British North American 20 Chartered of India, Austra lia, ,nd China all 90 21 25 Chartered Mere. of India, London, and China all 291 301 30 20 City lO 11 12 100 Colonial 25 40 42 10 Consolidated, lim. 50 Delhi and London, lim 50 East London, lim b 1; 01 20 English and American, lira 10 ... ... 20 English Bank of llio de Ja neiro. lirn lO ld pr 20 English; zeuttish, and Aus The Saturday Review has an article entitled "Moral Incurables." A recent traveller in the islands of the Indian Archipelago, it says, has, among other things, given a rather minute account of the condition to which the Malay opium -smoker reduces himself ; and the account is made more graphic than unaided words could have made it by a photograph of one of those unhappy creatures. The wretch, though only of middle age, is emaciated so as to be mere skin and bone ; the, deadness of his expression is irreproducible in words ; in his hands is the fatal pipe ; "by his side are seen vessels for making tea, and by copious draughts of that stimulant he will try to revive his dead limbs by-and. bye, when he awakes from his contemplated debauch, and finds, as it were, his very life on the point of leaving the body." When a man has once contracted the habit of opium -smoking, says the traveller, it is impossible to reform ; and, indeed, one need only look at the picture to be quite sure of this impossibility. A reader with anything like an imaginative turn of mind can hardly help pausing to think of a condition of such despair; and if he is reflective as well as imaginative, he will feel a chill in remembering that the Malayopium-smoker is not the only, even if he is the most degraded, kind of incurable. It is rather a useful thing for Englishmen to think about, because the notion of an incurable is one of those which we have supreme difficulty in admitting to our minds. We are so convinced —and it is a very decided piece of good fortune for us that we are so—of the omnipotence of personal effort, and the irresistibleness of the human will, that the existence of facts which effort cannot touch, and of cir cumstances against which any force that we think of under the name of will is totally impotent, is either ignored, or at any rate is kept as much out of sight as possible. That this is on the whole a very wholesome tendency, and ends in good in the long run, there can be hardly any doubt. But it is not good that anything should be shirked, and it is not good, there fore, that we should shut our eyes to the existence of whole bands of moral incurables—men as far beyond redemption from this or that tyrannical habit as the Malay opium-smoker, and whose moral case _ tralian Chartered 281 110 n, ,,, Kong and Shanghai Bank Corporation all ... . 281 Do new bi 1 1 100 Imperial, lira 2O 17 18 20 Imperial Ottoman l9 1 1 111 1 1 .5 lonian a ll 2 1 29 25 Do new 5 pr 1p 20 Lnd Mortgage of Intlia, lint 4 31 31 100 Do sp. c. Debs.lB6l, 30 all 76 78 t 2 30 London Bank of Mexico and South America, lint. 20 9 7 12/ 100 Loudon and Brazilian, lint. 45 3 t 32 20 Do new 71 6 4 6 4 100 London &River Plate, lint. 40 7 9 25 Do new 10 11 14 20 London Chart. of Australia all 221 231 50 London and County 2O 50 el 20 Do new,issat 20 p.m,l6pd ll ... ... 50 London Joint Stock 1 35 46 354 1 20 London and liouth African al li 12 100 London & S.-Western, Aim, 20 50 London & Venezuela, Aim l2l 100 London and Westminster. 20 100 Do Scrip, iss a. 10 pm 100 Merchant, lint 25 10 Metropolitan, Aim all 100 Midland, Aim.... 2O 5 National of Australia 25 National of Liverpool, Aim l5 100 National Provinc. of Eng'd 42 10 Do . 42 10 National. 3O 54 56 20. New South Wales all 42 44 20 North-Western 74 ... ... 25 Oriental Bank Corporation all 424 461 421 50 Provinc. Bank.Corpo., Aim. 10 6 51 44 1 100 Provincial of Ireland n 91 08 10 Do new. all ... ... 100 Stand. of Brit. S. Africa, Aim 25 14 12 100 Do issued at 6 pm. 10 ... ... 25 Union of Australia all 48 49 100 Union of Ireland, Aim 40 Union of London l5 37 3$ 381 6AI 661 66} 1 621 6 1 63 7 61 71 141. pr 2 is not a whit less desperate. Opium-smoking is not a favourite or popular vice among Europeans, and so we do not get incurableness brought home to us in that direct and concrete manner which is so much more effective than any other. But the most unflinching optimist will think twice before he maintains that we are free from other vices and foibles that are hardly a shade less deadly, mutatis mutandis ; at all events from vices and foibles which their victims would probably count quite as deadly if they could only see themselves as others see them. Take weakness of purpose, for example. It is as certain as anything can be, that after a time the habit of desiring without willing, of purposing without striving, of wishing and designing without executing or taking strenuous steps towards exe cuting, fastens upon a man and grows into his bones and his flesh, and pulls him down to a state fully as desperate and as deadly from a moral point of view as the state of the Malay opium -smoker is desperate from the moral and physical point. Practically, there is about as little chance of rescuing the one as the other. One advantage of recognising the incurableness of certain disorders of character after they have had time to work themselves into its grain is that well-disposed persons would learn to leave the incurable alone; would let him fare in his own way ; would neither harass him nor waste their own energies in a bootless effort to awaken him. It would be an uncommonly useful thing if persons given to play the part of social missionary or amateur moralist would hang up over their mantel-piece or bed-head a photograph of the Malay opium-smoker, as a reminder, graphic and perpetual, of the impotence of talking in the face of confirmed and