The Sun. — London, England, 1850-12-24 00:00:00

sea v St. , toil 8 Sher® with New• hour. bead; "6 lover► lord. Isis load• 15i; load. hoed WU 3 she owl a jor iacw ;,~ pia• tr floi oJer" ,A,O" g b e oo A l rje• sjr , 033 ,iiti ANOTHER PLATE ROBBERY. NOTTINGHAM, MOINDAY.— This to :'• n has for several weeks past been the scene of several robberies of plate, jewellery, &c., and the manner in which an entrance has been effected into the premises so nearly accords that the police authorities are of opinion that the whole of the burglaries have been committed by one and the same gang. The present robb-ry of jewellery, &c., took place on the premises of Mr. Joshua Driver, jeweller, &c., .Long-row, Nottingham, last n i g ht (Sunday), and the plan by which the robbery was effected is extraordinary. Mr. Driver's back premises are connected with the Crown Hotel yard, and it appars that the thieves scaled a very high wall in that yard, broke a pane of glass in Mr. Driver's kitchen, and the aperture thus formed was sufficiently large to allow of a boy's body bring put through. it is supposed that the lad, having thus gained admission, supplied the robbers with all the valuables he could lay his hands on. Mr. Driver does not sleep on the pretnioes, and the boy had therefore the whole range of the premises with out fear of being disturbed. Amongst the property stolen were upwards of sixty valuable brooches, a number of Geneva wteches, a quantity of costly chairs and watch-guards, &e. The value of the pro p( rty stolen has not yet been ascertained ; but from the quantity of plate and jewellery scattered about the premises, there is every reason to suppose the rob bers were disturbed. Similar small apertures, allow ing just sufficient nem for the body of a boy, were mute on the premises of Mr. Sulley and Mr. Travel!, at Nottingham, whose robberies were noticed in The Sun a short time ago. Another daring burglary was effected on the premises of the late Mayor of Nottingham (W. Roworth, E q ), of Sher wood Hill, near this town. This robbery took place yesterday morning, while the family were attending .Divine worship, and although the property stolen was considerable, comprising a valuable assortment Of plate and '271. in gold, the thieves in this case also are supposed to have been disturbed. A bur glary was also Effected on the premises of Mr. Wil liams, bookseller, &c., Carlton-street, Nottingham, on Friday night, and gold to the amount of 15/. and other valuable property stolen. The police are .actively on the alert, and we trust the burglars will, ore long, be apprehended. The town and neighbour hood were never, at any former period, so infested with thieves. IRELAND. DUBLIN, MONDAY MORNING.—ENCEIMINRED ES TATES COUNT.—Baron Richards announced at the sitting cf the court on Saturday that Mr. \Voulfe Flanagan bad been appointed a " Master," in order further to facilitate the dispatch of business. The routine of his duties was stated by the Learned Baron, and were analogous to those performed by the Masters in Chancery. According to the Limerick Chronicle, the Right Rev, Dr. Ryan, Bishop of that diocese, has received a letter from Mr. I\llHam Monsell, M.P., notifying he pleasure he felt in communicating to the Bishop the happy event of the writer having been received into the faith of the Catholic Church, and anticipat ing the satisfaction it would afford to his revered diecesan. STATE Or TRADE.—The Customs' duties for the bat week are. 21,1001., of which 9,7001. is on tea, 5,1001. on tobacco, 3,4001. on tugar, and 2.6001. on Wine. Trade gent rally is rather dull considering the season. AGRICULTURE IN THE WEST.—The Ballinasloe Agricultural Society, of which .the Earl of Clencerty is president, have just issued their tenth annual re port, which, notwithstanding the many causes of de pression, presents upon the whole a favourable pros pect of ;he future. Spade husbandry has been en couraged to an immense extent, by which means a v, et deal o f employment hits been given to the peasantrj rr.parations are being made for a more extended culiva.ion of the flax crop, and the opening of the railway from Galway to Dublin in the course of the next twelve months cannot fail to be of great advan tage to the farmer, and must encourage the invest bleat of capital in the improvement of the adjacent lands. THE FoG.—During the whole of yesterday Metropolis was enveloped in a thick fog, which,:as evening approached, became so dense as to render passage through the streets a service of danger. At an early hour of the evening the omnibuses in many parts of the City and its suburbs ceased running, and even in the more open streets, such as Regent-street, fur example, it was impossible to see from lamp to lamp. The ground also was in a most s'lPPery condition from the prevalence of a white frost; and the fog itself occasioned a most penetrating cold, which no amount of great-coat, cloak, or wrapper could keep out. On several of the lines of railway communication was for a time interrupted, and some collisions took place, although none were, we believe, attended with loss of life. FOREIGN CATTLE.—Die Lords of the Treasury have granted to Mr. Hartley, the pr o pri etor of the Dublin, Plymouth, and Cork Steam Wharf, the privilege of lauding cattle and live stock at his wharf on importation from the continent, on the distinct understanding, that if any addi tional expense be thereby incurred to the Crown, it be de frayed by the owner of the wharf, and that the internal ar rangements on the wharf be made such as will afford all the laciaties required in the landing, and inspection of the cattle and live stock on all occasions, if any alteration in the pre sent arrangement of the place should be found requisite. Foreign cattle will now be allowed to be landed at the said wharf under the superintendence of the officers of the Water guard Department of the Customs, who will render an offi cial return of the number landed on each occasion to the Proper officer, the expenses of the attendance of the revenue officers before and alter the legal hours of bus ness being borne by the proprietor of the wharf, and also the expenses for the official visits of the veterinary surgeon to inspect the cattle on importation, when that officer does not attend at any other place for that purpose on behalf of the Crown on the same day. PENSIONS ON THE CIVIL LlST.—Ptnsions on the Civil List of 'OO/. a year each have been granted to Mr. George Petrie, LLD., and to Mr. J. Kitto, M.D. Mr. Petrie is a Member of the Royal Hibernian Academy of Arts, and Vice-President of the Royal Irish Academy of Sciences. He is author of the well-known treaties on the " Round Towers of Ireland," and of many other antiquarian works. Dr. Kitto has been deaf and dumb from an accident ' w hen a boy, in spite of which difficulties he travelled through many lands in connexion with the Missionary Society. With his physical failings he has done much for the cause cf biblical literature, and is the author of many works, such as the " Pictorial Bible," " llietory of Palestine," " Cyclopmlia of Biblical Literature," &c. EMBEZZLEMENT OF S 0001.—This serious offence has jest been brought to light through the agency of the Court of Bankruptcy. The steward of Lord He nle y u p to last month was William Heygate. He was a farmer at Watford and an extensive brickmaker at Chadstock , in Dorsetshire. In both these counties he collected the rents, and superintended the various farms belonging to his Lord ship. The greatest confidence was reposed in him, and it You'd be seen by the subsequent examination of his books, that he had for some time abused his trust. Several omis sions of " encro ichinent rent " and other cash payments, on account of his Lordship, are altogether omitted. Heygate received from the farmers at Long Buckley, and other places in Northamptonshire, 1,2 041 . 17 s. B d . on the 6th of ovember last; and at Chadstock he collected rents to the amount of 6871. Os. 9id. That is the extent of his delin quencies as sworn to by his Lordship, but his defalcations are reported to be of much larger extent. TE E FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT MORTA, SOUTH WALES.— rile inquest upon the body of James Squire, one of the suilerers by this explosion, has been held before Alexander Robertson, Esq., coroner, and a very re spectable jury, at the Globe lnn, near Aberavon. The evi dence tending to show culpable neglect on the p art of the superint en d en t of the colliery, the jury returned the fol lowing special verdict :—" We find that there is not suffi cient evidence to warrant us in bringing in a verdict of man slaughter, but upon the bare testimony of Foster himself he is highly censurable, and not worthy to hold the important situation he is entrusted with, and that this unanimous opinion of the jury be conveyed to the Messrs. Vivian and Sons, his employers, trusting that they will deal with him as the case deserves. And we are further of o p inion that if oia Elutnphry Davy's lamps were exclusively used, the unfor tunate accident which has occurred would have been avoided. W e find, therefore, that the death of James Squire was acci dental." THE ROYAL ACADEMY OF MUSIC.—On Saturday last the election to the scholarships of this institution was de cided by the examiners, Mr. Potter, Sir H. Bishop, Mr. ?r,9 11 ", Mr. Elliott, Mr. Lucas , Mr. H. T. Bennett, and Mr. N. Blagrove. The successful candidates were Miss E. Sae ler and Mr. W. 11. Aylward, an academy . student. Mr. R. Thomas and Mr. Schroeder were also especially distinguished. The meeting of the commissioners of the class for musical instruments for the Exhibition of the Industry of all nations for IESI was held the same day, Sir H. Bishop presiding, When the necessary arrangements were made for the can didates. SINGULAR CASE OF POISONING.