The Sun. — London, England, 1845-01-03 00:00:00

COVENT-GAR: LEN THEATRE. A bold, and to a certain extent, a successful expe riment was made last night at this theatre, in the production of the Antigone of Sophocles—the last of three tragedies connected v. ith the history of (Edipus which the august genius of the Greek dramatist has familiarised to every clatsieal scholar. When we first read the announcement of this play we were not :without serious apprehensions that it would prove an arrant failure, for we did not deem it at all probable -that an English audience, habituated to the rapid, irregular action, and continual stir of Shakspeare's tragedies, with the fierce and tumultuous passions de veloped in their progress, would sympathise with the slow and stately march of a Greek play wherein the feelings of the human heart are roused but not probed to the quick ; and where more is said than done, the character of the piece being narrative rather than dramatic. But we have been agreeably disappointed. The Antigone, on the whole, has been successful, but its success has tot been so much owing to the interest taken by the audience in the conduct of the plot, whose severe simplicity and somewhat languid progress are ill adapted to the melodramatic taste of the day, as to the music of Bartholdy, which is full of expres sion, varying in happy accordance with the sentiments enunciated by the dramatist. It is a striking proof of the undying character of true genius, to see a play which, upwards of two thousand years ago, delighted an Athenian audience received with applause by an English one, the majority of whom can know nothing of the incomparable grace and majesty of its style, and can be effected only by the truth and earnestness of the feelings it depicts. The Antigone of Sophocles is remarkable for the strict unity of its action, for the absence of all irrelevant characters and incidents, and more especially for the pure and lofty moral it incul cates, and which is never for an instant lost sight of. The aim of the dramatist is obvious throughout. It it to show the remorse that waits on injustice :—in a Word, to illustrate the wholesome truth which Shak aPeare has so well expressed. that "The great gods are just ; and of our pleasant vices Make instruments to scourge us." The plot may be summed up in a few words. On the death of Eteocles and Polynices, sons of CEdipus, who fell in battle by each other's hand, Creon, their nearest tnale relative, ascends the throne of Thebes, and forbids the rites of sepulture to the body of Polynices. Antigone, animated by piety and sisterly affection, nobly braves the despot's command, lout being detected in the attempt to inter her brother, she is condemned to be buried alive in the cavern of a rock. Soon after she has been conveyed thither, Tiresias, the soothsayer—so well known in Greek fable--enrers into Creon's presence, And by solemnly predicting the evils that will flow from the tyrant's unjust decree, induces him to bury ;Polynices, and issue an order for the release of Antigone. But the order is issued too late. Antigone has already strangled herself, and her lover, Ilmmon, Creon's son, commits suicide in the agony of his grief for her fate. His mother, also, distracted by this double loss, destroys herself, and the tragedy concludes with the unavailing self-re- Iproaches of the King, and the exhibition of his intense ?emorse. The chorus, who, as in all Greek dramas, takes a conspicuous share in the conduct of the plot, is composed of the nobles and councillors of Thebes, Who are supposed to be assembled before the palace in order to hear the decree which has so promptly proved fatal to Creon. Nothing can well be simper than this plot, or less complex than the emotions sought to be conveyed by • the dramatist. The in terest of the piece is confined exclusively to Anti gone, and rises and falls as she appears and disappears from the scene. Her character is conceived in a noble spirit, in which there is loftiness without exaggeration; and the execution is not less mas terly. The glowing, majestic, heartfelt sentiments put into her mouth, are just such as might be ex rected fr om a nature of her heroic stamp ; but which, oweeer essentially elevated it may be in its imbued d ing w t i o th ne of a thought and feeling, is yet keen sense of the more homely, familiar, and domestic affections. Like the Alcestes of Euripides --one of the most delightful female portraits ever drawn by the magic pen of genius —Antigone merits the highest praise for the completeness and harmony of the conception. The touches are carefully laid on one by one, and the course of emotion proceeds in exact accordance with —what philosopher Square would call—" the fitness of things." In reverting once again to the plot, we cannot forbear from commenting on the exquisite skill with w hich the spirited hymn to Bacchus is introduced. This has evidently been done with a " ii ew to relieve the more tragic portions of the play, and so give variety to its other- Iris* somewhat monotonous character. fhe chorus sing the hymn—and a noble piece of music it is— lander the impression that Antigone will be released 411 d all er.d happily; but the catastrophe has already b ea n wrought, and the tragic tone of the subsequent lePnPs acquires tenFolci ferce from the brief gleam of eherrfumess by which the, here- been preceded. Of the per Formers, all played their parts creditably, and 'one or two with sups rtor feehig and judgment. Mr. Vl lntlenhuti, as Creon, declainied with etilphanis and - propriety though o:casionally his manner was 4ornewhat too cold and formal and Miss Vandenhoff exhibited more feeling as Antigone, th an in any character in which she has yet appeared " the stage. The numerous choruses were admi 1141Y managed, and every possible effect was given 4 .6 the delightful music or Bartholdy. The hazardous 'lPeriment of the performance of a Greek play having It t ) vv.• been made, and with comparative success, we Ir e not without hopes that it will, ere long, he re peated. There is more of incident, variety, and Thriskness of action in the CEdipu3 Tyrannus than in th e -Antigone of Sophocles; and, judging from last ihighe3 performance, we cannot but think that the 6104 ing scenes of the Coloneus, when the unseen voice of Destiny is heard summonieg Edipus 11.ladgment in the gloomy depths of the grove con eerated to the Furies, would—if aided by im ressive and appropriate music such as Bartholdy hag shown himself capable of composing Produce a very striking effect. It is highly 'creditable to the taste of an ,eiglish audience that they paid the most marked attention throughout the tntire performance of Antigone. One or two of its more impassioned sentiments—the genuine utterances of humanity as it existed two thousand years ago, sod Will exist through all time—were received with loud aPPlause ; and at the fall of the curt a i n M r . audenhoff and his daughter were called on to re ethe the Congratulations of the audience. OLYMPIC THEATRE. b The Outcast, a drama written purposely for Mr. p a y again performed at this theatre on Wed -13,4Y, when that gentl e m an r esume d Hs original part o ' 11 alter Gr a y s d a l e , an d M rs. W . W est sustained Walter Gray s d a l e , of the heroine. The piece consists of a strange medley of scen es an d c i rcumstances, among Iff bich may he enumerated a harvest home, a gang of th34ic4l " B , a shipwreck, an incendiary conflagration, • R child rescued from the flames, and other incidents "by flood a n d fi e ld." Th e p l ot i s l ess sk i lfully con th t ructed th an i t m i g h t h ave b een, and in particular at e fro end of th e fi rs t ac t, w h en th e c h i l d is preserved rn the flames. This would have formed a more stprop r i ate close to the piece. The drama affords l eope for the display of Mr. Rayner's peculiar forte arl a Powerful talents, and most ably he acquitted him -8,4f in b oth the whirlwind of passion and the subdued pathos by which some of the scenes were distin- Kuished. It is fair to state that he acted with all the ti.rce and freshness of his earlier days. The audience l v ,re extrem e l y lib era l i n t h e i r p l au di ts. M rs. W. eAt laboured hard and successfully to make the tilnoA of an indifferent part. The house was well at tended. A movement is now being- made at Ipswich for • the appointment of a chaplain to instr u ct th e labourers on the Eastern Union ltuAlway. We wish the parties all su ccess. The good 4fects of a similar arrangement are now seen on the works progressing in the neigh bourhood of Cambridge. We should like to see all con tractors following the example of Messrs. Grissell and P eto in th e i nstance referred to. They contribute most liberally towards the religious instruction of the la bourers, and without any restriction as to creed.—Rail -waY Record. Record. FREE CHURCH COLLEGE.—Lord Jeffrey has addressed the following letter to the editor of the Scuts 7"""Sir,---Myattention having b een ca ll e d (f or t h e, la st tim e t hi s morning) to a statement in your paper of ho s: Wed nes d ay, with reference to a rep or t o f my having "'le n , one of th e munificent cntributors ru the project e d fie of the Free Church, I am bound to disclaim the !Pedit of any such splendid liberality, and to state that I nave not subscribed anything to that undertaking. It ', ll l be obliging in you, therefore, to mention the fact in Zoe next publication. I am, Sir, 8.e., F. JLPYRZY...-.