settled habit. If one were to see an earnest moralist haranguing the wretched Malay, pointing out to him the evil and folly of his ways, enforcing his moral by reference to the dead eye, sunken cheeks, and bones starting through the skin, we should only laugh or wonder. It is not much less melancholy to note the zeal with which incorrigible preachers attack and try to stir up men as dead in their habits as habits can be. What amount of digging and dunging will bring fruit to a barren tree ? It was a just appreciation of the in vincible might with which habits and tempers take root and thrive in men, that led theologians to insist upon a supernatural effort of Divine grace as the essential condi- tion of the new life. The world at large is given to laugh at the divines who cry out about " our miserable human nature," and about the feebleness and fatuousness of mortals groping after light by their own unaided effort. And this teaching has very likely had a depressing effect ; it has very likely done something to weaken the needful spirit of self-reliance, and voluntary, earnestly directed energy. To teach a man that he needs a miracle to bring him right is, of course, to do much to discourage him from doing his best to bring himself right. But this is no reason why those who are not teachers but only observers, and all men in so far as they are observers, should blink the plain truth that we are all of us apt to drift into mental states out of which nothing short of downright miracle could deliver us. And may we at this point, without intruding too far into a domain which is not ours, suggest that another doctrine which some theologians hold, whatever is to be said for or against its theological truth, has at any rate a side which is true in morals? Those who hold that a spiritual regeneration is wrought in baptism may at least borrow from the humbler armoury of the experimental moralist this proposition, that men often seem to inherit some qualities from their sires which nothing short of preternatural intervention is at all likely to root out. The theory of the tabula rasa is no longer tenable in the face of established facts of physical trans mission, and we are bound to admit that at no earliest moment of his existence does any man start exactly fair. Only those who have taken the pains to watch the process of the formation of habits in themselves and in others know how comparatively few repetitions of an act are quite enough to sink it irreparably into their nature. It is not every habit that is so unpleasant at its first inception as opium -smoking is said to be. We are not warned off, nor tempted not to give way. On the contrary, as all preachers since the Flood have lamented, it is the first step which is so bright and so easy, from getting into debt down or up to the weightiest and most crushing sins. The Malay, it may be said, has no excuse, for the first whiffs are nasty enough to bid him think; while there is some excuse for the poor mortal who falls astray in the direction of idleness, of seeking his own ease first, and other things afterwards or not at all, of profusion of money, of running after too gay comrades, of indulging in biting speech, of yielding to immoderation in thought and language and attitude ; for is there not a strong smack of what grati fies the old Adam in all these things? And it is this pleasant smack which seduces men, until it has grown too attractive to be resisted. They go on all the time with an ingenuous idea that they can pull up if they will, and when they will. A palsied man might as well flatter himself that, if he only wished it strongly enough, he could forthwith plant down as firm a foot as his stoutest neighbour. It is true that the facility of habit works for good as well as for harm, because a virtuous habit once formed may prove as durable as a vicious one. Certainly, if a man were obliged to take deliberate thought before every virtuous act of his life, the world would become a pandemonium, and so it is to this extent a happy dispensation that to form habits comes tolerably easy to us. But then we must set against this the other side, that an evil habit is fully as likely to last as any other, because it is just as certain to surround itself with agreeable associations. The only reason why it is worth while to point out that there are moral incurables, and that we are most of us incurable in one respect or another, large or small, is that it serves to enforce in a way that is rather neglected the very old moral about bewaring of first steps. Books to the value of a million and a half dollars were imported into the United States from England last WHOLESALE DISCHARGE OF WORKMEN FROM GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHMENTS.—Within the last few months 2,500 men and women have been discharged from the Government establishments in Woolwich, represent iLg, with their families, 10,000 persons, who are at the present time without any means of subsistence. The Relief Fund Committee have received nearly £l,OOO, about half of which has been expended in relief. There are about 700 heads of families at present receiving relief from the committee, at the rate of £lOO per week RETAINERS TO THE BAR. —Members of the bar may as well look boldly in the face the fact that the rules hitherto prevailing cannot long continue to prevail without most decided modification. One of the most prominent relates to the effect of a retainer. Is an attorney bound to give a brief under all possible circumstances where he has given a retainer? A correspondent, in a letter which INC print to-day, shows the great hardship which may be en tailed upon a suitor by the enforcement of this rule to the letter. Our correspondent retained a favourite leader, a second Q.C., and a junior. Before he delivered briefs the second Q.C. became a law officer, and by reason of his office would take the conduct of the cause out of the hands of the favourite. The attorney here was willing to relin quish the services of the law officer, but the latter took a different view of the matter, and requested the other counsel to refuse to appear in the case unless he was briefed and his fee paid. This was accordingly done ; but, a 3 our correspondent observes, had a journeyman tailor coerced a master in a similar way it would be considered We, equally with the rest of the profession, desire to all rules maintained within a certain limit, but wheic a rule works a hardship it ought to be abandoned.