—On Thursday last Mrs. Hannah Pollard, a widow, 72 years of age, came to her death under somewhat singular circumstances :—Her niece, for some purposes of confectionary , had purchased two Pennyworth of the essential oil of almonds, and having tasted it from motives of curiosity, and found it left an unpleasant taste in her mouth, mentioned the circumstance to her aunt who expressed a desire to taste the dr u g herself. The small bottle containing the oil was handed to her, and she swallowed about two-thirds of the contents (fifteen or sixteen drops), and almost immediately dropp ed down dead, no doubt from the effects of the deadly poison she had so un wittingly drunk. SUSPECTED MURDER IN SAST•LOTIITAPI. -- Abou t nine or ten months since a woman was found drowned in a quarry in the vicinity of Dunbar, under very suspicious cir cumstances. On examining the ground around the place, it was found that that there had been some struggling, and the body bore evidence of having sustained violence, which was held to account for its being put into the water. A respect table merchant in Dunbar, who was supposed to have been seen in that locality the previous evening, was apprehended on suspicion, and the most rigid investigation into the case with the view of establishing his guilt in the matter, having failed, he was discharged by the order of the C: own agent. His town's folk were not so ready .to exonerate him ; the penalty they it dieted was the ceasing to do business with him, and he has. now become a ruined man in consequence of these suspicions; but it will be satisfactory for the com munity to know, and no small consolation to him, that the really guilty persons are in the course of being traced out by the authorities. The relatives of the woman, who are rather notorious characters, having differed at sonic of their late carousals, had commenced to accuse one another of the deed, or otherwise let slip something concerning . it—information of which reached the bearing of the authorities, and the parties have been apprehended.— Caledonian Mercury. CURIOUS CIRCUMSTANCE.—A person having pur chased some fresh herrings on Friday, found in one of them a very neat figure of a child with bock on knee, reading. The figure is rather less than a square inch, carved in a flinty substance. Such a morsel may have been nibbled in the Gulf of Venice 'or at the mouth of the Tiber: —Edinburgh "OA THE PACIFIC. SOUTHAMPTON, DEC. 23.—8 y the Royal Mail steamer Avon we have received our usual adviees from the various Paeific ports. The dates from Val paraiso are to the 26th of October. The British mail steamer Chile arrived from Callao on the 6th with specie value 96,000 dolls. on freight ; the Peru arrived on the 21st with 325;600 dolls , of w hich 300,000 dolls. were the pro44.lctions of the siliar mines of Copispo. The Arnesican ship Virgittja arrived on the 16th with 75,00010115-in gold just from San Francisco. In polititaiiiffaira there was no novelty. The expected extrasiessioneof Congressliad not taken place. The Finance - Ministerlead - viOted Valparaiso, and a permission to bond sugaritsethat port had been granted. Don Vincente Perez laid been named, by a decree of the 11th: of October, agent for the colo nization of Valdivia, and was about to take up his residence there to afford ,assistance to - e migrants, a great many of whom were expected from Germany and from various parts of Europe. A company hod been formed in Valparaiso, to whom the Chilian Go vernment had granted a contract for the settlement and cultivation of the island of Juan Fernandez, with the exclusive privilege of occupying it for a specified term of years. A regular communication with this island was to be established, at el advantages huld cut to emigrants. The Mercurio of Valparaiso gives the following resume ot the commerce of the re public:— " The imports of foreign merchandise during the first three months of the resent 3 car ameanted to 2,778,666 dolls. " The exports of fruits and national produce amounted, during the same three months, to 2,369,528 dull=., to which must be added 322 . 951 dolls, of foreign inerchandiLe. "Consequently there was a perliet Wane° between the imports and the exports of the first quarter of this year. " Eagbncl, as usual, figures in the first liue of all the nations with whom we hold commercial connexions. The English imports, during tLe quarter, amount to 948,802 dolls.—nearly 1,000,000 dolls. The national exports to England amcunt to 748 884 dolls. " California occupies the re xt place, whence we have received in gold during the three months 475,201 dons.. and from our ports have been shipped in effects 475,975 dells., of which the sum of 540,961 dolls. is Chil:art produce. ." North America, including: California, is our greatest consumer, as England is our principal purveyor. In the first quarter. England imports 948 802 dolls., and ex ports 748,894 dolts.; the United States imports 684,528 dolls , and cxporta 94,179 dolls." The department of public credit in Santiago had giieu notice that the funds of the 3 per cent. heme debt, consolidr.ted up to the 9th ast a umounted to 1,765,925 dolls., from which had been liquidated 301,075 dolls., keying in circulation 1,464,880 dolls. The rains this year had been unusually heavy, and in the south( f Chili great distress prevailed. In the Chilian papers the suhject of coinage was under frequent discussion, and much was said about the reletive value of silver and gold. The Valparaiso Neighbour of the 24 h ot October contains an article, recoluteeeding the estab li,hmeat of an efficient mail communication between Chili sad the United States by American packets, via Panama. The Valparaiso Mercantile Reporter publi-hes a paragraph detailing the steps taken to establish the proposed Santiago and Valparaiso way. Part of the line had been inspected by Mr. Allan Campbell, who proposed to lay the line by way of Concon, Quillota, and ,San From Peru we learn that the candidates for the Presidential chair are Echenique, Vivanco, Osrea, and Elias, the first of whom it would appear corn mends a majority in the south of the Republic, although at present it is a rrere matter of conjecture as to who will be the successful a-pirant. Business wears but a gloomy astir et, although the matkets'are well supplied. The uncertainty of affairs in Bolivia is sensibly felt ; nor can we a nticipate brighter prospects until confidence iu that Gorern ment is re-established. Our accounts from Bolivia state that General Belzu was progres:rieg favourably. A permanent court martial was sitting, from whose sentence there was no appeal. Colonel Laguna, President of the Senate, has been found guilty as an accomplice in the at• tempted assassination, and was shot on the 19:h of September. Seven deputies, leaders of the Opposi tion, had been arrested, and it was feared would be condemned to the same fate by the same court. Ar rests and sentences of banishment were matters of daily occurrence, but the principal conspirators were supposed to be lying concealed at Sucre, with the exception of Morales and Lopez, who it was thought had crossed the frontier at Tarija. Reports bad been circulated that General Ballivian bad made his ap pearance on the southern frontier at the head of 1,000 men, but nothing certain is known. The French corvette Serieuse, 25, arrived at Val paraise, on the sth of October, from Talcahuano. The French corvette Capricieure, 26, arrived on the 13th, from the same port, and sailed on the 16:h for China. The United States store-ship Fredonia sailed on the 10th, for the United States. The American corvette Preble sailed on the 22d. The Hamburg barque Stein waerder, from Cuxhaven, ,with emigrants from. Valdivia, was seen in distress, and in a dingerous state; in the latitude of Cape Horn, by an English ship arrived at Valparaiso. COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. VALPARAISO. OcT. 26. (From the Valparaiso Mercantile Intelligences.) Our market during the entire mouth has been inac tive, and without animation, so that the hopes enter taietd in our last report for a better trade have not been real'zed. The chef causes of this meat tivity we ascribe to the following motives : The orders for Bolivia, one of our principal customers, have not been executed, owing to the critical and un settled state of that country. The acme remark is also applicable to Peru, where little will he dune until after the Presidential election. The unprecedented long rainy season and the consequent bad state of the roads ha% e prevented our smaller dealers from the interior making their purchases, as they were wont to do, in the month' of October. The season for shipping to California has too far advanced, and little has been done to that cLuntry. The only sales of any moment have been effected for Mexico at the beginning of the month, con sisting of 400,000 yards 36 inch white sldrtieg, 80. to Sic., and 1,700 pieces of platillas at 4 dells. Prints for h o me consumption in good patterns realize fair prheF, but old patterns are without demand. Cotton drills, which are not abundant in the market, have fetched 16 % to 200. in bond, but only a small quantity, say 100,000 yards, have been placed during the month. Digital detains are gaining ground in the market, and preffrred to the American detains. Some sales have been effected at 13e. to 13ie., whereas the Americans cannot tie sold The stock of bed-ticks is small in first hands. under 14c. to 15 e. The stocks in general, however, in first, ai well al in second bands, are not consul( ra le, prices are firm, and the country being in a peaceful nod prosperous state a good home trade during the next month rtu,t necessarily follow. We have had our price current revised, hut from the ali.ive reasons we only find a few alterations in prices. Our quotations of sugar w;11 be found 12 to 15 per cent. lower than last prices owing to heavy importations, amoun ting to 8,000 barrels during the month, 24,004 arrobas of which have been dispatched for home con- gumption. (Mice may be quoted at 10 dolls. 