- 14 ) UOrappliee, Dm 17. MAGAZINES-(CON TINUED.) DUBLIN UNIVERSITY MAGAZINE. Under the title of "The White Lace Bonnet" we find a plemant prose tale in the present Number of this Magazine, one of the scenes in which is laid on the Birmingham Railway. The principal incident refers to the mishaps of a young man who has been inveigled into matrimony by an artful woman whom he accidentally encountered on board a Margate steamer, and who shortly after her marriage con , leased to the fortunate husband of her choice, that "she had been twice married before, and had heavy misgivings that her two spouses were still living!" In the notices of the "Leading State Trials in Ire land" there is afi affecting account of the trial of one Jackson, which tiok place in Dublin towards the close of the last century, but was put an abrupt stop to by the prisoner's death, which occurred while he was in court listening to the proceedings against him. l'he " Crescent and the Cross" is a review of a book of travels in the East, which has lately made its ap pearance. From an amusing and somewhat whim sical essay on the " Nightmare," we quote the follow ing passage : " Now, there is nothing elevated about indigestion: it is neither saintly nor, in its unsaintliness, is it sublime. In general, it comes from eating too much, which is not a proceeding of a seraphic tendenly, nor the first step of a movement heavenwards. And these affections of the epigastric regions are ordinarily the fruit of indigestion, wherefore the "sleep-waking" state into which they cast us—namely, that sleep of the outward and waking of the inward man—reveals to the eye of the latter a base neighbourhood. The nightmare does not come up into our sphere, but we spiritually descend into his. He is there already, while we are gorging ourselves, but we are not aware of him until the outward senses be sealed in torpor, and the inward world opens in its dim horror on the troubled eye of the soul. " We have met with people who believe that the beasts characterised by the Mosaic law as unclean are not so in a mere ceremonial sense, but in one that has its foundation in nature ; in fact, that such beasts are in a special wise liable to demoniacal possession. The cat is a long-recognised minister of the darker powers. Dogs and horses see ghosts, which, as we shall presently see, implies a capability of being possessed, and is, in fact, the next thing to it. Wnat is more horrible than to come into ' magnetic rapport' with a dog, through in fusion of the saliva of the latter into your blood? For the saliva is a great medium of magnetic influences, a conductor of psychic agency, wherefore, also, the moods of the soul have a marked operation on its physical qualities, making it a vehicle of sanatory virtue, or a deadly poison. Armstrong affirms that the bite of negroes, when enraged, produces obstinate ulcers and hydrophobia. Gaubius tells of a soldier who, being bit in the arm by a woman whom he had bitterly angered, died in convulsions; as also of a rung Italian, who in a paroxysm of anger, bit himself in the finger, and forth with became rabid, and died. And Sauvage has re corded the case of a young maiden, who, by sheer inten sity of ireful emotion, without any bite at all, of herself or another, man or beast, was thrown into a state exactly resembling canine madness. Even the mere sight of a person in hydrophobia" has engendered the same affec tion in persons of susceptible temperament. Mease relates such a case, wherein the sufferer was a priest. A student of Wittenberg became hydrophobious, after he had seen, with heartfelt sympathy, a violent paroxysm of rabies with which a young maiden, already nigh in the last agonies, was seized. He was indeed restored, but for years laboured under a great weakness and un certainty of the voice, as well as a painful dread of speaking in public. Themison experienced something of the same kind after attending a. friend in hydrophobia, and seeing him die. An inward paralysing terror took possession of him as often as he recalled to his memory the vivid picture of the suffering he had witnessed. Peter Frank, having merely touched with his fingers a person dying of hydrophobia, wag, through the power of imagination, presently atf , ..eted with symptoms of the dise , :se ; and a young physician, mentioned in the Journal Genoa de Medecine, 1824, became rabid through a similar operation of phantasy, after the dis section of a child which had died of the bite of a mad dog. The like unhappy fate had a woman, through attending the death-bed of her husband under similar circurnstafices." THE BANKERS" MAGAZINE AND JOUR NAL OF THE MONEY MARKET. No. X. This able periodh al continues to prefer fresh darns on the attention aad confidence of the commercial world, by the general soundness of its opinions on all monetary questions, and the careful accuracy with which the data are collected that it brings to bear in support of those opinions. The first paper in the pre sent Number, entitled " Effects of the Stamp Act on Banking," is an able exposition of the positively, or the possibly, injurious and unfair operation of the Act, under four especial heads, of " Banking Licenses," " Letters of Credit," " Cheques," and " Deposit Re ceipts." Some " Notes on Recent Bank Failures" give a lucid illustration of the specific causes which must have led to the catastrophe of the " Yorkshire Agricultural and Commercial Banking Company." Other articles, such as " Summary of the Arguments for and against Restriction of Bank Issues," " Present State of the Insolvency Laws," " The Law of Cheques," Sze., are much to be commended for the amount of practical and valuable information they concentrate. The money and banking statistics com prised in papers relative to the savings' banks and joint-stock banks, are cleverly arranged. We hs:;, no doubt that this Magazine will find a Viso in the counting-house of every mercantllc or banking con cern in the metropolis and 'cne country, the dealings of which habitually connect it with the money market. Lt ilice ng r major- •t wAlked k. Soon Abert left Colonel Masorfs rs. attcided uerry ding on and the ip , The rture• f IVAleh ere takes ul ,rnisit• A out oa 'lie' d tilos SIP. Ye.; ong gia L'olonik .3-overgor oYAL Mohr • he no. ray, Sr' I irower Albert , o patot ,he Stepbc! curs Mr . fr. ptrsql offici6 may* v" n excel' Iget 35° th esti, t 4. 32 pill ' was rel, ich now ult ributO ed un .fi t •ur n 10— 'al soft° 'ere di l ully r. ashioll I ial is d even' pted other es O'A Iced fut dresses POLYTRCHNIC REVIEW. This cheap Monthly Periodical is devoted equally to literay and scientific subjects, and contains this month, in addition to several impartial notices of new publications, an essay on the " Prevention 0f Rail way Accidents," by the establishment of electric telegraphs aad the use of signal fires, in which occur several serviceable practical suggestions; and an in genious plan of a new life" boat, with the quaint name of the " Kamptulicon.' 7 From an exceedingly clever article on the Drama, we have given an extract, detailing the proceedings of the " Prize Comedy " Committee. It furnishes a complete answer to the various attacks which have, at sundry times and in divers manners, been made upon them. " It has been asked by various persons, and ourselves amongst the number—why, granting that Quid Pre Quo was the best of the competing comedies, yet why, being so bad, the committee con sented to give it the prise ? Ard Webster even has been pitied for having so worthless an affair forced upon him, and being made to pay 500/. for it, besides the ex pense of.producing it. Why did they not re-open the competite or declina to adjudicate the prize, it has been asked, and •o save poor Webster his 500/. ? A simple .f facts answers these questions, and in a manner which does equal credit to the judgment and discretion of the - 'committee, and the liberality of Webster. We know it to be a fact, that, when the com milieu had got through about half their work, having examined some fifty or sixty plays, without finding one that had any pretensions to dramatic merit, one, in ;act, that could possibly be put upon the stage, the idea struck them, that it was rer3 possible the remainder might prove as unavailable for the purposes of the manager, and his intention in offering the prize. They then requested the company of Mr. Webster, and put the question to him, whether in case of such a result, the committee would have the power to withhold the prize, and re-open the competition ; a power which has commonly been exer cised on occasions by committees for such purposes. Mr. Webster replied, that he felt the force and justice of the suggestion, but that he was precluded from acquiescing in it ; laming been led by some communications which had reached him through the public prints or by other charnels, to give a pledge that the prize should in any case be given to one of the MSS. sent in, in conformity with the advertisement, which one the committee had to decide, and that if they declined to decide upon one, he would be obliged to endeavour to appoint another committee, and so to go over all the labour and trouble again. Mr. Webster was then asked whe ther, supposing the play selected should be such that there would be no probability of its being acted on the stage with success, or even listened to by the audience, he would still consider himself bound to make the expe riment by producing it ? The reply was, that he ap prehended he