— Lazy Tune:, THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 26, 1868. HOW TITI FRENCH FATTEN POULTRY. Any of our countrymen avno, from rheumatic gout Dr any other ailment, may be sent to , Vichy, would do well, as soon as they have sufficiently recovered the use of their legs, to pay a visit to the Villa Belvedere, where a very singular mode of fattening poultry has for some time been successfully pursued. A large circular building, admirably ventilated, and with the light partially excluded, is fitted up with circular cages, in tiers rotating on a central axis, and capable of being elevated, depressed, or rotated, which are so arranged that each bird has, as it were, a separate stall, con taining a perch. The birds are placed with their tails con verging to a common centre, while the lie&l of each may be brought in front by a simple rotatory m Dvement of the cen tral axis. Each bird is fastened to its cell by leathern fetters, which prevent movement except of the head and wings, without occasioning pain. When the feeding time comes the bird is enveloped in a wooden case, from which the head and neck alone appear, and which is popularly known as its paletot, by which means all unnecessary struggling is avoided. The attendant (a young girl) seizes the head in her left hand, and gently presses the beak, in order to open it ; then, with her right, she introduces into the gullet a tin tube about the size of a finger. This tube is united to a flexible pipe, which communicates with the dish in which the food has been placed, and from which the desired quantity is instantaneously injected into the stomach. The feeding process is so short, that 200 birds can be fed by one person in an hour. The food is a liquid paste composed of Indian corn and barley saturated with milk. It is administered three times a day in quan ties varying according to the condition of each bird. The food seems to be very satisfactory, for if any chances to fall they devour it all as soon as they are released from their paletots. The poultry -house is well ventilated ; but, of course, it is impossible for any place in which 600 fowls are confined to be free from smell. It takes about a fortnight to fatten a bird by this method. Before being killed the birds are left in a dark but well-ventilated chamber for twenty-four hours without food. Each fowl is then taken up by its feet, is wrapped up so as to prevent all struggling, and then bled so adroitly in the throat that its death seems almost instantaneous. The blood is then allowed to flow from it, and &ally, after being plucked, washed, and cleaned, it is wrapped in a damp cloth, and is ready for sale. From forty to fifty fowls are thus killed and sold daily.—Once a Week. MISCELLANEOUS. 10 Auglo-American Tel., lim all . 211 211 211 10 Anglo-Mediter. TeL,lim 10 1 ,-p 101 1 10 Anglo-Mexican Mint all 12- 11 15/ st Atlantic Telegraph lO 26 28 271 8 st Do. 8 per cent. lOO 70 74 25 Australian Agricultural 25 Australian Mort. Land aid Finance, lim 10 Saugarah Tea Estates, lim 8 7 $d 10 Berlin Water Works, lim all 131 14 10 Do. New Si 100 Bolckow Vaughan, lim. 5 Bombay Gas, Urn. 5 Do. New 4 11 Of 51 British American Land 44 16 18 et B. and L Magnetic Tel., lint lOO 167 172 20 British Indian Tea, lim all 21 81 20 British Ship Owners 7l 29 Canada Company all 67 72 10 Canadian Loan and Invest ment, lint 2l 21 11d 20 Ceylon Company, lim. 20 Do. A shares 10 City Discount, lim i 41 81 25 City of London Real Pro perty, lim 8 41 81d 30 City of Milan Improy. lim all 5 10 25 City of Moscow Gas, Rm.- all 2 3 50 City Offices, lim 25 24i 235 d 1 50 Colonial, lint. Do. 50 Commercial Union (Assur) b 1p 10 Company of African Mer chants, lim 20 Continental Union Gas, lint all 17 13 25 Copper Miners of England, pref. 74 per cent. 100 Corporation of London Bonds, 1877, 41 per cent. all 101 105 100 Do. 1879, 41 per bent. all 104 1041 100 Do. 1882, 4; per cent, all 1031 1041 10 Credit Fon. of England, lim. all 21 50 CreditFon.of Mauritiuslim lO t 2 d et Crystal Palace lOO 13 21 201 20 et Do. Preference lOO 28 101 et Do. 6p. c Papetual Deb lO9 105 110 107 20 Darjeeling, Rm. I 0 Eastern Assam, lim 50 East Indian Land Credit and Finance, lim. 20 East India Irriga. & Canal all 17 18 32 Ebbw Vale Steel, Iron, and Coal, lira. 100 Egyptian 9 per cent. V'roy ..._ ilia. by Egypt. Gov all 88 89 881.1 20 Egyptian Com. & Traci. lim 6 41 4d st Electric & Inter. Telegraph 100 237 242 242 10 Do. New 8 10 12p I Eng. & Austral. Copper, lim 21 / 15 English and Foreign Credit 75 5 4d 100 Eng. and Scot. marine, lim. 8 ...d 10 Fairbairn Engineering i 11 11d 20 Fore-streetWarehouse,lim l2 pr 1p 100 For. & Col. Gov. Trust and Loan Scrip, issued at £B5 all 831 841 131 50 Gellivara, lim 2O ... 10 General Credit & Dis., lim 7l 2 14 • 15 General Steam Navigation 14 28 29 50 Home & Col Marine In. Bin 8 41 31d 10 Hong Kong and China Gas all 20 Hudson's Bay all 131 13; 13/ 20 Imperial Land Co. of Mar seilles, lim. 25 Indo-European Tel., lim lO 20 Interns. Financial Soc. lim 20 Interns. Land Credit, lim I 50 Italian Laud 20 Italian Irri. (Canal Cavour) all 100 Do. 6p. c. Bds., redeem . , 1870, issued Si) all 50 Land Securities, lim 6 25 London African Trading lO 25 Lou. & Caled. ilarine, lira 6 10 Loudon County Land and Building, lim. 5 Loud. Provincial Tel. lira all 1 Do. Prefer. 