3c.; sales limited:to about 20,000 quintals. Saltpetre—Firm at 14 resls, :nd little stock on band. Conception Flour—ls firm at our quotation, and has undergone no change. The contractors are selling here for home consump ti.n at 7 dolls. at six months' credit, and are shipping, from Talcahuano to California in proportion to its de mand. The crop promises to be good, though we have had heavy rains in the south, but the grain not having far enough advanced no injury has been done as set. We have only few vessels in the bay, but as little freight is offering prices keep down to our quotation in the Price Current — Copper in bars, 14.50 14.62 on board. Copper ores, 2.50; 25 per cent. Gold above ley, Silver in bars, 9.7; all in the market bought up. Hard dollars, premium, 64; all in the market bought up. Exchange on London, 464 90 days. Freights—To Liverpool, 3/. 10=. 6d.; France, 95f. to 1001.; Continental, 41.4'.; London, 31. 12i. 6d.; San Francisco ps., 16 dolls. to 17 dolls. to load in Talca huano, 31. 10s. to Si. 15J. to load guano fur a direct pott, 31. 12s. 6d. to 31. 17i. 6d. to lord in Pequica for orders in the Channel to a safe pott—A 1 English vessels. Importation of gold dust from Cali , ornia during the mouth, 100,000 dolls. CASE OF DEATH BY AN INFURIATED BULLOCK.— Yesterday evening an it quest, adjourned from Thursday last, was concluded on the body of Moines Fagan, labourer, who was gored in the abdomen by a bullock, on Monday last, and whose death took place on the following Wednes day. The inquiry was adjourned to give the police an op portunity of discovering the owner or the drover of the animal. Evidence as to the circumstance of the accident having been given, policeman M•Donald, G 150, said that he bad not been able to discover either the drover or owner of the animal, which was still impounded in the parish of I s lington. There were the letters "E. B." with two clips on the upper part of the B cut in the near Liud quarter Frederick White, sergeant in the City police, said if a sales man Yells a beast tint is wild, he is liable to a penalty. He thought that the animal would not be owned in con sequence of the liabilities to Which the owner would be sub ject from the extensive injury done by the beast. The jury said that they c onklered an adjournment unnecessary. Ver dict—' A cc idental death." The animal is worth about 251. ENTHRONISATION OF THE NLW ROMAN CATHOLIC BIEHOP of CLIFTON.—On Sunday week, much to the surprise of even the Roman Catholic congregation pre sent, who bad no previous notice of the new Bishop of Clifton, Dr. Hendren, was enthroned at the Church of the Holy Apostles, Meridian place, with no pomp whatever beyond the. ordinary routine of investiture, &c. Bristol Journal. SIJADWELL CDTECEL —We underbtand that the Bishop of Ripon has positively forbiOden the continuance of the of jectiouable observances introduced into the services by the incumbent, and which formed the ground of coin plaint to the bishop. It is to be hoped that the incumbent will not only obey th e i n j unct i ons of his bishop in this re spect, but will confi ne hi s pt .,- ac hi ng a nd teaching to the pure Word 41 God, and th a t th e i ntro d uc ti on of. Romish doctrine into a Protestant church will no longer be practised, as it will certainly be no longer tolerated..—Lteds Alercury. CHRISTMAS BOOKS. TEE STORY OF JACK AND TEE GIANTS illustrated - by Richard Doyle. • Relieved from his weekly drudgery as a carica turist, our inimitable draughtsman, the worthy son of a worthy sire, is now dedicating his abilities to the embellishment of the lovely literature of childhood. Jack the Giant-Killer, the most redoubtable of all the knights of the round table, at least in the estimation of our boyhood, has beeii selected by Richard Doyle as his subject for illustration. Aided by a pencil of such peculiar grace And fancy the nursery tale as• sumes to itself a new sad irresistible fascination. Insomuch that wa doubt exceedingly whether even an cctogenarian could deny himself the gratification of a sly peep once more into these pages which years and years ago he had thumbed and dogseared. The terrible deeds of the giant-killer are pourtrayt d lure, indeed with a vividness beyond all misepprehension. From the first time we ever, to our recollection, witnessed any peneillings similar to these—namely in some of the daintiest woodcuts in the " Chimes " of Cherles Dickens---we have not failed to recognise the genius of Richard Doyle in the embellishment of ima ginative fiction. Since then his hand has - acquired the firmness and facility of a master. Once cr twice, as in the vignettes scattered through the "Jar of honey from Mount 113 bls," by Leigh Hunt, he has displayed a power peculiarly his own, or shared at least only by the great designer Retsch—that of deli neating more in mere outline than other artists might do with the most detailed and elaborated pictures. Here again somewhat of the same adroitness is re vealed—several. of the initial letters being incom parable specimens of the style of drawing alluded - tts The little sketches, for example, f Jack reposing on the colossal head of one of his defutict entagonisti, of Jack Measuring himself by the legs of another such monster of humanity, of Jack being dubbed a knight by King Arthur, of Jack going with company to court in the guise of chivalric (guestrians, and of Jack slaking his thirst after many heroic achievements, are conceived and executed in this graceful and suggestive manner. Some, however, of the larger illustrations arecf a very superior character, and in their way indeed - May, be cOnsidered 29 very masterpieces. Instancelhis the representation of the deceitful civility of the .Welsh Giant—the mouths of the two-headed monster grinning with assumed cour tesy and at the same time running over with the avidity of its appetite. Cormoran, again, carrying off his booty, is admirably delineated. Jack slaying the other giant, who is dragging along by the hair of their brads a knight and his beautiful lady, is a sketch p culiarly vigorous ; as is also the fore shortened figure of the titan from whose grasp the little hero is rescuing some other unfortunates. The finest of all these embellishments, however, has nut 3et been mentioned—namely, the one at page 47, where Jack makes sport cif his enormous antagonist before luring him on to the drawbridge. The huge and muscular form of the giant is pencilled wi h a master hand. Throughout the whole story Richard Doyle has caught the spirit of the original narra tor, whoever be may be, calling back to our remem brance all those wonderful inciden's of hair-breadth durger escaped, which thrilled to the marrow of our bores in childhood. U; der his guidance we listen once again with a recollection of fernier awe to the thunderous footsteps of the Giant Cormoran in his flounderings into the pit covered overwith leaves- -we recall the familiar distich ushering in the later feats of Jack : " This is the valiant Cornish man, Who slew the Giant Cormoran. We remember his putting the wooden billet into his bed, and crouching in the corner, when the decei ful giant, among the Wehlifnountains, tried to pummel him to death in the darkness. We remember the inquiry of the astonished host next morning—" Pray, how did you sleep last night ? Did you hear or see any thing in the dead of the night ?" " Nothing worth speaking . cf,'' says Jack, carelessly ; " a rat, I be lieve, gave me three or four flips with his tail, but I soon went to sleep agthe." Then the hasty pudding for breakfast ! And Jack's leathern bag—filled acd cut open, with the contents dropping down on the ground! And the Giant's " o,ids splutters hur nails, bur can do that hurself!" Who does not call all these things to mind? Who is not still sufficiently a child at heart to smile at the recollection—and that neither sardonically nor derisively ? For bringing these pleasant memories of childhocd back upon us thus agreeably at Christmas, we thank Richard Doyle. For under the ntsgic of his pencil the dead delights of boyhood seem once more to assume an air of vi tality—" and rustling through the dust of years, come back green leaves of yesterday." What drawings might we not expect from the same artist on such a theme as Little Red Riding Hood or as Jack and the &an Stalk. We shall hope to see the notion realized by their ultimate publication; fur as an illus trator of fary tales Richard Doyle is not only un approached but unrivalled. TABLE- TALK. By Leigh Hunt. What a glorious volume for Christinai! A book of table-talk, and by Leigh Hunt ! The very title is like the conjuremf nt of a large handed, warm-hearted friend, to the chimney corner. It is like having a chair wheeled into the