should be so compelled, in consequence of the • contingent advantages,' as the twentieth, fortieth, and sixtieth nights, etc., mentioned in the advertise ment, and the injustice which would be considered to be done to the author of the play, after its being selected by the committee, in not producing it. Under these circumstances, the committee resolved to go on with their labours, and to select the best of the lot, whatever h might be, having regard as well to general literary merit, and the possibility—the physical possibility—of production on the stage. The result everybody knows." SIMMONDS'S COLONIAL MAGAZINE. The most readable article in the January Number of this Magazine is an account of " Australia, Past, Present, and Future," which is evidently the produc tion of a writer who is perfectly conversant with th• theme on which he expatiates. The remaining arti cles cull for no particular notice. THE ARMY. (From the Limerick Chronicle, Dec. 28.) The late Colonel liattersby, who died at his rest• dense, Listoke, county Louth, last week, served with the Bth Regiment in the campaign of Egypt, after wards in the West Indies, till the expulsion of the French froth Martinique. On the breaking out of thb last American war, he was appointed to the com mand of the Glengarry (Canadian) Fencibles, and distinguished himself in the force under Sir John Prevost ; and on the conclusion of peace he was pre sented by the Legi..lature and House of Representa tives of Upper Canada with their marked thanks, and with 9, sword of great value, for his conduct and ser vices during the war. Upon his return to England, the late Duke of York placed him in command of the 64th Regiment, then at Gibraltar, but from which ill-health obliged him to retire. The 14th depot re•embarked at Kingstown on the 20th instant on board her Majesty's steam-vessel Dee, Lieut. Driver, R.N., which sailed for Liverpool same day . . Strength -16 sergeants, 1 acting sergeant major, 6 drummers, 12 corporals, 212 privates, 96 soldiers' wives, and 48 children—nine invalids left in Dublin. 11th Hussars.—Head-quarters, Dundalk. Strength sergeant•majors, 16 sergeants, 211 troop horses, 0 trumpeters, 5 farriers, 241 rank and file, 47 officers' chargers, and 5 troops. Belfast-1 troop, consisting of Captain Douglas, Lieuts. Tynte and Duncombe, 1 troop sergeant, 2 sergeants, 1 trumpeter, 1 farrier, 46 rank and file, 47 troop horses, and 7 officers' chargers. 4th Royal Irish Dragoon Guards, Caher.—A de tachment of 1 sergeant, and 10 rank and file, arrived in Killaloe, from this garrison, and occupy billets; a detachment of 1 sergeant and 10 rank and file ar rived at Nenagh, from this garrison, and occupy billets. 2d Dragoon Guards, Longford.-..lialf a troop is ordered to march for Mohill ; a lieutenant and half a troop is ordered to proceed to Ballinamore, to be stationed. Royal Artillery, Portobello Barracks, Dublin.— Major Rawnsly's company, 9th battalion, stationed in detachments at Shannon-bridge, Bannagher, Kee logue, Meelick, and f o rt e on th e Sh annon , i s un d er orders to march for Dublin. Captain Tylden's coin. pany 9th battalion will relieve it from the forts at Lough Swilly and Foyle. Major Harrison's com pany, Bth battalion, will embark by steam-vessel at Dublin, for Cork, there to relieve Captain Stokes's company, 6th battalion, ordered to join h ea d- quar t ers at Woolwich. llith Regiment, Cork.—Two companies under Major Brand embarked at Kingstown on board her Majesty's steam-vessel Rhadamanthus, and joined head-quarters at Cork. Strength, 10 sergeants, 1 drummer, 9 corporals, 172 privates, 34 women, 23 children. A company of the 04th Regiment arrived at Carrick-on-Shannon from Athlone, on Christmas day, to be stationed in aid of the civil authorities. 33d depot, Cork.—Effective strength-14 sergeants, 1 sergeant-major, 4 drummers, and 280 rank and file. Recruiting-2 sergeants, and 16 ditto. Two companies of the 54th Regiment, from Mullin gar, have mernhed to Bellinamore and Mohill, county Leitrim, in support of the civil power. The 32d, at Dublin; 54th, at Mullingar ; 60th,"at Fermoy ; and 61st, at Buttevant, send recruiting parties-32d to Kells, 54th to Dunbar, 60th to Fit hard, and 81st to Macroom. The 35th depot at Nenagh, 38th depot at Boyle, 77th depOt at Waterford, 82d depOt at Tralee, and 00th dept Aat Clontael, will send recruiting parties respectively-35th to Tulla, county Clare ; 38th to Mohill and Strokestown, 77th to New Ross, 82d to Abbeyfeale and Killarney, and 90th to Caber and Clogbeen, The depots Ist and 2d battalions of' the Royal, at Clare Castle and Enniskillen, will send out recruiting parties to Vnnishillen And Alatiorhamiltoh. Lieutenant C. B. Crause, Cape Mounted Riflemen, who was sentenced to be cashiered by court-martial held at Graham's Town, has been pardoned by the Queen, in consequence of the recommendation of the Court. Ensign Frazer, Cape Rifles, who was tried by Court-martial the same time, is dismissed the service. Of the Royal Marines four rank and file are em barked tit Cove on hoard her Majesty's steam-Vessel Stromboli, for Carrick Island, River Shannon, there to be stationed, relieving a similar detachment of the same corps, ordered to return to Spike Island, to join head-quarters. The 72d Highlanders, which lately embarked for Gibraltar, tieVer before served In that garrison, or any other Mediterranean station ; neither has the re giment been employed in the West Indies or Ame rica ; notwithstanding the regiment has been in ex istence for the last 66 years. The services of the 72d have been up to the present confined to eastern stations. It was in India for 16 years, from April 1782, to January 1798, including a short service in Ceylon. For nearly the last forty years, with the exception of a few years at the Mauritius, the regi ment has had no other foreign station but the Cape. The third and laat division of the 67th, under Major Orange, has landed in Dublinfrom Woolwich. Captain Stokes's company, 6th battalion Royal Artillery, has embarked at Cork for Bristol en route to Woolwich. Major Harrison's company-, Bth battalion Royal Artillery, has embarked at Kingstown for Cork, and arrived yesterday, per Dee steamer. The troops ordered to O'Brien's Bridge, Silver mines, C as tl e C onne ll , Cappaghmore, Cloghjordan, Borrisolei g h, are counterman d e d f or the present. The detachment of the 4th Dragoon Guards or dered to march for Killaloe and Nenagh is counter manded for the present. Lieut. Grogan, 7th, Lieut.-Colonel Cockburn, 60th, and Lieut. Shirley, 87th, sold out of the service last week. Seven cadets of the Royal Military College were appointed to ensigncies last week, without purcha.se. The senior lieutenant of the 7th Fusiliers, and pay master of its depot, has sold out of the service. Captain Norman's company, 54th, has arrived at Ballinatnore, county Leitrim, from Mullingar, head quarters. Good service money is awarded to Lieut.-General Henry Monckton, and Major-Generals Alexander 'Thompson and William A. Gordon, the first to re ceive 177/. per annum, and the others 1001. each. Major-Generals R. G. Hare Clarges and W. F. P. Napier are to have the increased daily pay of 255. Major Bennett, of the Royals, has put to press his " Thoughts on Army Education," with reference to the instruction of the soldier. THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY MOANING, JANTAItY a . Mt. SPORTING MAGAZINE. We have here two engravings—one a portrait of Flush, a famous sporting d% , , holding a dead partridge in his mouth ; and the other representing a hunting scene over a fine open tract of country, with a refrac tory horse in the foreground, whom his rider is in vain endeavouring to lead over a hedge, at which the ani mal has most unceremoniously stopped short. Both engravings are well executed. The literary depart ment of the Magazine is neither better nor worse than usual. STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF SCOTLAND. There is a considerable amount of useful statistical information contained in this Part, which is the fiftieth, and is chiefly devoted to a consideration Of the geographical, antiquarian, and other pcculiaritie4 of the county of Fileshire. FREEMASONS' QUARTERLY REVIEW. This is a new series of a Quarterly Journal, Vnich appeals chiefly to the tastes of the Masonic bre ( b re)) , and reports with much minuteness their pro; ding's throughout the kingdom duzing the last 0;00 months, ► LONDON and CROYDON RAILWAY COMPANY. A special general meeting of the Shareholders was held at the London-bridge station yesterday, for the purpose of considering the expediency of applications being made to Parliament, in the ensuing session, for powers to enable the London and Croydon Railway Company to effect the felloseing objects :—The widening or enlargement of the London and Croydon, the London and Greenwich, and the Bricklayers' Arms Branch Railways, with a view to an additional line, or additional lines, of railway, upon the atmo spheric principle of traction ; the formation of a rail way from the Croydon Railway to Chatham, with a branch to Gravesend; an extension of the Chatham line, to join the Canterbury, Margate, and Ramsgate Railway, at or near Chatham, with branches to Sheer ness and Faversham Creek; the formation of a railway from the Croydon Railway to Maidstone, with a branch to 'Tunbridge; an extension of the Maidstone line to join the South-Eastern (Dover) Railway at or near Ashford; an extension of the Epsom Railway to Dorking, unless