10 per cent. all 50 Loud. Financial Asso., lim 30 4 Lond.Gen.Oninibus.Co.litn. all 50 Loud, and Glasg. Engineer and Iron Ship, lim 25 20 Loud. & Provincial Marine 2 at Madras Irriga. & Canl. Gua. p. c. by India Gov. 10 Mauritius Laud, Credit, and Agency, 1im...... 10 Mediterra. Ex ten. Tel., lim all 50 Merchant Shipping, lim all 50 Millwall Iron Works, Btu l2l 10 Natal Land and Colonist) - ... ...d 11 11 6 4d 11 id 31 4 63 65 3 nd 7 6d 31 af i 23 221 ip li 2 22 17d Id pr tion Co., lira. 25 National Discount Co., lim 25 National Prov. Marine, lim. 4 10 National Steam Ship, lire. all 20 Nerbudda Coal & Iron, lim. 6 10 New Consolidated Dis. lira 3 ew Quebrada, lim 4.4.0 25 New Zealand Loan & Mer cautile Agency,lim 2l 25 New Zealand Trust and Loan, lim I 10 Northern Assam Tea, lim 5 10 Do. B et North Brit. Austral., lim lOO b() North Brit. & Mercan. In 6l 25 Ocean Marine (Insurance) I 50 Oriental Financial, lim ll. b Oriental Gas, lim. 5 Do. Now 1 10 Otago and Southland In 105 107 f id 4 41 33 33 24 241 12 124 4 8,1 81 91 8 2d 14 1(1 44 8k iP 11 11 7 II 1 2 4G 51 181 19f 141 15 71 7f 4P vestment, Inn 2 5 Ottoman Gas, lira all 10 Panama, Now Zealand, and Australian R. Mail lien all 2 21 5 Do do. st Peel R. Land & Miner!, lim 100 30 32 50 Peninsu. & Oriental Steam all 49 51 SO 50 Do. New 1867 lO fri pr 25 Reuters Telegram 24 30 35p 50 Rhymney Iron 15 Do. New 25 Rio de Janeiro City Im.,lint all 171 181 20 Do. Gas, lint all 23 24 100 Royal Mail Steam 6O 45 47 46 st Scottish Aust. Invest., limn lOO 107 112 it Do. 6p. c. Guar. Pref lOO ... ... 20 Societe Fin. d'Egypte, lim lO 7 6d 20 Societe Gen.de l'Ernpire Ot $ 3 4p 50 g. African Mort. dr Inv., lint 6 ... ... 23 South Australian Land it Submarine Telegraph 1 Do. Scrip all 11 20 Telegraph Con. & M a i n .,li m ; all 16 16/ 161 16 20 Thames and Mersey Marine (Insurance), lim 2 2/ 2: 20 Trinidad Petroleum, Rm ll ... yip 10 Trust & Agency of A us .,li m 1 10 Do do. do. all ... . 20 Trust & Loan Co., U. C ana d a 4 Id .. p 50 Union Marine L'pool, lim 4 4 41p 20 Union Steam Ship, lim all 22 24 15 United Discount Corp., Urn 6 11 Old 415 16 SU. Kingdom Tel. Co., lira all 44 61 54 a Do. 10 per cent. Pref all 34 3lp 20 Universal Marineau.), lim 5 1 11p 10 Upper Assam Tea, lim all 3 4 30 Van Dieman's Land 00 Viceroy of Egypt, 7 per cent. ( Mortgage) Loan.., all 75i 761 714 si 6 50 Warrant Finance, lim l2 12 10d 50 West India and Pacille Steam, lim 2O 4 3d 20 WestLond on Wharves aid Warehouses lO 11 24 GUYIGUNKENT SECUICITIE6 ----- - British Columbia, 6 - - 0ent.,1872.... -- Do. 1895 10; Can.Gov.6p.c.Jan.v&July 1877-84 - Do. 6p. o. Feb. & Aug lOO 105 10 - Do. sp. o. Mar. & Sept lOO 105 10 - Do. sp. o. Jan. & July lOO 93 94 951 - Do. sp. c. inscribed sk lOO 90 92 cap u 9.11 ape, 6 p. 0.1873 lOO 102 104 - Do.Ap!. &Oct 1890-1900 lOO 111 113 - Do. do 1880-90 lOO 107 _lO9 - Do. Jan.&July, 1891 - Do. 5 per cent. 15 April and 15 Oct., 1900 lOO 100 102 - Caylon, Nov 1878, 6 p.c lOO 108 110 - Do. 1872, do lOO 105 107 - Mauritius, 6p. 0, 1873, - Jan. and July - Do. 1878 ... lOO 106 108 - Do. 1882, May and Nov lOO 106 108 - Do. 1895, Feb. & Ace lOO 106 108 - .51:?!bourne Corporate., 18t17-25, 6 per etnt... - - p.0.Ja.&.lull - Natal 6 p (0, Apl & Oct lOO -- 1071 - Do 43 pc. May & Nov IGO 106 11,8 - N. S. W. 51re. '7l to '73 lOO 99 101 - Do. 5 p.c. 148 to 1806 lOO 99 100 1(01 j• - Do. 5 p.c. rd.'67 to '75 lOO 99 101 - N.Zealand, 6p. et. 1891 lOO - - • Do. 5 per cent.... . . DoJan,Aprl,Ju4, 0 t lOO 974 984 - I)) 6p c. Mar & Sept '9l 1 1 :0 108 LIU Do Ju..e & Dec , 1-91 - fDo Prov. 1 Aoexld. 1,0 - t t(riei 1 &2, 1696.. - Nova Scotia 6p. c.J an... - an i Jnly, 1875 18c6 lOO 101 103 cueenslnd. Op. c. 'B2-5 lOO It 8 1(9 108 - Do 1891 ...... . . - S. Austral. 6 p 0.1869 77 lOO - _ Do 1878.92 lOO 108 110 Do !b931908 10) 107 108 - Tasmanian pc, 1895 lOO 106 207 - Do rd. 1893 to 169/. lOO 107 108 - Victoria fip.o. Ja..SsJuly lOO - Do. lein DIN do, April &Wt lOO 109 110 108 i 17. RABBIT SHOOTING. We once heard a Buckingham farmer relieve his mind on the subject of rabbits, and he concluded by saying, " I wish there was but one rabbit in the world, and that I had hold of him by the hind-legs." What would have become of that solitary rabbit we shudderto think. Certainly his chance of disporting himself of a summer evening among the young corn would have been small. Admitting the great damage done by rabbits compared with that done by winged game, still the rabbit is of infinite use to the preserver of game. He protects the more valuable pheasant from the foxes, and he helps wonderfully to swell the return at the end of a day's cover-shooting. He is a remarkably jolly playful little fellow, too. Watch him in the twilight as he hops out of his hole, and between each jump nibbles a bit of young clover, then sits up on his hind-legs looking about him, washes his face, stamps upon the ground, and then chases one of his friends and neighbours in a circle over the green. It would be a shame to improve him off the face of the earth. However, of that there is little likelihood. Even in some parts of Australia he has increased and multiplied to such an extent as to have become a serious nuisance. There are two ways of rabbit shooting pure and simple : the one with ferrets, which is by no means a lively occupation in cold weather, the rabbits generally declining to bolt from their holes with sufficient rapidity, unless, as a warrener once told us, "the sign is in their toes," which we believe had some vague reference to Old Moore's Almanack ; and