favourite ingle nook for a dear old faveutite, at once wise and merry. We welcome this contribution to our winter crop of lite rature as, perhaps of all, the most genial and the most seasonable. Now that Dickens has refrained again from giving us one of his beautiful little rose-coloured volumes, embellished, as of yore, by Daniel Maclise and Clarkson Stanfield, by Doyle and by Leech—we can hold out bath our hands in welcome to the cornirg of Leigh llunt. Under any aspect he must have been hailed in truth as well met, but most of all under one so familiar and colloquial. For his books of criticism we thank bim cordially ; for his table talk we are in a manner grateful. Turning over the volume we are charmed by the diversity of the sub jscts touched upon, " from grave to gay, from lively to severe," from north to south, from east to west, from winter and summer, from spring and autumn, the rare old veteran turns to us ever with a smile upon his face, sometimes light, and sometimes solemn, but alwa3s radiant, and on his lips a word of wisdom tasting of the honey of kindness, or of the salt of knowledge. What an exquisite saying that is, for example, at page 135, on the " Countenance after Death "—" A corpse scums as if it suddenly Anew everything, and was profoundly at peace in conse- . quence." Listen to his story again of ROW LAWYERS GO TO HEAVEN. " There is a pleasant stc•ry of a lawyer, who, being refused entrance into heaven by S. Peter, contrived to throw his bat iniide the door; and then, being permitted by the kind saint to go in and fetch it, touts advantage of the latttes fixture as doorkeeper, to refuse to come back again." What a beautiful thought, too, is that on and in another with the shade of Hampden. Occa-, sionally in turning over the leaves of the volume we light upon some delineation, for the accuracy of i L which we ourselves could personally vouch, seeing that the localities survive also in our own recollec• tion. As a testimony of this we would direct espe cial attention to the woodcuts adorning Mrs. S. C. Hall's charming paper upon "Chatterton." The old muuirnent room has been sketched by Mr. Fairholt with admirable exactitude—also the tomb of Canynge—and we might say doubtless each of the other exquisite embellishments. The notion of the work, if we remember rightly, has been already carried out in the " Homes and Haunts" penned by William Howitt, a delightful and intel ligent compilation. In the present volume the most prowir.ent mistake is, to our thinking, the absence of alt order in the selection of the shrines to which the author and artist make their pilgrimage. The sub jects, i•ideed, would appear to have been chosen hap-. baz trd, and hence, %hen collected into a volume, teem to be rather scrambled than grouped together. This may he recognised at a glance, when we remark that Gray is placed cheekeby•jovvl with Sir Thomas Gresham, John Kyrle Gainsborougb, and 1)r. Watts with Barry. As far as the display of sympathies is concerned, it must be confessed that those are eclectic enough in all conscience, but their eclecticism amounts, in the end, t o something little short I confusion, contradiction, and bewilderment. As it. 0., e can so ircely bring ourselves to enter any exception „hate ver to a book so fascinating in its idea and its treatment. All faults 'of arrangement are forgotten in admiration at the skill with which Mrs. Hall and t\lr. Fairholt have woven together their evi dences of homage for departed greatness. These " wanderings of a pen and pencil" are somewhat more to the purpose than others adventured upon ra ther earlier by Alfred Crcwquill and his companion, and in the who?e volum e w e observe an enthusiasm and an earnestness such as perforce elicit from us words of the most cordial commendation. ELIZA COOK'S JOURNAL. No. LXXXVI. A Christmas numberof thi popular miscellany, c%ith four capital effusions by Eliza Cock herself, ap propriate to the season in their character, is surely another b: , on from the printing-press in these lounging times of holiday. Foremost among the charms of the number are three in4se poems re-issued from the editor's collected writings, and these three her songs of "Christmas Holly," and " Christmas Tide," and "Winter is Here." Added to which we have some exhilarating verses bight "Home for the Holidays," from which we transcribe the following : " Thablr goodne: . s, we shan't have to study and stammer, From Eine till ten, over that nasty French Grammar; Le•ctures and claws, and lessens, are done, And now we'll have nothing but frolic and fun; Home for the Holidays, here we go; But this Fast tiam is really exceedingly slow We shall ha; e sport when Cf.ristmas comes, When • snap-dragen' burns our finger and thumbs; We'll have tilt. Pvlks they tauJt us lAA, And make the blind fiddler play it fas..; We'll hang inistletoe over our dear little cousin', And cull them beneath it : aid kiss them by dozens; We thAl hive gimes at • Bliad-man's Bull, And none and laughter, z nil romping enough; We'd cross; the plum•pudding with bunches of Lay, And roast Xll the cht , snuts that, c - ncne in our way; And when Twelith-night fain:, we'll have such a califs, That as we staild row d it the table khan quAte; We'll draw • King and Q.ven„ and be hsppy together, And danca old • Sir ltog..r' with hearts like a teatner; Home for the here we go; But this Fast train is really exceedingly slow!" Prose contributions of a no less appropriate and seasonable kind ti re comprised in the Christmas num ber of Eliza Cook's Journal. First among these let us mention, " A Christmas Memory." " The Footfall of Winter,".with its delightful quotations from Spenser and Chatterton and Southey, will be read with zest ; as also the brave lines by John Critchley Prince on Christmas. Besides these, there are also contained in the number before us a story called " The Blind IVln's Guide," some "Diamond Dust," and a second Chap - er of the tale, entiiled af‘er its heroine, "Alice Vaughan." To all holiday folks of either sex, of old and young, we commend the portion hsre particu larised of Ibis fivouritg TUE SUN. "No mystery in creation need sadden us, as long as we believe nothing of the invisible world inferior to what the visible prcc!aims. Life and geniality predo minate; death is brief; pain Itigilve; bvauty universal; order paramount and everlasting. What a sh4nue to know that the sun, the greatest visible object in our universe, combines equal gentleness with power, and does us nothing but good, anti at the :awe time to dare to think worse of its Maker." How deliciously comic, again, that definition of the " bagpipes"—" An air played on the bagpipes, with that detestable, monstrous drone of tbeirs for the bass, is like a tune tied to a post." Hearken to his glorious panegyric on Bacon in a prose epigram— " If," says he, "I were asked to describe Bacon as briefly as I could, I should say that be was the libera tor of the hands of knowledge. Among the different celebrities passed under somewhat the same epigram• matic treatment, we recognize those of Cicero and Waller, Handel and Montaigne, Raphael and Maecenas. Handel he calls " the Jupiter of music ;" Voltaire " the god of cleverness;" Otway "the pet of sen sual pathos." Added to the miscellaneous table-talk forming the principal portion of the volume, are a dialogue between Pope and Swifr, and a colloquy in which the former is the principal interlocutor—both after the fashion of these "imaginary conversations" which have been rendered popular by the skill of Savage Landor. These, however, with all Landor's skill, have a genial tone about them which that heavy, deep-mouthed Bceatian could never hope to evidence. The volume before us must be commended to all lovers of literary excellence as a work in all respects worthy of Leigh Hunt, worthy of him who has taken as the purpose of his weekly miscellany the cul tivation of the Memorable, the Progressive, and the Beautiful. MELANCHOLY A CCIDENT.— On Thursday morning. Mr. Dudgeon, forester and gamekeeper on the estate of Leathern ' was found drowned in a mill-pond of Ugstonrigg , . a few miles to the west of Haddlington" It is supposed by PILGRIMAGES TO ENGLISH SHRINES. some that while engaged in his duty of protecting - the game By Airs. S. C. Hall. he had gone too near the edo of the pond, and had slipped An elegant contribution to the table of the library, his footing : while others will have it that he had been en gaged with poachers, an . d that they, while endeavouring to the boudoir, or the drawing-room, written by Mrs. S. C. Hall and illustrated by F. W. Fairholt, must etfect . their escape, had, in the struggle that ensued, thrust Lim into the pond; but this is not borne out by any evidence. assuredly be welcomed as a treasure of letters at —Edinburgh Wituas. Christmas. The contents of the book under conside- ANOTHER ACCIDENT FROM FIRE ARMS — While ration will be remembered by all who have scanned an actress, Miss name d Brown, one of the corps dramatique the pages of the Art Journal, they having been for in Mr. Bostock's theatrical booth, on the Green of Girvao, the most part previously issued in instalments t h roug h was engaged in the Irrturinance, on the evening of th e lo t h instant, a pistol, leaue l d, but only with powder, we presume, the pages of that si.lendid and meritorious publica tion. From month to month, as those different instal- insl as closetak e taken beside cureless det,je l yb,ya on the of a btahcek partactors,c who was sta s t a n d t - t moats appeared, we took occasion to mention them as going off by accident, the discharge and wadding cameg and deserving of the highest eulogium both fur their in the direction of her ear. She uttere I a piercing cry and fell down. Medical aid was instantly sent for, and until the literary and artistic merit, but; . above all, for their wasan ialnl : I d 1 ) ascertained, erfr great alarm was felt tiquarian research. Among the different shrines visited in the course of these delightful; pilgrimages b tiine o be i lie t v e ed sllyoutright.mrsieartsunitatiis however,for some ext h ent t of i t t h e audience injurywas L nine have been uninvested with interest, most of thorn the wound is not dangerous, and although S e dleringco have been in the highest degree attractive, an d siderably, and not unlikely to bear the marks of the several have been utterly exhausted to all other cirri. awkward accident, the young lady is recovering.