provided for by the direct London and Portsmouth Railway; a branch from the Croydon Railway to Orpington, unless pro vided for by the Chatham line; and also to adopt such measures with reference to the said several matters, or either of them, and to the capital necessary to be provided for then), or any of them, as to such meeting shall seem expedient. At one o'clock the chair was taken by Mr. Wil- Jainism], the Chairman of the Company. The notice having been read, The CHAIRMAN!, after some preliminary observa tions, proceeded to refer to the schemes of the Direc tors, as stated above. Some of those schemes, he said, were merely duplicate schemes, to be carried out as the success or failure of the other plans might render desirable. Contemplating, for instance, the possibility of the Portsmouth Company failing to get their Bill, the enlargement of the Croydon Company was a scheme for which it was neccessary to provide, and a similar remark would apply to one or two other projects. But with re spect to the main plans of the Directors, after giving their hest consideration to the subject, and taking the best advice that could be obtained, the Directors were of opinion, and after calling together and obtaining the concurrence of a meeting of gentlemen holding 100 shares the Directors felt the greatest confidence, in asking the sum ort of the Proprietors in carrying out their views. The main purpose for which they had convened the meeting, was to propos? the making of a line from Sydenham to Ashford, Maidstone, and. Tunbridge.—(Hear, hear.) The necessity for this project had arisen from the declaration of the views of the South-Eastern Company, made at their general meeting by Mr. M‘Gregor in December last, inti mating most clearly that it was the intention of thatCom pony to make a direct line to Tunbridge which should I avoid the Croydon line. Believing, as they did, that there was no necessity for a measure which should include the avoidance of the Croydon line, the Directors thought themselves entitled to propose that this Com pany should carry out the scheme instead of the South-Eastern Company.—(Hear, hear.) The latter Company had proclaimed to all the world, for the last nine months, that it was about to supply all Kent with railways. At present, however, it: did nothing whatever towards fulfilling its promise. It now proposed to accommodate the public by avoiding the Croydon Railway. Were that the sole object, their only course would be to acquiesce, for unques tionably the public benefit was the grand thing to be considered. But the question was, whether the public benefit could not be equally well provided for without the avoidance of the Croydon Railway? The Directors of the Croydon Company believed that it could, and as they formed part of the public, they had a right to expect that their interests should not be forgotten. The Dover Company pro posed to snake a line from the Greenwich Railway. He then proceeded to explain, by the aid of a chart, the course of the lines proposed by the two Com panies, and dwelt on the superior advantages which would be afforded to the public by the direct line to Maidstone. They proposed to continue the line as far as Ashford ; and not only so, but, by making an at mospheric line, they would be enabled to convey the public cheaper and quicker than the Soitth-tastern Company. He saw nothing inconsistent of. im proper in so small a Company embarking in this un dertaking., provided only the public convenience was consulted. On that point everything must de pend, whatever might be the length of railway which it was proposed to construct. He had heard It said that the great interests of the Dover. Company Ithmild not be hampered by those of ad insignificant a Company as the Croydon. Granted; but the question was, which was the Dover Company ? He was prepared to contend that,for all public purposes, that was the Dover Com pany, because it had the power which the other had not, of making the line vv ich should be Most conve nient for the public. (Heat) hear.) 'the Dover Company had for the last hille months placarded the country with announcements of its intentions with respect to the county of Kent ; but these announce ments 1110 all ended in nothing, and theirs was, at that time, the only body which was in a condition to affi)rd that accommodation to the public which the Dover Company had confessed to he necessary for the public interesta—(llear, hear.) The Dover Company was a day or two too late in putting in its plans ; and though this difficulty might possibly be surmounted, he thought they (the Croydon Company) should take care that their own interests were protected. The Dover Company proposed to amend their line by a plan not so convenient as theirs; and, under all the circumstances, both morally and politically, the pro prietors of the Croydon Company would be justified in the course which they were asked to pursue. He did not mean to promise them entire success, whether in carrying out their own plans, or in opposing those of others ; but considering the impartiality and intel ligence of the Legislature, their chance of succe ss i was certainly such as would justify them n proceed ing. Sir Robert Peel had laid down the principle, that a railway should not be allowed to be made by the side of an existing one, solely for the purpose of absorbing the profit—that money should not be taken out of the pocket of A solely to be put into that of B ; " but," said he, "if the advancement of science, or the improvement of machinery, enables one company to accommodate the public much better than another, , then the public advantage must be considered first." Applying that principle, he thought they had a good chance of success in the projects which they were called upon to undertake ; and he felt the greatest confidence, therefore, in proposing them for accept ance. A great deal was said at the present time about amalgamation. He was not prepared to say that such a result would not be attended with mu tual advantages. They had, however, made a pro position to the Brighton Company. They had put to them this question—" Will you guarantee either that the whole of the traffic shall come by one rail way, or that such traffic as may come shall pay us the present amount, viz., 20,0001.?" and, in case of compliance, they offered to remit half the toll at present levied. That proposition was declined, and it would be too much to expect that it should be repeated after their opponents had been defeated in Parliament.—(bear, hear.) In cases of amalgama tion it was generally expected that the party seeking it would give up some advantages. Though they were willing to amalgamate, they would not consent to sacrifice their interests to those of their rivals. He then went into a calculation, for the purpose of proving that it was impossible that the Dover Com pany could obtain a sufficient profit to make their scheme successful, taking into account all the ex penses and obligations which would be incurred, and setting against them the probable returns. Since the opening of the Dover Railway the average receipts had been about 4500/. ; and, with all the expected increase of continental traffic, he could not think that the increase would be sufficient. After some further observations, he concluded by proposing a series of resolutions (banded on the several schemes stated in the notice. The resolution was seconded, and, after a short conversation, was carried unanimously. In reply to a question from a Proprietor, The CHAIRMAN stated that the agreement made with the Chatham Committee was this :—The Croy don Company undertook to pay the expenses of the application to Parliament ; and, in case of failure, the Chatham Company would either receive back their money with five per cent. upon it, or have the option of taking Croydon shares bearing five per cent. A vote of thanks was given to the Chairman and Directors, and the meeting then separated. ATTEMPT TO ROB THE UNION BANK AT THORN KILL—FURTHER PARTICULARS.—On Sunday last the branch of the Glasgow Union Bank, at Thornhill, was forcibly entered while the inmates were at church, in the forenoon. Entrance was obtained by a stable adjoining the banking house, from which the thief passed through a small opening into the back kitchen, and thence up stairs to the apartments occupied by the accountant, where he forced the lock of a chest, from which he took three 1/. notes and some silver. In this chest were deposited the keys of the sate. which contained a considerable amount of money; but, it is fortunate that he was satisfied with the 3L He, however, carried off one key belonging to the safe, venich was afterwards found in a neighbouring garden. The robbery was discovered immediately on the return of the inmates from church, and notice being give n to the office of police, the premises were searched, and, the neighbouring gardens, &c., examined; and we understand, that from what then appeared, and from cir c ainstances that have since transpired, there are good grounds for suspecting that the perpetrator of the house• breaking and theft is not far from the village of Thorn hill. A investigation is now going on, and a little time will show whether these suspicions are correct or not.— DinVries Paper. John Plummer, Esq., of New Parks, the owner of Alice Hawthorn, has generously proposed to give the whole of the in onoy which this celebrated mare may realise in 1845, to the inhabitants of Easingwold, pro vided they will construct a branch railway from that town"to thq Greg North of England Railway.