the other with beagles in the open. Of all delightful enjoyments on a frosty Christmas•day, commend us to this sport. It com bines hunting and shooting ; there is hard running for those who like it, and there is plenty of opportunity for exercising judgment by those who prefer that their heads should save their heels. What can be more glorious, when the ground is hard with frost and the hunters are confined to walking exercise, than to find oneself on a broad Surrey heath with a light breechloader, three friends, and five or six couples of beagles ? There are but few earths, and those few are stopped, so that the rabbit, when found, runs almost like a hare. With two guns on either side of the keeper, who hunts the dogs, the draw begins ; soon one of them gives tongue, and a moment after the whole pack joins in ; then let those who can run keep with the leading dogs. The heather is so high and so close that until the rabbit is tired out he can seldom be seen ; but as he gets beaten he is less careful to shelter himself, and a shot rewards tht sportsman lucky enough to be up at the time. However, the race is not always to the swift : perhaps after a half mile chase, always abreast of the leading dogs, a sudden turn to the right or left and a double back will let in a less active man, who has taken no part in the chase. To enjoy this sport in perfection, rabbits should neither be very scarce nor very plentiful too much time spent in the draw is tedious, while too many rabbits up at once bother the clogs, and prevent their stick ing to the hunted game, which will seldom sliew itself for a shot until hard pressed. A considerable percentage of the rabbits will be shot immediately on their being found, but the greater number will give runs varying from five to ten minutes, so that a bag of from twenty to thirty rabbits means a thoroughly good day's sport. Of course there is an occasional shot at a hare or a woodcock, and now and then at a pheasant strayed from a neighbouring cover. There is another advantage attending this amuse ment—every man is allowed to make as much noise as he pleases ; he can cheer on the dogs, encourage the diligent and admonish the skulker, without fear of a reprimand. There is no autocrat of the hunting-field here, before whose strong language he must stand guiltily mute should his enthusiasm have got the better of his dis cretion ; but every man does that which is right in the sight of his own eyes. Of rabbit as an accessory to other shooting little need be said. Everyone knows how dull many a good day's cover-shooting would have been had the rabbits been eliminated, and how a few rabbits lying in the open on a frosty day increase the pleasure of wild rough sport. A shot every quarter of an hour is needful to keep np the excitement and to prevent the attention from flagging, and towards the end of the season this would not be got without the rabbit. Of course we are not writing for the heroes of the battue, whose stock of tame pheasants is never diminished, but is carefully kept up by supplies sent from London, packed in stocking legs, and turned into the covers an hour or two before the arrival of the shooting party. To the genuine sportsman the actual shooting of game gives less satis faction than hunting for and finding it; but still there must be probability of finding and shooting. That rabbits do much damage when they are preserved in large quan titles on cultivated land no one will deny. So great, indeed, is the damage on some farms, that it is doubtful whether a remission of the whole rent of the land would be a sufficient compensation ; but it is folly to deduce from a few extreme cases an argument for the extermina tion of the poor rabbit, and we should be indeed sorry to see the last individual of his race in the grasp of our friend the Buckinghamshire farmer.—London Review. THE SOLAR HEAT. —How TO MAKE THE POT BOIL.—M. Mouckat, who has been experimenting on the utilisation of the solar heat, hist week sent a paper on this subject to the Academy of Sciences. He states that, accord ing to his experiments, upwards of three-sixths of the solar heat might be gathered at a small cost. At Paris a surface of one square metre normally exposed to the rays of the sun receives, on an average, at any time of the year, on afine day, ten units of caloric per minute. Such a quantity of heat would make a litre of water at freezing-point boil in ten minutes, and is equivalent to the theoretical action of a one-horse power. He further states that he had proved the possibility of keeping hot-air machines agoing by means of solar rays, and had succeeded in making a few litres of water boil by exposure to the same agent ; and in June 1866 he had made a small steam-engine work by converting water into vapour with the assistance of a re flector one metre square. A CLERGYMAN'S WIFE BURNT TO DEATII.-Mr. G. H. Hull, coroner for West Surrey, has held an inquest at Chiddingfold, near Godalming, on the body of Mrs. Annie Humbert, aged 45. It appeared that the deceased was the wife of a clergyman at Chiddingfold, and for some time past had been helpless and paralysed in speech. On the afternoon of Wednesday, the 16th inst., she was taken out for an airing, and on her return to her residence her maid placed her in a chair in the library at a reasonable distance f om the fire, wh'elt was protected by a guard. The maid left the room for three or four minutes, and on tier return was horrified to find that her mistress had fallen upon the fire, on which her head was lying, and her garments were in flames. She called for assistance, and the cook and other persons coining into the room, the unfortunate woman was extricated from her shocking position, and her burning garments having been extin guished, she was carried to an upper apartment. Dr. Lawton was called in, and, upon examination, found that she was dreadfully burnt, the muscles of the left arm being laid bare, the skin of the back and shoulders charred and blackened, and the head much scorched. He applied Cie usual remedies, but the case was of such a desperate nature that the utmost which skill and attention could suggest was of no avail, and the deceased expired on Satur• lay, without having been able to explain the origin of the accident. The jury, returned a verdict of accidental ila'►th. rear. POLICE INTELLIGENCE—This Day. MARLBOROUGH- STREET. Several persons were brought before Mr. Knox this morning, charged with being drunk and dis orderly. 