—Ayr Advertiser. ous arcl.reAogists. Not a stone of any import C. Wie relating to any of the birthplaces or burial places of WIN CHESTER COLLEGE.—THE GODDARD SCHO LARSHII(i.e--T_haiss sc h holar,lnp, the examination for which has the personages passed under review is forgotten either just by the author or her attendant limner. Accoml a- , The exe•!tlin :n a e d r jdg s u wer ed to were the L , dm 1.r 7 c1 },ev. W. EC lehan i ts en de d, Austen, Lied by them we travel about Engl‘nd in all iota- M.A , Fellow of New College, and the Rev. W. Btight ehot i o el' h as ginable dire c tio n s, now entering the printing. office Fellow .i.nd Tutor of University College, Oxford The prize of Cucton, now the abode of Marvel, now the dwell• annually given by the liberality of Mr. Philip B. Duncan, ins of Barry, now the . studio o g f h G os a t in o s f b a or a o n u n g a h , ,: _meet- fo . rmerly Fellow of New College, for the en co uragement of I the. s t u dy of the mathematical sciences, has, after the usual ins in one quarter with the Hannah Atore ! examination, been also awarded to the same ficholar. THE COLOSSEUM, COLLISIONS ON THE EASTERN OPENING OF THE NEW PANORAMA OF THE LAKE OF TFIUN. COUNTIES RAILWAY. Last evening, during the density t f th e fog, two serious collisions occurred on the E. , stern Counties Railway, which, although not attended with any actual lms of life, involved serious injury to a number of persons. Dense as the fog was in the metropolis, it tell considerably short if that which overhung-tho neighbourhood, of Stratford and that part of the line. Even at mid-day it was iinpssib!e to discern ohj i • c t s at a few yards distance; and, although the. compiny adopted every precaution to secure the transit of the trains, is was deemed necessary eventually to take off a quantity of what is termed the local traffic shoe t trains. .When dusk set in the difficulties became ten fold. All the signal lights were obscured, and it was only by a liberal use of fig-signals that the traffic could then be carried on. No withstanding these precautions, however, two trains were run into. The first mishap happened to the lia!f past four o'clock train to Llertf,rd, which stop at the intermediate stations be wren Bishopsgate and Stratford. A quarter of rn hour after its depatture from Shored itch, viz., a quartt r toy o'clock, the train to Enfield leaves, and it appears do-s not - stop between the terminus and .Tottenhatn. The We were last evening favoured with a private view of the new Panorama of the Luke of Thun, painted by Messrs. Denson and Son, and which will be opened to the public on Thureday.. This magnifi cent work of „art occupies the whole of the immense rotunda of the Colosseum, and is cf the same size as the panoramas of London and of Paris. The posses sion of this immense space is of incalculable advan tage in the delinoation of the sublime scenery of Switzerland, where every natural object is on a scale of immense magnitude, and this panorama of the Lake of Thun, therefore, gives, as might have been expected from its colossal size, a more just and adequate idea of the ensemble of Swiss seentry than any other similar exhibition that has as 3et been presented to. the ; for its accuracy we can vouch from our ovsn personal knowledge of the locality. There is . the quaint old town of Thun (from the northward of which the panorama is taken), with its picturesque old buildings and its elegant villas and cottages ; there is the !site, small though it be, yet one ottnemost beautiful in Swi'zerlend, dotted with boats and steamers ; there are the sublime Alps of the Bernese Oberland in the distance, shutting in the valley and the like; and among them we distin guish the Wisterborn, the Fiesterhorn, and the Jungfrao, rendered clasicel to the lover of English poetry as the scene of Byron 's Manfred, and here is Intel lachen, the frequented of toe tourist. The panorama h an accurate transcript of some of the most beautiful scenery of Switz eland, and is, as a woi k of art, decidedly the chef dceunre of Denten. During the short recess the whole of the interior of this magnificent establishment has been restored and redecorated. The con: cr vatories have net ived several valuable additions; the magnificent Hall of Sculpture has been completely re-decorated; the Swiss cottage and waterfall, the aviary, the Stalactite Cavern, and the silver mine have all been renovated, and the as cending room has been newly fitted up. The Colos seum will, we opine, form one of the most attractive of the Christmas exhibitions. Hertford train was hi hind its time on arriving at Stratford, but this was unavoidable from the density of the fog, and while the S - Tatford passengers were alighting, and before the Enfield train was in fiat seen, it suddenly dashed into the rear of the Hertford train, denbling up a second-class carriage, wherein were seated about twenty passengers, and threw the latter part of the train off the line. The cries of the iijured occupants are de:Trib:d to have been of the moat painful character, and, as if'to add to their suf ferings, the fog, together with the stvani and snr.li • of the Enfield engine, completely enveloped in, so that although the staff of cfficers altach, d to the wet ks at Stratford immediately colleetel, much delay neces sarily, ensued before they could all be extricated. It was then discovered that the greater portion of the persons in that carriage had more or less sustained injuries. These were removed to the waiting-rooms of the station, and, several medical gen!l?men having been sent for, was found Lecesfiry to dispatch . . . . several to the Loudon Ilcspital, while - others were attended to at the station, and removed to neighbour ing taverns. Amongst those conveyed to the hospital were two men and a woman, but the extent of their injuries could not be ascertained. The second collision took place shortly before 11 ec!ock, close to the Brick-lane goods station. It was the last train up from Colchester, and was due at Bishopsgate at half-past 10. It was proceeding at a very cautious rate ; but a short time after leaving the Mile-end station it was run into by the Norwich express with a fearful shock. The last carriege of the Colchester train was a third-classs one, in which were a number of passengers, and so great_was the con cussion that it appeared a perfect wreck, the end, roof, and sides were demolished, and many of the passen gers were bleeding from wounds in their heads and other parts of the body. Several passengers in other parts of the train sustained severe contusions, and in one instance a lady received se vere bruises by coming in contact with the head of a gentleman sitting op posite, end the blood flowed copiously from her face. On the arrival of the train at Bishopsgate many more were seen in a similar conditien, but, from irquirics since instituted, it is gratifying to find that no limbs could be ascertained to have been fractured. Air. Ihncorn, a surgeon residing near the terminus, and who had been called in by the company to attend upon those h;jured on the previous occasion, was in the train I.t the time, and rendered effective service in alleviating the sufferings of the passengers most hurt. THE EXHIBITION OF 1851. visir OF THE QUEEN. At a quarter before eleven o'clock yesterday morning the contractors of the great Exhibition building received an intimation to the effect that at eleven o'clock precisely her Majesty, accompanied by Prince Albert, would ply a visit to the works. No time was lost in preparing, as far as possible, fur the Q reen's reception ; but beyond lsyirg down a few planks along the muddy avenues it was impossible for the authorities to perfect any arrangements. At eleven precisely the workmen were gathered in a crowd about the entrance, and the Queen's carriage came up amid loacheers and other demonstrations of hearty loyalty. Oa alighting her Majesty was received by the follow ing gentlemen, representing the Royal Commissioners, with Lord Granville at their lit ad :—Mr. Cubitt, Colonel Reid, Mr. Cole, Mr, C. Wentworth Di!ke, Dr. Playfeir, Colonel Lloyd, 4111 r C.'Wild, Mr. Ovean Jones, and Mr. M. Digby Wyatta Mr. Paxton and Messrs. Fox and Henderson, The contractots, were also present. This was her 'Majesty's, first visit to the works, and her apreseions of hearty ad miration were frequent. Her 111.k:sty's attention was particularly drawn to the men employed upon the tran'sept ; and while her Majesty was on the ground the first panes of glass were fixed in this part of the building. On leaving the ground, after a stay of an hour's duration, the royal party were loudly