—Tyne gercury: NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PonTabtouTn, JAN. I.—Last evening the officers of the Victory, 110, Captain Moubray, gave an elegant entertainment to Captain Moubray and family, consisting of a dinner and ball. The officers of the flag and other ships were invited, and, together with their ladies and families, formed a brilliant party. The Vindictive, 50, Captain Sir C. Sullivan, is along side the jetty taking in stores and fitting for sea. it Vice- Admiral Sir F. Austen has gone to town. is reported to endeavour to prevail upon the Lords of the Admiralty to grant him a larger ship. The Styx, steam surveying-vessel, Captain Vidal, came in from the Azores OR Monday, and having coaled left yesterday for Woolwich, calling on her way with hands for the ships fitting at Chatham and Sheerness. The Locust, steam-vessel, Lieut. Eden, was removed from the basin into the harbour yesterday, to fit for sea. The Echo, steam-vessel, was towed into the basin yesterday to repair the damage sustained by the recent experimental trip. The Lively, naval lighter, returned from Jersey, whither she had conveyed a quantity of stores and pro visions for the troops, on Monday. The Britannia, 120, was towed into the basin on Monday to be stored, szc., as an advance ship. The Royal yacht Victoria and Albert was paid off yes terday. The Dwarf, steam tender, is alongside the Dryad hulk, having a new figure-head and cutwater fitted ; the latter will be considerably extended, which will much improve the appearance of the vessel. The Sparrow, ketch, Lieutenant Otter, is alongside the Topaz hulk, completing a thorough refit. The officers of this vessel gave a substantial entertainment on board to-day to the crew, whose wives, sweethearts, and friends were invited to make merry and celebrate the commencement of the sew year. Dancing, singing, &c., were kept up until a late hoar. The officers' wives and friends were present. The Nautilus, 10, Lieutenant-Commander W. Robson. has taken up her former position in Blockhouse-hole. INALTH OF LORD WARD..—It is not true, as stated by a Saturday Contemporary last week, that Lord Ward is seriously indisposed at Par is with a tertian ague. A few weeks 'ago his Lordship had a slight attack of an endemic fever, from which, we are happy to say, he has perfectly recovered, and has been for some time in the enjoyment of health. It is probable the report may have arisen from an accident having recently befallen one of his Lordship' trustees, Mr. Benbow, M.P. for Dudley, by a fall from his horse, which at one time promised to be serious, on account of the Hon. Gentleman's ad vancing age, but from which, we are glad to hear, he has recovered, in proof of which, we may state that he is now amongst his constituents at Dudley, and is taking an active part in the Worcester and Tring Railway, for which his son is one of the solicitors. To this we may add—and we do not speak without authority—that Lord Ward's interest is not, and never has been given to the Oxford, Worcester, and Wolverhampton line of railway. His Lordship,.at present, suspends his judgment, which he will form strictly for himself, though, it is probable, the scale will turn in favour of the Tring Company.— IVercestersizire Chronicle. The I3irmingham tin-plate and sheet-iron trade, which gives employment to a large proportion of our population, is in a very flourishing condition, if we may judge by the supply of orders and the scarcity of hands. A stove manufacturer informed us yesterday that he could not obtain a sufficient number of men to execute his orders, and that, while list Christmas a written no tice in his window would have brought a shoal of appli cants in a few hours, it is now next to impossible to ob tain workmen.—Hitltufghams JourN4 THE FRENCH IN OTAHEITE. By the arrival of the Reine Blanche at Brest, ac• counts have been received from Otaheite of the 14th of July. The last number of the Ocianie has the following : " At the moment of going to press her Britannic Ma jesty's sloop of war Carysfort, Capt. Lord Paulet, appeared off the ridge which closes in the roadstead of Papeete, and without entering, saluted the flag of our tommander, which was returned by the Urania. At the same time the Governor received a visit from Lord Paulet. The Carysfort brings private letters from France, which come via Panama, with dates up the 26th of February, but no dispatch for the Governor, nor a single journal. The Governer has only received a letter from an officer who commands one of King Louis Philippe's ships in the Soath Seas, announcing that a French journal, which had reached Valparaiso, gave intelligence that the whaler Elizabeth, which left Otaheite within the first fortnight of November in last year, carrying dispatches, inform ing the Government of the motives which forced Admi ral Dupetit Tnouars to convert the Protectorate of Otaheite into an absolute possession of the island, had made her passage to Havre in 95 days. The same jour nal of the 29th of February, says, that after the recep tion of the dispatches we have mentioned, his Ma jesty declared that he could not accept the full possession, but he must adhere to the protectorate. We repeat, that the Governor has not received any official dispatches, hut nevertheless, on reading the letter sent to him from Valparaiso, he hastened to send the chief of his staff on board the Basilisk, with a letter to Queen Pomare, acquainting her with the state of affairs, and in viting her to come o■ shore. This letter was interpreted to Queen Pomare in the presence of the bearer and of the Captains of the Carysfort and Basilisk. Pomare replied that she had determined not to land, but would go to Borabora, and there wait the conclusion of the affair." The OciaNie of July the 7th contains the foll7W ing summary of the recent expeditions against the natives : " The expeditionary column, headed by the Governor, left Papeete in the morning of the 29th, marching upon the insurgents of Papenoo. It returned in the afternoon of the 30th, in the steamer Phaeton, after having beaten and dispersed the rebels. In this affair the loss of the natives was much more considerable than ours. In the night of the. 29th another action took place against the natives of Ponnavia, reinforced by Indians from the Island of Eimeo, who had come over in pi rogues. This passed near Faaa, a point opposite to that to which the Governor led the columns under his imme diate command. It was directed by Captain Bonard of the Uranie frigate. At this point also the rebels weredisperse While this was passing round Papeete,Commandantd'Aer: bignysecured the defence of this place,which the natives had boastingly threatened to storm and set fire to. The block house and Government-house being well guarded, the Commandant sent out reconnaissances, formed of the troops of Papeete, or of the sailors of the Uranie, who were encamped towards overy point he deemed neces sary to be explored. The Governor and the expe ditionary column of Papenoa being returned, the troops were kept on the alert for several successive days. On Monday, July 1, the Commandant, at the head of up wards of 400 men, marched towards Faaa, where a large body of the natives was said to be assembled. But on his approach they all fled from their positions, although from behind them they might have done much injury to our troops. These species of intrenchments were destroyed, and M. d'Aubigny returned without having had any engagement. One native was captured by an officer, but was afterwards shot in attempting to make his escape. During these last days, slight skir mishes have taken place between the sailors and the na tives in the environs of the camp formed of the Uranie's men. The frigate's long-boat was armed, and kept con stantly plying along the shore, firing shot upon every group of insurgents found within range, and repeatedly killed some of them. On oar side we have not had a single man killed 'since the affair of Faaa on the night of the Oth. We have had to lament the death of a young volunteer in this engagement, together with four sailors, and also of nine wounded, among whom is Cap tain Bonard, but happily he is not in any danger. A panic, which we attribute to no other cause than igno rance of the strength of an armed force, seized the natives and strangers residing at Papeete, on the depar ture of the Governor. The natives retired to the small island of Mouton Outa, in the middle of the roadstead, and the strangers went on board the ships. with all their merchandise and other property." The following is the report to the Governor of Chef-de-bataillon De Bres, Military Commander of the expeditionary troops, dated Papeete, July 2 : " The column, formed of a company of artillery, with a mountain-howitzer, a company sent on shore from the Uraidei and four companies of the marines, making an effective force of 40.1 theft, left Papeete at four in the morning of the 29th for Hapape (Pointe de Venus). At nine we reached the foot of the mountain, which we were obliged to cross before we could enter the valley of Ha paps, coming from the village of Papana, where we were joined by some Indian auxiliaries, At this place, the men seett forward from the advanced guard fired a few shots upon the vidette of the enemy, who immediately took to flight. The mountain was climbed with no other difficulty than that presented by its extreme steepness. The