'Where the charge was simply that of drunkenness these persons were discharged, but in other cases Mr. Knox, taking into consideration that it was Christmas time, imposed lenient fines. DISTURBING A CONGREGATION. —James M'Cann, a groom, was charged as follows :—Police-constable George Hamilton, 56 C, said that on Christmas eve the prisoner, who was drunk, was put out of the Farm-street chapel by the doorkeeper. The prisoner rushed in again and became very disor derly, and he was compelled to take him into cus tody as he was disturbing the congregation, and it was with some difficulty that he was got to the station. In answer to Mr.. Knox, the constable said that the prisoner was in the practice of going to the chapel to beg. Mr. Knox said it wou!d not do to have a man going drunk to a chapA and disturbing a congreg,a tion, and fined the prisoner 203. or 14 days. lIAMES. DARING ROBBERY ON THE RIVER.—SUSPICION OF A FOOL MuLDEß.—George Legou, described as a labourer, aged 36 years, was brought before Mr. Benson charged with assaulting and robbing An drew Duthie, a seaman, on the river Thames. The prisoner is a well-known and desperate thief, with a sullen and morose air about him, who has been in prison twelve months for a robbery similar to the one with which he is now charged. The pro secutor is a respectable Scotchrnan, who had lodged in the Sailors' Home, Well-street, Whitechapel, for a few days, until Saturday, the 19th instant, when he made preparations to leave for Scotland, and he proceeded to Union-stairs, Wapping, with a porter who had his baggage on a barrow. It consisted of a chest and a bag containing a large quantity of wearing apparel and stores. Ile engaged the pri soner and another man, not waterman, to convey him and his chest and bag to the Dundee steamer, moored in the stream, and very generously said to them, if you will go with me across the water I will treat you with some ale. They landed at Horsleydown on the Surrey side of the water, and the seaman's luggage and kit were left in the boat. Of course the prisoner and his companion well plied the sailor with drink, and he was returning to the boat when the two villains knocked him down on the plying place, within a few yards of the tide-way, and ripped open his pockets, from which they took seven sovereigns and some silver, all the money he had. He was stunned for a short time, and when he partially recovered he saw the boat with the prisoner and his confederate in it being rowed away from the stairs. His chest, emptied of the whole of its contents, was found on the river floating with the tide by the Thames police, and that was all that was recovered. The sailor valued his lost property at £lO, and his money upwards of 17 more. Ho was prevented from prosecuting his journey to Scotland and spending his Christmas with his friends. Yester day the prisoner was apprehended by Joseph White, a pollee-constable, at the Hermitage-stairs, 'Wap ping. The prisoner made a most determined re sistance, and if it had not been for the courage of the officer, and the in&maitable perseverance of a waterman, who came to his aid, he would have been killed. In answer to questions by Mr. Benson, Duthie said he was left on the Surrey side of the river after the assault and robbery. lie lost everything he possessed except his chest and what he stood upright in. The prisoner and his companion were pulling away as bard as they were able after the outrage and robbery. Mr. Benson remanded the prisoner until Wed nesday. It was stated that a gang of miscreants who have obtained possession of watermen's boats in the night time have been guilty of scandalous extortions on passengers crossing the river and proceeding to steam ve3sels, and that some of these villains have comrelled persons to part with their money by for cc. A few weeks since a seaman was found drowned in the river with marks of violence upon him, and without a farthing upo❑ him, lie was known to have a considerable sum of money in his pockets when he was last seen alive. It is suspected that he has been robbed and foully murdered. The ease is still under investiga• ion. CO7 TON SUPPLY ASSOCIATION. At the usual meeting of the Exective Committee, held Tuesday, December 22, a letter was read from Dargeeling, Bengal Presidency, stating that the views which the writer expressed when in England six years ago, and which were founded upon per sonal experience during twelve years' residence in various parts of India, have been fully confirmed, and that he is more than ever convinced of the possibility of securing a successful cotton field in India. New Orleans and Egyptian seed can be al vantageously cultivated in that portion of the Bengal Presidency with which he is connected, as he has satisfactorily proved ; and he has no doubt also in the neighbouring districts of Doar Teraies, which contains hundreds of thousands of rich, unreclaimed acres similar in soil and subsoil, as shown by chemical analysis, to the cotton soils of Georgia and Alabama, and capable of yielding large future supplies of