cheered by the workmen. After the departure of her Majesty Lord Granville clire.bed to the highest scaffolding in the building with the object of getting a view of the entire works; other eminent men have, in their en thusiasm, we are informed, dared the giddy height and defied the muddy ladders. On the 26th of September the first column of the building was fixed in its place, and on the 26th of this month the contractors have determined to fix the lest ; on this day, also, the last girder will be fixed, and after a few days' labour on the part of the gla ziers the great structure, to all external appearance, will be finished. On the 31st, as we have already stated,.the Society of Arts have been invited to hold a meetirg in the building; we may add, that an emi nent professor of mechanics, of King's College, London, will read to the meetirg a scientific lecture on the mechanics and economy of the building. The rooms erected near the transept, for the Royal Corn missienere, are commodious as well as numerous. Whether either accident was occasioned by the culpable negligence of the drivers or signalmen, or was solely the result of the density of the atmosphere, did not clearly appear, but an inquiry, it was stated, would be inlinzdiately instituted by the company into the circumstances. THE FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION IN W. I L ES. The inquest on the bodies of vlic unfo.tunate men who were killed by the explosion et the Middle Duffryn New Colliery, on the Pith instant, has now occupied two days. The catastrophe has unhappily proved mere fatal than bad been at first reported. The number of men killed is tigLt, Einiund Mord, William Davis, William Saunders, William Jones, David Thomas,• James Morgan, Jan►cs Bar gam, and Matthew Tingle ; and there are eight more mcn seriously burnt ; viz., Henry William Meredith, Thomas Meredith, Richa►d Wiggle, George Meredith, Peter Price, John Ruck, and James Williams. The two first-named of the wounded men COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, Disc. 23. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by the Hon. Miss Macdonald and the Hon. Miss Cavendish (Maids of Honour in Waiting), and Colonel Hon. Charles Grey and Cu). Bouverie (the Equerries in Waiting), left the Gavle at ten o'clock this morning for London. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness and suite travelled by a special train on the Great Western Railway, and on reaching the Paddington terminus entered two of the royal carriages, and proceeded to the building in Hyde-pack for the Exhibition of the Wolks of Industry of all Nations in 1851. Lieutenant-Colonel Reid, R.E , Chairman of the Executive Committee of the Royal Commission, re ceived the Queen and the Prince, and conducted her Majesty through the different parts of the building. After inspecting the building f,r the Exhibition, the Queen and Prince Albert went to Gloucester House Piccadilly, to pay a visit to her Royal High ness the Duchess of Gloucester. _ _ _ (llenry Jenkins and William Meredith) are the fore man and under-ground agent, and they were so seri ously injured that it was deemed advisable to take their depositions as soon as prac . .icible after the acci dent. They were both in the pit at the time of the explosion; and Henry Jenkins gives the follow ing account of the cause and effect of the c4losion :—" The top of the ru'ddle stall in the first crw,s-heading was bad, and lattly to fill, and Ruck and several more were engag-d in trying to prop it up, while I was engaged in opening a fresh wind-way. When we were so engaged a part of tlig - roof fell, and a bloaer' came out against my candle and an explosion took place. I had been in the stall five minutes before, and there was no gas there then. I had my lamp with me, bu', as it did not give sufficient light to enable me to remove the plates, I had a lighted candle. I had been engaged about an hour before taking► up the plates. The roof of the stall had shown symptoms of falling, and that was the reason I had taken up the plates. Tne stall in question formed part of a wind. way, which was the reason I was anxious to keep it oi3en. I fell Soon after twelve o'clock her Mojesty and Prince Albert drove from Gloucester House to the Padding ton terminus, and, attended by. the Hon. Caroline Cavendish, Hon. Flora Macdonald, Colonel the Wm. Charles Grey, and Colonel Bouverie, kfc by a special train on the Great Western Railway, and returned to the Castle at ten minutes before one o'clock. down dir(ctly I saw the explosiut; ; and, as soon as it was over, I got up and ran to the bottom of the pit. I was quite sensible the whole of the time. The top of the stall was very unusual, and several nien were collected near the spot, looking at the precau- The Royal Family took their accustomed airings in the Slopes and Windsor park. Lord and Lady Ashley and Lieutenat• Colonel Reid, R.E., took their departure from the Castle to day. The Royal dinner circle this evening will include her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, Lady Fanny Howard, Baroness de Speth, the Earl of Lin• coin, Lieutenant-Colonel C. B. and Mrs. Phipps. Her Majesty's private band attend in the Castle after dinner. Lions I was taking, and that is how thCy were injured. I way in the pit seven hours after the explosion bofore I was carried up." Mr. Meredith, the agent, corroborated this state ment, and added that they only used the stfety-lacon in the morning, and " when there was occasion." It was explained by the several witnesses subse quently examined, that the cause of the delay in bringing the men to the surilace after the accident was front a quantity of masonry having been blown by the explosion upon the stage used. for conve3 ing the miners up and do..s n. They were therefore obliged to have recourse to a more tedious means, a bucket Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Cambridge visited her Royal Highness the Duchess of Glouces • ter yesterday, at Gloucester House. The Right lion, Lord Ernest Bruce, M P. (on be half of the Marquis of Ailesbury), attended at the Home-office yesterday, and delivered loyal and duti ful addresses against the late Papal aggression, for pres-ntation to her Mejesty through the Right Hon. Sir George Grey, from the mayor, elfitrmen, town council, and other inhabitants of the borough of Marlborough; from the rector of St. Peter's Mtrl borough ; trom the ancient borough of Great Bed wyn ; and from sixteen adjscent parishes in the county of Wilts. and crab. One of the dee( ased came by Ws death in a jrß gular manner. Ile was- on the surface of the ground, and was proceeding by the mouth of the pit at the time of the explosion, when he was killed by a gate blown upon him. his father had just sent him in quest of au axe, and he related the melancholy scene of his son's death to the jury. The top of the pit was seen to fly into the air at the moment the young man reached it. A moment's difference in time either way would have saved his l:f•. Mr. Blackwell, the Governmsnt Inspector of Mines, *ho attended the inquest, questioned the witnesses with regard to the means used for rescuing the miners after the explosion—the bucket and crab. lie im pressed the necessity in all such cases of using every exertion to bring the men out of the colliery, and was of opinion that the app•sratus used was insufficient. Mr. \Villains, the principal viewer cf the colliery, described the measures which be was tking for ita- Mr. Alderman Salomons attended at the Home office yesterday, to deliver, through Secretary Sir George Grey, an address against Papal Aggression, from the Ward of Cordwainera, for presentation to the Queen. Mr. Thomas Johnson attended yesterday at the Dome-office, to deliver, through Sir George Grey, an address on the Papal Aggression from Runcorn (Cheshire), for presentation to her Majesty. A deputation, consisting cf Messrs. William Routh and Ravenshaw (Directors of the new British Iron Company), and Mr. Robert Roy (Director of the Shrewsbury and Chester Railway Company), had an interview %ith the Commissioners of &always yesterday, at their office in the Board of Trade. Dilyttches were received yesterday at the Colonial office from the Governors of the North American Provinces. proving the ventilation of the work,. This was part of bis duty. He had not bee❑ in the colliery for a fortnight before the accident. 'There was only one existing airway in the colliery. There had not been time since Vie colliery ha I been opened to make a second, but it was intended to make two. The col liery was quite in its infancy. Ile judgt d the quan tity of air circulating in the works at from 6,000 to 7,000 cubic feet per minute. lie was afraid that the seam of coal which they were working in this col liery was a fiery seam. Mr. Puwell, the owner cf the colliery,. employed altogether on his works from 1,400 to 1,500 men and boys. Only about 2,000 tons have as yet been got in this mine. The inquest was again adjourned for a few days. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S—YESTERDAY. Business yesterday was not of a character to call la more than an; , )nume ation a the bets: — CHESTER CUP. 500 to 10 asst Lord Cl‘f lea's Wallll )wer—taken 600 to 10 tig,t Mr. Me,klam's Raby—takcn 1,000 to 20 agst Mr. Howard's Brother to Dough—t 1,000 to 15 agst Mr. J. Scott's Clinch: r—taken 1,000 to 15 apt Sir J. B. Mills' Won't-you-come-out to-night—taken DERBY. 