Phaeton, which followed the Move ment', of the column, having doubled the small promon tory formed by the mountain, which ends abruptly at the sea, fired some rounds of grace-shot, to ascertain the depth of the valley. On my side, in conformity with your orders, I fired some shots from the howitzer, with the same object, as the troops arrived at the summit. I afterwards sent Mr. de La;oissiere, Lieutenant de Vaisseau, in reconnaisance with the first section of the Marines, in the wooded plain which was extended before us. These dispositions made, I marched on the column advancing along the shore of the bay towards the village of Hapape. The section sent in reconnaissance entered the wood immediately at the foot of the mountain, and fired some shots in the enemy's videttes, who returned them, and beat a retreat. M. de Lavoissiere conducted this reconnaissance with great discernment. At half past ten o'clock we were at Hapape, where, according to orders I had received from you, I halted in front of a large building (case), about 100 paces from the shore. Here all our troops found space enough for resting with out being obliged to separate. Perfectly tranquil on the side of the coast, which is entirely •pen, I made my ar rangements to prevent any surprise from the opposite direction. To this effect, I posted a line of sentinels along the edge of the wood, after ascertaining that it was clear to the full distance of gunshot. Everything convinced us that the enemy was waiting for us at Papenoo. Consequently I resolved, after a halt of three hours, during which the troops took refreshment, to march forwards to this bay. About two o'clock we re sumed our march, passing in front of the church and the great building of the English missionaries to turn Pointe de Venus. At the moment when the rear-guard, formed of the 28th company, came up to the church, the enemy came suddenly forth, and attacked it in rear and in flank. The 28.. h bravely sustained the shock, which was fatal to one of the missionaries, who was struck by a ball from the insurgents, and instantly laid dead on the balcony in which he was standing. In compliance with your orders, I immediately closed up the columns to meet and repel the enemy. In an instant the last platoons were in line and opened their fire, which was so well kept up that the insurgents at once retired again to the shelter of the woods. They were pur sued by our troops to the entrance into the wood, and there the firing was kept up on both sides with great vivacity. According to your instructions, as soon as the position of the Tirailleurs was established, I formed the re serve en masse, behind the church and missionary build ing, and went to reconnoitre the position of the enemy. I soon perceived that there were points at which the fire of the insurgents was better kept up than at the others, and thought that the howitzer might be used against these points with powerful effect. I communicated this idea to you, M. le Gouverneur, and Captain Samsois received orders to plant his howitzer against the points indicated. The officer fully justified the confidence I had in his experience, and accomplished the task with courage and sagacity. His fire, directed against the different points, threw the enemy into complete confusion. One point, however, remained, at which he seemed to concentrate the whole of his efforts. Pro tected by the nature of the ground, and skreened by the foliage of the guava trees, they showed a resolution to brave our fire. The combat had lasted nearly three hours, and it had become necessary to put an end to it by a bold measure. I ordered the company of the 28th to advance and take this position. I ordered a charge to be beat, and the company, led on by its brave cap tain, rushed on with their bbyonets. I shall say no thing of the vigour of this charge, for you were on the spot. The enemy was obliged to fly. Our Tirailleurs, following the movement of the 28th, advanced, and drove the insurgents to the mountains, pursuing them with a continued fire. During the whole of the battle the enemy drew off his killed and wounded as they fell, but the last charge was made with such vigour and rapi dity, that those who were struck could not be carried away, and we therefore found nine bodies left on the ground ; but, from the traces of blood, we were satisfied that the loss was very considerable." The report concludes with a statement that the expedition had four killed and seventeen wounded, and with mention of those who had particularly dis- tinguished themselves. The Oceania sayys-- •' Mr. Makinn, the English missionary who was killed at Hapape, was at the moment when the ball struck him in the forehead in the balcony of his house, occupied with looking at the movements outside. The column was de filing before him, and the insurgents, who had just taken position in the huts which our troops had evacuated in or der to go forward, were at a very short distance from the column, and so masked as not to be seen. There was no expectation of being attacked at the moment. The sharpshooters had come in, and the column was ad vancing tranquilly, when at the instant it was passing the house where Mr, Makinn was standing, a sharp tire of musketry, proceeding from the huts occupied by the natives, was directed against the rear-guard. The balls passed over our soldiers' heads, and one struck Mr. Makinn right in the forehead and killed him on the instant. The Governor had saluted hint the moment before in passing." A letter from Papeete, dated the Bth of July, writ ten by a Frenchman, and addressed to the Debats, contains the following : " The insurgents have become remarkably bold; to say the truth, the entire population of the island, with the exception of two or three districts, have risen against us, encouraged by foreign instigation, and furnished with arms and ammunition of every kind. You will say, perhaps, why do you suffer this ? I answer that, although 0 iaheite is only 25 leagues in circumference, we have not small vessels enough to keep outside a watch which would render almost impracticable the facilities of communication with the neighbouring islands ; and how can we, in the interior, keep up a good police in a country of which we occupy so small a portion ? Be this as it may, the mischief has been done, and has propagated itself insensibly, without, I imagine, its importance being well understood ; for, even if peace were made, would there be any security for the colony, when the whole population could rise in arms at the first signal ? Different expeditions have taken place re cently ; the first had for object to dislodge the enemy from a mountain in which they were said to have in trenched themselves. But the natives, who are not yet excellent soldiers, came down to attack us on the plain, covered, it is true, by thick bushes, fur such is their in variable practice, After an engagement of three hours, they gave way, and we saw no more of them. In the meantime, and in an opposite direction, a nocturnal coup de main was attempted against the insurgents by the commandant of the Uranie ; but, instead of sur prising them, he was himself surprised, and this little success had so emboldened the insurgents, that, on the following day, they showed themselves close to Papeete. A column of troops was sent against them. They re tired, but immediately after our troops had left they recommenced their demonstrations, and even me naced us with an attack on a fixed day ; but it did not take place. We are, however, continually on the gut vive, and are actively at work on the for tifications. We desire nothing better than an attack, to spare us the necessity of going after the natives in their mountains and ravines ; but the poor colonist, are not of that way of thinking, for their wooden houses, covered with thatch, would run great risk of being burnt down. Fire, in fact, has played a great part in this war ; the natives have too frequently recourse to it. The captain of the Uranie had contracted for 'some supplies with a colonist who had a property at some distance from Pa peete, but who had not hands enough to cultivate it. Our sailors performed the labour, and received two thirds of the produce. The property has just been ravaged and the house burnt down. Our missionaries have also been victims. Their residence, which was a perfect palace for this country, has experienced the same fate, and everything indicates that the mischief will not stop hero. We must not, however, despair. The presence in our roads of the English steamer Salamander will, without doubt, change the nature of events, the captain observing an opposite line of conduct to that of his predecessors. Far from seconding the insurgents, he has written to them to state the true position of England as regards France, and has threatened to join with us if they should attack Papeete. The step is, probably, only the prelude of an entirely new policy on the part of the represents• tives of England at Otaheite." The letter concludes with a strong eulogium upon the climate and vegetation of Otaheite ; but the writer observes that the French are unable to enjoy them from the want of peace, and the deficiency of labourers to cultivate the soil. The Ocianie gives the following account of the burning of the missionary residence : " At the moment when the steamer was entering the harbour a very thick smoke arose behind the cocoa-nut trees beyond the camp of the Uranie. It was the house of the French missionaries, which the natives had set fire to. The next morning the chapel also was burnt to the ground. The missionaries have lost everything. The holy vessels and all the objects used in Divine worship were pillaged by the natives, or destroyed by the flames. It is fortunate that the missionaries had left their house in time." CABINET COUNCIL.