fine cotton. The natives, however, arc so averse to change their rude agri cultural system, and are so firmly attached to their patriarchal method of husbandry that it is extremely difficult to persuade them to enhance the value of their crops by means of superior seeds, and a better crop of cultivation. More over, the common country churka is not well adapted for cleaning New Orleans and Egyptian cotton, and they are therefore naturally disinclined to cultivate crops from foreign seeds, the pro duce of which, ungiuned, is actually of less local value than the crops from inferior indigenous seeds. It was therefore resolved to send out at the expense of the association, some gins to meet the exigency, as well as a fresh supply of New Orleans and Egyptian seed. A letter was received from Broach, stating that a prize list of the Broach Ex hibition, which was to open on the 22d of Decem ber, has been forwarded, and, consequently, that the medals and money offered by the association will be immediately awarded. A letter was read from the Cape of Good Hope, acknowledging a grant made by the association of seed, which has been publicly offered for distribution to all persons willing to give cotton cultivation a fair trial in the colony. The only article of export (wool) being very low in price in the home market, it has become necessary to try some other industry, and it is expected that self-interest will induce many to grow cotton largely, though the people are somewhat apetbetic. His Excellency the Governor has taken an interest in the subject, and it is hoped that Government influence will have a beneficial effect upon the natives. METROPOLITAN RAILWAY.—The extension of this railway and the Metropolitan District Railway, from Glou cester-road to Westminster-bridge,was successfully opened for traffic yesterday. Tho trains commenced to run between five and six o'clock, and have continued to run between Westminster-bridge and the City with great re gularity, up to this time at i n t erva l s o f 10 m i nutes. TILE LIBRARY AND WINES OF TILE LATE MARQUIS OF HASTINGS.—The valuable and extensive library, and the choice cellar of wines, late the property of the Marquis of Hastings—the former removed from Donning ton-park, and the latter now lying in the cellars of the man sion—are about to b 4 disposed of by public sale at the auc tion rooms of Messrs. Putt and Neale. of Nottingham, by Mr. Phillips, of New Bond-street. i ne 4 :ihrary contains up wards of 20,000 volumes, comprising many rare specimens of early English and foreign typography, MSS. in the European and oriental languages, county histories, genealogies early voyages and travels, books of prints, illustrated works, early poetry and romances, the drama, facetia.t, classics, and general history—all in very fine condition , many being on large paper, and in morocco and russia binding. The sale commences ou Tuesday next, and will be continued during the week, the wines being reserved for the last day. The cellar includes several bins of Chateau Lafitte and Latour clarets of the vintages of 1863-4, and 'ionic, very find old East India Jitadeira. DINNER TO SIR 11. D. WOLFF. The recently-formed Christchurch and Bourne mouth Conservative Association was inaugurated on Monday last by a dinner given to Sir H. Drum mond Wolff, K.C.M.G., who unsuccessfully con tested the borough of Christchurch at the late ge neral election. Sir H. D. Wolff was formerly public secretary to the Lord High Commissioner of the lonian Islands, and was the representative of the lonian States at the International Exhibition in 1862. The dinner was held in the Town-hall at Christ church, and the chair was occupied by Mr. Dart, of Beech House, who was supported by Sir H. D. Wolff, the Earl of Malmesbury, Mr. Eastlake, M.P. for Falmouth, Capt. Pardoe, Sir P. Colquhoun, Captain Lamb, Captain Pocock, the Rev. T. Nash, and others. The company consisted chiefly of persons be longing to the labouring classes, and uumberel about 350. Toe Earl of 111m..mEsnuttr, in responding to the toast of " The House of Lords," said it was a body which had long existed in this country—at times (Mending the people against the Crown, at times defending the Crown against the people, but at all times defending the liberties of both, for centuries up to that day. (Cheers.) They bad all heard it stated that the /louse of Lords was becoming a use less, a lazy, and a superfluous body, but such a charge was utterly groundless. The House of Lords was the body which preserved the balance of power between the Crown and the Commons. The people of this country were intelligent, but they were also impetuous, and when the sympathies of the house of Commons were aroused it was likely to be carried away by passion—a very dangerous tendency where political questions were concerned. The House of Lords, on the other hand, was composed of men older and more experienced, of men whose habits and disposition rendered them more deliberate in their judgment. It was for the House of Lords to consider whether the people really desired that such and such measures should be passed, and, if such were the case, whe ther the proposed measures would be for the benefit of the country. He knew of no instance in which that House had refused to accede to the well-consi dered demands of the people. Its debates might be of a less exciting character, and not so interesting for strangers to listen to as those of the House of Commons, but it was for the safety of the State that the House of Lords should continue to exist. The Chairman proposed " The health of their guest, Sir Henry Drummond Wolff." Sir H. D. WOLFF said the numbers of the adver- saries of the Conservative party had been too much for them at the late election, and although they might