600 to 100 agst Mr. Ilalford'a Prime Minister—taken, 13 to 2 afterwards offered 350 to'2s agst Mr. A. Nichol's Newminster—takcia and afterwards ‘ffertd 2,500 to 50 agst Sir J. Hawley's Baloamo—taken TIM GREAT MATCH. Even betting. Offers to take a sovereign a hundred for choice. , THE LATE RIOT AT BIRILEMIHAD.—Yesterday the examinations in this case were concluded at Chester, and the magistrates committed the men charged with the riot. Sir George Stephen, for the prisoners, objected to their being committed to take their trial at the sessions, where they would be subject to the jurisdictim of the Cheshire magis trates, who had taken such an active part in connexion with the meeting. After consulting together, Mr. Case, the chair man of the magistrates, said they had no objc-ction to comply with the request that the committal should take place to the assizes ; but they should certainly feel it their duty to have heavier bail. Sir George Stephen objected to this, on the ground that the bail already was excessive. Mr. Case— That is a matter for the magistrates to decide. We shall require, in the case of Mr. Brown, himself in 100/., and two sureties of 1001. each. With regard to Feehan, we have put him down at 11:A 1, two sureties at SC/. 'The other pri soners, themselves in 501. each, and two sureties of 25/., and 21 hours' notice to be given. Sir George Stephen—Very well, but I shall advise an application to the judges to re euce the amount. After the necessary arrangements rela tive to receiving the bail had been made, the Court dis solved. ABOLISHMENT CF CHRISTMAS-D9XES IN GOVERN MENT OFFICES. -Ye sterd ay afternoon circulars were sent front the ilome•office to all the Police-courts, and other offices connected with Government, directing that no Christ mas-boxes shall in future be given away to those persons who have for many yews been in the habit of receiving them. In the police-courts a saving will be effected of about thirty shillings a year to each. DISTRIBUTION OF HER MAJE`iTY'S CHRIbTMAS Bovsxr.—Yesterday, according to annual custom, the dis tribution of her MajesWa Chrittmas B ,unty took place at the Royal Almonry Office, in Aiikldle Scotland yard, Whitehall, when between 6CO and 700 poor men and women, who are of good characters, and whose ages varied from sixty years and upwards, were recipients—the sum received by each individual consisted of two new half crowns. • FATAL COAL FIT ACCIDENT AT BORROWSTOUN• NESS.—At the Schoolyards pit, in the middle if Borrows tounness, an engine was put up about two years ego to pump out the waste water, and thereby allow access to the lowest seam of coal. This was accomplished some weeks ago; and on Saturday last three colliers, who vase employed to open up the roans in the old waste, Laving f a il e d to make their appearance above ground, a mi.n was scrit down the pit, who, ou proceeding about 20 yards from the bottom of the Sbafr, and within a few yards of another pit, at the turn of a road, got the three men lying above each otter, quite dead— to all appearance suffocated with choke damp. Their names were Charles Robertson, and his son James, and Richard Robert son, his nephew. They were all married men,. leaving widows, and two of th em families. —Edinburgh —Edinburgh Watt s. ST. ALBANS ELECTION.—The nomination tookplace yesterday. Mr. Alderman and Sherif! Carden and Mr. l Jacob Bell, of Oxf o rd-street, are the candidates; the allow of hands was in favour or Ur! Alderman Carden. The poll takes place to-day. - We have been informed, on good auth )rity, that a measure has been at last prepared by the law officers of the Crown in reference to " Papal aggression." This Bill, we understand, provides a punishment of two years' imprison ment for any person who shall assume as a prelate the title of any, place in Great Britain I If, as we have reason to be liPve, these are -the penal , prvyisions of the measure, then is Ireland thoroughly abandoned to Rome.-Herald. PUNCH'S ALMANACK FOR 1851. ___ • _ In consequence of the recent withdrawal of Richard Do) le from his important share in the illustration of the "14-mdon Cnarivari," John Leech has had to t.:x his pencil of merriment to the very utter most. All but the first page, emblematic of the twelve months, is the produce of this one artie, unaided in any, except the literary, department. Although, occasionally, we cannot but perceive signs of the exaggeration consequent on an exhaustion of drollery from over-work, several of the comic illustrations are really capital, as for instance the in dignant lock of the little boy, who is shown bis bed in the chest of drawers. There is a certain similarity betwrcn the notion of this "cut," and of the drawing by Michael Angelo Titmarbh," Schlafen sie wohl" in Mr. Ttiackeray's new book about the Kicklebur3s. Mr. Briggs on his shooting pony, on the first of Sr p tember, is a glorious conceit, as are likewise those relating to the possible consequences of the next year's Exhibition. Several of the minor literary wit ticisms, moreover, are especially ludicrous, such for example as the inquiry " How many clods make a wiseacre," or :he remark referring to hats, "It is a significant sign of the times, that the wide-awake is superseding the nap." in short, Mr. Punch has ftiled in est:ailing many of his previous achieve ments of a like kind, he has, nevertheless, produced for 1851 a very quaint and humorous almanack. THE ILLUSTRATED LONDON .'NEWS. A Christmas number of the illustrated London News can never fail to arrest our observation, more espe cially vi hen it comes before us, like the present, in vested with such a variety of attractions. Here we have, for instance, besides a diversity of other good things, a ballad, "Smile Old Winter," the words by kay, and the music by Blewitt ; an exquisite prologue to a "Masque," by 13arry Cornwall; an ad mirable song about Christmastide, from the pen of Mary Howitt ; a story els Jut "The Sick Giant and Doctor D varf," by Douglas Jerrold, with illustra tions by NVilliam Harvey ; together with other en gravings drawn by Foster, Mehony, Weir, Phiz, Gilbert, Duncan, Leech, and Crowquill. o . her literary contributors of note figure, moreover, in the (It coratien of this magnificent gift number of the illustrsted . liewsp' Iper—uch men as John Timbs, as Montana, ts John Oxenford, and various others too numerous to particularise. One of the most excellent of all the illustrations is the picture of the "Cross boy's Luncheon," by Hablot Knight Brown, the in ccuiparable "Phiz." Duncan's sketch of the "Road side Scene," and Leech's sketch of "The Lonely Bichelor," are also admirable. The entire Christmas number is a splendid evid:-nce of enterprise. THE CONTESTED WARDS. The following is the result of the cl.c.,ion for Corr mon Councilmen in the contested wards of the city if London, yesterday : The new candidates are distirguished by an as terisk (*). BILLINGSGATE (Eight Mcmber4—Mr. Phillippr, 100 ; Mr. Bowes, 89; Mr. Williams, 88; Mr. Curling (deputy), 84; Mr. Roberts 83; Mr. Knell, 80 ; M r. Cruston , 78 ; Mr. Bunts, 77; *Mr. G.bls, 56; "Mr. Graves, 51. CASTLE BAYNARD (Eight). —Mr. Hicks (deputy ), 98; Mr. Muggtridge, 98; Mr. Cbtlin, 96; Mr. Barber, 95; Mr. Bailey, 95 ; Mr. Hoppe, 92; Mr. Farrar, 88; Mr. A. Adieu!, 88; *Mr. C. Haekins, 37; *Mr. T. Parker, 30. CuEAP (Eigls!) —Mr. Watson, 199 ; Mr. Barnes, 99; Mr. Pearl, 94 ; Mr. Hickson, 93 ; Mr. Oliver, 93 ; Mr. Penning (deputy), 90 ; Mr. Houghton , 89 ; Mr. Thorp, 86; "Mr. Bennett, 48; 'Mr. Stewart, 39. FM-MINCE 'N WITHIN (FOULUCE). Mr. Eagleton (deputy), 186 ; Mr. Holt, 195 ; Mr. M'Gregor, 161 ; Mr. Virtue, 161 ; Mr. M•Lauchlan, 152 ; Mr. B. S. Phillips., 151 ; Mr. C. Phillips, 151 ; Mr. Heaps, 151 ; Mr. B:alte, 142 ; Mr. Butter, 152 ; Mr. Young, 144 ; Mr. Morris, 136 ; Mr. Humphreys, 133 ; Mr. Nichol• son, 130 ; Mr. Wheekr, 129 ; Mr. Hartley, 83. FARRINGWN WITH )LIT ixtion).—The two Dew candidates were rrjectA, Clemow polling 195 only, and Mas•erman, 35. Lees, the lowest on the poll of the old members of the Common Council, obtained 214 PORTSCKEN (Eight).—Messrs. VII; Dav:es, and Annh., the new cand.dates were all returned. Mr. Jutsum, a former member, was rejected. MEXICAN BONDHOLDERS Yesterday a meeting of Mexican bondholders was held at the London Tavern, for the purpose of consi dering a proposition from the Executive Government of the Mexican Republic flr the adjustment of their foreign debt. There was a numerous attendance of , bondholders. Baron Lionel Goldsmid occupied the chair. The advertisement calling the meeting having been read, The CHAIRMAN said the proposition of the Mexican Government would certainly entail heavy sacrifices upon the bondholders; but it was for them toconsider whether they had any hopes of obtaining better terms, and whether or not they would accept the preseet offer. Trusting to. the honour of the Mexican Go vernment, and hoping that they would do justice to the confidence reposed in them, the committee now recommended the bondholders to , accept the terms proposed. - Mr. J. CArm, then read the retort of the comtni"- tte, sotti►lg forih the decree of the .Mkxican Govern - client for the settlement of i s forcign debt, and recom mending the bondholders to close with the Mexican Goren-An:flea overtures. The CHAIRMAN said he had now to submit to the bondholders a series of resolutions which the commit tee t'retreelves had adopted,. end which were framed for the purpose of carrying out the. views recom mended by the committee's report ; and in doing FO tee tle , upht it but justice to the committee in state that, although he hsd been accustemed to meet fre. queetly in committees, he had ntver seen a body o f gcntlemfit who se zealously devoted themselves to the utmost to promote the of ject which the meeting was so anxious to tv.t!lin as diii the committee of Mexican boodholdere.