—We understand that the first Cabinet Council previous to the meeting of Parliament is appointed for the 9th inst. Sir Robert Peel is expected to come to town, from Drayton Manor, by the 7th of the month.: PRINCE ALBERT'S Ox.—Not unmindful of the little romance which has hung itself—in place of the cattle-show ticket—round the neck of this extraordinary animal, and rendered him, to a certain degree, a public character, we feel justified in giving a biographical sketch of him. Our hero—we mean our ox—was born of re spectable parents in a paddock in the Home Park, at Windsor, and at a very early age began to exhibit a talent for eating which marked him out as a fit sub ject to be stuffed for some future cattle-show. On one of the visits of Prince Albert to the farm, the brute was en gaged in discussing a bunch of turnips with such ex traordinary gusto, that his Royal Highness was attracted by the circumstance, and made inquiries of the principal bailiff, who was told to keep his eye on the subject of our present biography. Our hero's heiferbood passed in one continued round of munching, and it was remarked by those who had charge of him, that tares or turnips, grass or grain, beans or beet-root, came all alike to his rapacious appetite. In the course of a few months his hide began to expand, and he evinced all the usual characteristics of a prize ox—such as losing the power of walking at a greater rate than half a mile an hour, while shortness of breath, and other con comitants of fatness, became extremely evident. The success with which these qualities were cultivated is well known, and we find our ox ultimately installed at the Baker- street Bazaar, where he behaved himself with the dignity becoming a prize, and thus set an example to the surrounding cattle. It was in this honourable situa tion that our hero attracted the attention of Mr. Ban nister, the butcher, of Threadneedle-street, who, having mentally divided him into sirloins, estimated his ribs, made a rough calculation of his aitch-bones, and cast off his steaks, consented, with much spirit, to give 60 guineas for him. Our hero's fate now appeared to be sealed, and nothing was apparently capable of saving him from being gibbeted at Mr. Bannister's, with a placard announcing his having gained a priz. , , stuck with a wooden skewer into his back, as an invitation to cus tomers. Fortunately for the sagacious creature, Prince Albert paid a visit to the cattle-show, when our hero, panting with fatness, chanced to put out his tongue just as his Royal Highness passed, and the tongue coming into contact with the Prince's hand, the incident was at tributed to a burst of affection, though it really was no thing more than a lapsus lingua, or slipping out of the tongue, from sheer want of breathing-room. The cir cumstance was noticed by the Queen, and the result is known. The ox, that was standing on the very brink of untimely shambles, has been restored to his paddock at Windsor.—Punch. SEIZURE OF AN ILLICIT STILL IN WORCESTER:— Superintendent Phillips and Sergeant Chipp, of the City Police, having reason to suspect that an illicit still had been some time in operation in Worcester, quietly set to work, and the result was that they made an appointment with Mr. Green, Supervisor of Excise, and another Ex cise officer named Rouse, to meet them in the Corn market, at ten o'clock last Saturday night. At the time in question, all parties were at the place of rendez vous, from whence they went to a house adjoining the Black Swan, in Quay-street, some of the party going to the front and some to the back door. While endeavouring to gain an entrance at the front, a man came out at the back door, and was instantly seized by Phillips, who, seeing him hiding a key, exclaimed ," This is the man, and he has got the key in his pocket I" The key was instantly taken from him, and he was given into custody to the officer on the beat, while the others entered the house, which seas uninhabited, and merely contained two or three chairs and a table. On reaching the top room, they found a thirty-gallon still in work, with several barrels, and about 120 gallons of wash. The prisoner proved to be a man named Frederick liar bridge, and the way in which his apparatus was fitted up showed that he was no novice at his business. On being ordered to the station-house, he asked for his hat, which Phillips said he would look fur, and some time afterwards, when they had thoroughly inspected the pre mises, and the Excise officers had taken possession of the apparatus, and throw away the wash, he found a hat containing a handkerchief in the still-room, which he took into his possession. The next day (Sunday), when in the station-house, the prisoner asked for the hand kerchief, to tie round his head, which Phillips refused to give up, alleging', as the reason for his refusal, that he meant to bring it in evidence against him, to which the other replied, "There is no necessity, as I shall admit it." He was taken before the magistrates on Monday, and, in default of paying 301., was sentenced to three months' heed labour. We understand that Harbridge is a native of Staffordshire, and rents a house in Birming ham, where his wife resides. He is a unman and bra zier by trade, and possesses not a little knowledge of practical chemistry. Of late he has been living at the Black Swan.— Worcestershire Chronicle. MISCONDUCT IN CUURCIL-A boy named Henry Brown, apprentice to Mr. Baalam, carpenter, of Col chestar, was on Thursday charged with wilfully disturb ing the congregation of St. Peter's Church by his mis conduct on Thursday evening last. Richard Norms;4. the organ-blower, stated that the defendant was in a pew near him, and immediately upon Mr. Carr giving out his text, "I will behave myself wisely in a perfect way," he said, in rather a loud voice, " I wish you might." lie then came behind the organ, and commenced blow ing, the bellows violently, with other acts of misconduct, tending to disturb and annoy the congregation.. The defendant promised not to offend again, and after a se vere reprimand from the Bench, and paying the ex penses (Ss. Gil.) he was discharged. AN AMERICAN DESCRIPTION OF A TEETOTALLER...—.I once travelled through all the state of Maine with one of them ere chaps. He was as thin as a whippin post. His skin looked like a blown bladder after some of the air has leaked out, kinder wrinkled and rumpled like, and his eye as dim as a lamp that's livin on a short al lowance of ile. He put me in mind of a pair of kitchen tongs, all legs, shaft, and head, and no belly ; real gan der-gutted looking erittur, as hollow as a bomboo walk ing-cane, and twice as yaller. He looked actually as if he had been picked off a rack at sea, and drageed through a gimlet-hole. He was a lawyer. Thinks 1, the Lord a massy on your clients, you hungry, half-starred looking crittur you, you'll eat'ern up alive. You are just the chap to strain at a gnat and swallow a camel, tank, shank, and flank, all at a gulp. Lord Viscount Cembermere presided at a grand provincial meeting of Freemasons, held at the Royal Hotel, Chester, on Friday last. Sir Watkin Williams `Wynn, Bart., and the Hen. Thomas Grenville Cholmon deley, son of Lord Delatnere, were among those initiated on the occasion. METROrOLITAN MORTALITY. — We regret to ob serve that the deaths within the " bills," last week, were I,249—the average for the past year having been 946. A few weeks ago the number was fluctuating between 900 and 960. The increase of mortality from infectious dis eases continues to be observed, as compared with the averages of past years, but it has not advanced ; and, indeed, appears less than it has been recently. The deaths from diseases of the lungs were last week 415, upwards of 100 more than the five years' average, or than the number some month or so back. TRANSFER OF THE GREENWICH RAILWAY TO THE DOVER RAILWAY COMPANY.—Wednesday morning the Directors of the Dover Railway Company took posses sion 01 the whole of the Greenwich Railway, and pro perty appertaining to it. Extensive alterations will be made at the London bridge terminus; the present station will be razed to the ground, and a handsome building erected, in the same style of architecture with the Brigh ton, Dover, and Croydon station. The whole of the line will undergo a thorough repair, as some parts are in a very dilapidated state. The servants employed at the station 'mil .on. the line will be retained for a short 4.4041, MINING IN 1844. (From the Mining Journal. The transactions in millin g shares during the last ' twelve months have so far exceeded the average busi ness of many years, that a ge nera l review of the mines at the present time may be interesting to the mining speculator. The increase of business in this description of property may, perhaps, in_ a great measure, be accounted for by the abundance of un employed capital in the money market, and the little interest paid by Government securities ; but we flitter ourselves it has been also owing to the in creased confidence of the public in mining property, when conducted on fair and legitimate principles- The dividends paid in the last twelve months on twelve of the principal mines have been as follows :- East Wheal Rose Lead Mine, 46,4001., or 3621. 