regret that such was the case, they must all regard with satisfaction the dignified and patriotic manner in which the members of the late Govern ment had retired from office as soon as they learnt what was likely to be the verdict of the country upon the question before it. They had not waited for a formal ratification of the verdict by an adverse majority in the Commons, but they retired at once from places which they felt they could no longer hold with dignity and with honour, and gave them up in ample time to enable their opponents to prepare such measures as they thought it right to submit to the Parliament about to be assembled. They had heard during the prolonged contest that had just been brought to a close that the late Government were about to treat the Irish Church question in the same manner in which they had treated the question of Reform. The two questions, however, stood upon different footings. The late Government had a per fect right to deal in the manner they had done with the question of Reform. It might be that they had hurried, perhaps too quickly, to a conclusion the question of lowering the franchise, but in doing so they merely conferred the franchise on labouring men, who, in consequence of their growing intelli gence, must have obtained that privilege at no dis tant date. That was an act of creation on their part, but the diseudowment and disestablish ment of the Irish Church would be an act of destruction to which he hoped and believed no Conservative either in or out of office would lend himself in the most remote way. 'While thus ex pressing the feeling they all held with regard to the conduct of the late Government, it appeared to him that Mr. Gladstone on earning into office had chosen his colleagues with singular moderation. There was iu the Government only one member of advanced Liberal principles, and that member was Mr. Bright. But with Mr. Bright was coupled Mr. Lowe, and that these two athletes together repre stilted the principle of counter-irritation which was so beneficial in medicine, and which he hoped, would he equally beneficial to the country. (Cheers and a laugh.) Mr. Bright had already shown himself an accomplished courtier, and one ready to adopt the complimentary language adapted to the atmosphere of Courts, and he had shown that he was desirous of cultivating the acquaintance of the upper class by choosing as his private secre tary, not a working man, but a gentleman of agree able manners and cultivated tastes, who had the reputation of being one of the most accomplished d indies in London society. (Cheers and laughter.) If they looked a little closer, they would find dotted about the members of Mr. Gladstone's Govern ment—although not in the Cabinet—some few of the followers of Mr. Bright, whose weight, however, was entirely neuralised by that of members of tho old Whig school of politicians, which had always allied itself with Liberal Statesmen with the view of opposing Liberal measures. (Cheers and a laugh.) In fact, the new Government appeared to him to have been formed upon the principle of that common domestic re medy —a seidlitz powder, in which the alkalis were so well combined with the acids that although a temporary little effervescence might be got up no permanent effect was made upon the constitution. (Cheers, and a laugh.) If the Liberal Government had s thus shown moderation in its choice and its leaders, the Conservative party on its side was bound to act towards her Majesty's present Go vernment with an equal moderation. It was the duty of the Conservative party to co-operate on all occasions with her Majesty's Government with re gard to every measure which it thought beneficia to the country, and in ether cases where it might not approve measure to exact even from a majority those concessions which the House of Commons always yielded to the efforts of a compact and con scientious minority. (Cheers.) Who was it that in this country had advocated the disestablishment of the Church in Ireland ? (Cries of " Gladstone.") But who bad supported him ? Why, the Indepen dents, the Congregationalists, and the Dissenters, whose only object was to disestablish the Church in England, and who were conscientiously opposed to establishments of every kind. If the Congre gationalists in this country aided the Roman Catholics in getting rid of the Established Church in Ireland, and if they were to assist the Free Kirk to do away with the Established Church in Scotland, when it came to their turn to attack the Church in England their former allies would not be backward in assist ing them to reduce the Church of England to the to the position of a dissenting body. That was the object of the Liberal party in this country, and the Church of England must look to such a state of things as the ultimate object of their opponents. Before he sat down he begged to propose " success to the Christchurch and Bournemouth Conserva- tive Association." It had begun well, and he hoped it would be carried on successfully." (Cheers.) The Earl of MALMESBURY proposed "The Health of the Working Men of England," and re marked that, having been one of the members of the Government which had conferred upon them the franchise, he almost stood in the potition of a godfather towards them. Seeing that one the £lO line fixed by the Act of 1832 was abandoned it was absurd to attempt to stop at any arbitration figure —whether £B, £6, or £4— the Conservative Go.. vernment came to the determination to propose household suffrage at once. After some further toasts had been proposed the company separated. A coal mine has been worked at Chilliat, Alaska, to the extent of taking out silty tons of coal. It is said le 6iiY9K ludo has boon OtrucU 9n Wrangell:4mA rt ?5. rday [igh• ussia Ar -an ts'