— (Hear, hear.) Throughout their deli borstious there hod been the mese perfect unanimity emorg thetr, the only species of collision that bad ever occurred being their rivalry as to who should strive the most to accomplish their common perpoae. The resolutions were then read. The first was merely for the adoption of the committee's report ; the scond embodied the acceptance by the meeting of the terms offered by the decree of the Mexican Execu tive Government, promulgating the Act of Cengress of that state, dated the 14:b of October last, and tu thoxised the committee to make the necessary arrange ments to complete the settlement on the conditions proposed by the stlid decree. The third resolution trusted that, in consideration of the generous sacri fices of the bondholders, the earliest opportunity would be teken by the Mexican Government to grant s modification of the second article of the decree, so as to confine the reduction of the rate of interest to a period of yearn, and not to enact it in perpetuity. The succeeding resolutions were merely for the purpose of formally carry log out the foregoing. Mr. BEACON wished to ask the chairman what se curity the bondholders would have if the Mexican Government did not perform their engagement? The CHAIRMAN said he knew of none ; but they le lie.l on the good faith of the Mexican Government not to recede from its engagement. Mr. Bsecox did not see, then, what advantage the proposed arrangement would give. The CHAIRMAN said if the Mexican Government should fail to keep their word, at all events the bondholders would have gained a share of the money now in hand. Mr. D. ROBERTSON thought the bondholders ought to take care how they patted with their 5 per cent. boods; otherwise, if tho Government of Mexico failed to perform its engagement., the bondholders would hive nothing to full back Upon. Mr. RICHMOND (4 member of the Committee) said, that if any lache.occurrtd on the ran of the Mexican Government, it would c o no injury to the boodholdera, because then they would revert to their original positioa.—(bear, hear.) But ho had no fear that the M-xic?n Government would fail in their en gagements. The army, which had been the main cause of the intestine divisions that had long dis turbed that coui.try, was now reduced to a mere police establithtnent of 10,000 men ; and a new era of prosperity was dawning upon the commerce of the republic. Thl; whole of the resolutions were agreed to, with but owe or two dissentient voices; and, ; fter voting thanks to Lord Pahusraton, for the support his Lordship bas invariably given to the interests of the bondharre, and also to Baron Goldainid, for his conduct in the chair, the meeting broke up. RAILWAY INTELLIGENCE. sourn WALES. Active preparations are l.eing made for tbo exten sion of the South Wales line, westward from Swan tee. The contracts are being let, and it is under stood tlmt the portion lying between Swansea and Loughor has been taken. There is a formidable ot'stacle to the rapid formation of this part in the form of a tunnel 1,000 yards in length, and the time cf opening to Carmarthen will depend upon the ra pidity wi:h which this tunnel i 3 carried on. The chairtmn of the company, Mr. C. It. M. Talbot, has addrev.ed the following letter to Mr. A. B. Starbuck, of Milton), in antwer to a memorial forwarded from that town, praying that the haven may be selected as the terminus of the railway : " Margam, Gllmorganshire, Dee. 1850. " Sir,—l beg t acknowledge - the receipt of the me morial which eccempanied your 'utter, and which I have commuaiccted to the hoard cf the South Wnles Railway. I have no doubt whatever that Afilicrd Haven is the finest Insibnir in great Brit dr, a•td I tinecrely wish the Sjuth Wales nailway Company may havo funds tufli eject to reach it as their terminus. " I am, Sir, yours obediently, " A. B. Stirbuck, Eiq." " C. U. M. TALBOT. Dir. Talbot has recently visited Cardiff for the pur pose of inspecting the docks and shipping, with a iew (~f (lc ciding upon a plan for connecting tho Taff Vale and Smith Wales Railways either by a branch or a junction from the later line. DIRECT WEST• END AND CROYDON.—On Saturday there was a meeting of the parties before his Honour Master Tinney for the declaration of a call of 751. per share on the mernters of the provisional commit tee. The financial statement of Mr. Holland, the official manager, required under the Ant, bet forth that the debts and claims likely to be anmitted amounted to 1,520/., and those disputed or likely to be rejected to 3,8501. There were 37 names fixed on the list of contributories, 21 having paid, but 1G having paid no mercy, crtd the object of the call of 751. each was to equalz.~ the payments previously made with the call now sought to be made, from which a sum of 6001. was likely to be produced. The ( fficial manager dot not say whether a further small call will be re quired, but, ehould such be the case, he thinks it can not exceed 201. DIRECT BIBMINGUAM, OXFORD ) Al , 33 READING.-- Yc:terday his Honour Master Brougham fixed the payment of the exit of 2L 6.1. per share payable on the 15th oflanuary. His Honour then proceeded to review the cases of the following provisional corn mit teenmn :—Messrs. J. B. BILL khead, W. H. Cooper, W. Ilunter, J. Oulons, S. E. Siebell, and . J. Thorn. The terms of the letter of acceptance being vague his Honour, in Mr. Baokhend's case, struck his name off the list. The other parties were re-settled on the list, it being intimated that there was nothing to dis- tinguixh their cases from that of Upfill. Notice of appeal was given against the finding of the Master, and it was arranged that pending the appal the call at regards them should b t.usnendtd. SUDDEN DEATH AT POUTSMODIII.—For many years past the visitors at the Quebec Hotel, Portsmouth, must have noticed a hard-working, industrious watcrman, of the name of Rex—his boat was always ready, always neatly kept, and he always attentive and obliging. No weather daunted him—where a boat could live there was he ready to go. It appears that during the heavy weather that pre vailed last week, poor Rex was hired by the captain of the Mary B:snnatyne to proc• ed to Spithead. He had a hard pull against wind and tide; and on his return, 3ast as he had rcache.l Point, he was observed to fall back, and on assist ance being procured it was found that he was lifeless. Ha has ltft, tiniertunately, a widow and four children perfectly destitute. The cause of his death was doubtless attribut able to the - rupture of a blood-vessel, and induced by the violent exertion he had undergone in working his boat withtut any extra assistance. REGULATIONS OF THE LOST-OFFICE ON CHRIST- ItIAS-DAY.—To-morrow being Christ Mas-day notice was is sued yesterday at the Chief Money Order-office, Aldersgate, that it will be closed on Wednesday either for the payment or granting of orders. Also the. various money order offices throughout the metropolis and vicinity. There will be no delivery of letters in town or within the London.district after twelve o'clock at ncon. The boxes at the receiving-houses and at the General Post-office will remain open, until the usual time for letters and newspapers to the country, France, Belgium, &c. At the Stamp-c ffice, Excise, Customs (an officer will be in attendance for the facility of passeng ers arriving by the steamers from abroad), and all the public departments at the west end, the Bank of England, S ock and Royal Exchange, Lloyd's, South Sea-heuse, East India-house, the docks, banking-houses, &c., it will be kept as a close holiday, and at the different police offices, courts of law, &c. . THE • BISHOP OF LONDON AND AIR ' BENNETT.— Under this head, we last week stated th a t information had reached us from a quarter on Is hich we could rely, that, startling as the announcement mi g ht s eem, matters were, alter all, in a fair way o f b e i ng ma d e up between Mr. Bennett and the Bishop of London. We are now in a posi tion to vends for the accuracy of our information. Will it be believed—could any one have deemed it possible, after all that has taken place, that Charles James has agreed to allow Mr. Bennett to remain in his two churches, and to practise all his other Popish ceremonies, on the c,ndition, that he shall content to snuff out the candles on the altar, instead of having them lighted? We assure our readers that this is no joke. The 6 nk ject, irdeed, is much too serious ler jocularity. It appea s that the sole matter of controversy in the latter stages of this business , b e tw een the Bisho p and sir. Benbuett turned on the question of the candles. Oa that alone depended the fact of Mr. Bennett's remaining in the Church, or retiring from it. At last the matter was compro mised, by the Bishop agreeing that the candles, along with all the other parts of the lloinish ritual, should be tole n.ted, provided only they were not to be I;ghted !—Ad7ertiser. B - auty cannot ii flame the fancy so much in a month, as ridiculous folly can quench it in a moment. - Eliza Cook's Journal. Captain Milne, one of the Lords of the Admiralty, is on a matrimonial tour, tl.e gallant captain baying lately married his cousin, Miss Cochran; daughter of the late Ad miral Sir Alexander Cochlane. Trit E SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVEN! NG. DECEMBER 24, 1850.