10s. per share-original outlay 50/. per share; Botalleck„ 10,0001., or 1001. per share ; Fowey Consols, about 10,000/ ; Par Consols, about 10,000/. ; South Cara don, 9,6001., or 751. per share, upon an original outlay of Si.; West Caradon, 5,0001..; South Wheal Basset, 7,3601.; Tresavean, 4,560/. ; Trethellan, 4,200/.; Brewer, 3,600/. ; Tamar Consols, 4,500/. ' • Tincroft, 3,0001.-making a total o f di v id en d s pa id in twelve mines, of 121.220/. ; an averse..? of 18 par cent. on the market value of the mines, and of more than 106 per cent. the original outlay. Besides the above, di vidends have pheen paid-on Wheal Providence, 1,2801.; Ilolmbusli, 1,0001. (the regular dividends on this mine amount to 6,0001. a year; they have been less this year, owing to the erection of a large steam-engine • which will soon be completed, and dividends resumed; there are large bodies of ore in reserve in this mine, and it is to be hoped more of it will he raised in future, than is sufficient to pay the agents' salaries); Cern Brea, 3,000/. ; East Wheal C;roftv, 1,600/. ; East Peul„sl2/. ; and in other mines of minor im portance. The dividends in Tresavean were tempo rarily suspended in September last, the mine having up to that period paid, without intermission, 445,0001'. profit to the shareholders. Trethellan dividends were also suspended at the same time, after having, without any original outlay by the adventurers, paid 38,400/. profit since 1837. The dividends in both mines, we understand, will be resumed in January next. Of mines, some of good promise, and others corning into a profitable state of working, after having large sums of money expended upon them-there are, of the latter, West Wheal Jewel, leaving a small profit -, there has been 50,0001. laid out in opening levels, driving cross-cuts, &c., to facilitate future operations in this mine, and as there is said to be a large reserve of ore standing, we hope, after eight years' patience, the shareholders will soon reap the benefit of it. Stray Park and Camborne Vean, leaving a profit, outlay 43,0001.; two months since a course of ore, worth 701. per fathom, was discovered at the 100 fathom level at Camborne Vean, the one being in whole ground, from surface downwards. Treleigh Consols, outlay 30,000/., now leaving a profit of 4001. a month. Wheal Seaton, outlay 2,4001., leaving a profit, but not yet paid a dividend. Callington (formerly Redmoor), outlay 15,0001., now returning sixty tons of lead per month, and paying cost; a copper lode has been discovered in this mine, from which great things are expected. North S% Rose, outlay 1,60 W., three of the East Rose lodes have been cut in this mine, but not yet deep enough ; from one lode, however, twelve fathoms only from the surface, thirty-two tons of lead have been raised. Penhallow Moor, outlay about 4,000/. ; this is a very large sett, and will require a large outlay to bring it into a profitable state of working ; twenty tons of lead have been raised. New Quay, out lay, about 4,0001., now . paying cost. Bedford United, outlay 9,0001., leaving a profit of 5001. a month, and will pay a dividend of 54. per share in February next. Trelawney Silver-Lead Mine, near Liskeard, outlay about 1,500/, nearly paying cost, with a prospect of soon paying a dividend. Caradon Consols, near West Caradon, outlay about 4,0001. Tokenbury, outlay, 12,0001.; and Trenen Consols (formerly 'Wheal Neptune), the ores of this mine are very rich. Of young mines of great promise, so far as they are developed, are the Caradon Mines, Go namena, Wheal St. Cleer, Cradick Moor, the Caradon United Mines, St. Austle Consols, &c., in the eastern district; and Wheal Acland, Wheal Catherine, Pencorse, Wheal Hope, and Rose Consols lead mines. The greatest advances in prices of shares have been in East Rose, 1,0001. to 1,500/. ; North Rose, 201. to 70/.; Tamar Consols, 6/. to 91. (when at 6/. there were only 6,000 shares, now there are upwards of 9,000) ; West Caradon, 250/. to 800/. ; Bedford United, Si. to 10/. ; Trelawney, 20/. to 1201. ; Caradon Mines, 1/. to 80/. ; Gonamena, 1/. to 1201. ; Callington, 12/. to 25/. ; Cradick Moor, 1/. to 70/. ; East Wheal Crofty, 300/. to 5001.-a dividend of 251. per share Is shortly expected here. [ADVERTISEMENT.] MEDICAL ADVICE. There cannot by a grosser delusion than this. It is only because Doctors, in order to make a trade of medicine, use poisons and anti-medicinal preparations as medicines for the cure of diseases, that "advice," as it is called, becomes necessary ; hut if you do away with poisons or anti-medicinal preparations, and only take that which is proper and good, and which acts in accordance with the laws of Nature, then all advice becomes unnecessary. This is the reason that all true Hygeists are their own Doctors, and laugh at what Doctors term "advice." 'Whenever they feel pain of any kind they have recourse to the 'Vegetable Univer sal Medicine, which they can regulate without fear, so as to produce proper evacuations; hence the fact of staunch Hygeists in some cases taking twenty, thirty, and even forty pills at a dose, thereby proving the Universality of the Medicine, as in the case of Lady Sophia Grey, for disease of the spine, Sir Richard Sutton's son, for consumption, living monuments to attest the fact, and thousands of others. But with the poisons of the Doctors, such as prussic acid, opium, arsenic, deadly nightshade, &c., &c., if you take even half a grain too much, death is the consequence ; and therefore, to those persons who are, from a state of ignorance, obliged by Doctors' t. eatment to make use of such poisons, " advice," of course, becomes necessary. It is by giving advice that Doctors make a trade of medicine ; and hence their violent and unjust opposition to Mr. Morison's system, because it does away with all mystery, and enables every man to become his own Doctor. This should never be for gotten by the public. Issued by Morison and Moat, of the British Col lege of Health, New-road, London, for and on behalf of the body of Hygeists, who contend, that, since all diseases arise from one cause, namely, an impurity of the blood, they can be cured by the Vegetable Uni versal Medicine, which being composed of innocuous ingredients, may be taken by any person without the aid of a Doctor. DAY MAIL TO WORCESTER.—We are glad to find that the question of a day mail to Worcester has been re-opened with the Post-office authorities, and that John Dent, Esq., President of the Chamber of Commerce, having, at the suggestion of General Lygon, made a re newed application to the Postmaster-General on the subject, has received a letter from Colonel Maberly, ae ktinwledghig the receipt of such application, and pro mising that it shall have " immediate attention." As the Railway Act of last session gives increased facilities for the conveyance of mails, we think there is at length some chance of Worcester having a day mail.— Worces tershire Chronicle. We understand that a marr:ave is on the lapis between the Lade Louisa Fitztimurice, only daughter of the Marquis of Laiisdowne, and the Hon, James Howard, brother to Lord Aralover. Whitfield, E) tlficaindt, E The Rev. the Earl of Guildford, during last week, A - ate:o to be distributed to the necessitous poor of Wal ci 7 t s h b (r i ) re n , e. ..z., :s ti hoo dth , e ni s s i %, l r ,e rr c i n °iparishesdrea most V ) stipple of good m eat and w Noble Earl .clothing. The Earl has above Tao hundred ,abildren from the above 1f parishes eduean dat LorcLhir's own expense. The children of the Free Grammar School, at Dalton, am o unting to 175, were treated last va..l:k to a dinner of excellent beef and puma pudding, by Mr.\and Mrs. Bald win, who, with their servants end a few others, cut up the viands, and waited upon the youthful bvt grateful recipients of their bounty.—(-unifferland Parquet. PASSENGERS FROM INDIA.—The following is a li st of the passengers landed at Suez, from the Bentincic From Calcutta —Mrs. Money, two children, and ser vant ; Mrs. Sheriff and child, Mr. and Mrs. D. Smith and two children, Lieut. and Mrs. J. Machonochie and child, Capt. Mitchell, Dr. Raft, Capt. I). Lauder, Mr. D. Low, Mr. Johnston, Lieut. Martin, Mr. Campbell, Mrs. Gubbins, child, and servant. From Madras--Sirs. Major White, Mr. Row, Mrs. Sayers and two children, Mrs. Whitemore, two children, and two servants ; Mr. Ashton, Major Messner, Mrs. Ford, M. de Compere, Mr. Mottet, Mr. W. Dent, Chevalier J. D. Kruseman. From Ceylon—Mrs. Leighton, two children, sad two servants ; the Hon. Mr. Drummond. Almost the whole of the above passengers intend to proceed to England by the Oriental. LICHFIELD FARMERS' MARKET.—It is in contem plation by the town council, to erect a handsome and spacious room in St. Mary's-square, adjoining the Market-hall, for the use of farmers and others while transacting business on market-days ; the trustees of the Conduit lands have given the munificent sum of 5001. towards the completion. It will be a most de sirable and useful ornament to that part of the city. The marriage between the fair and youthful daughter of Mr. and Lady Julia Lockwood and Lord Napier will not take place before April. Lady Julia and her daughter are at present at Constantinople. BREAKWATER IN fORBAY.—Lord Courtenay visited the Brigham breakwater in Torbay on Monday last, and, after having inspected the same with marked atten tion, was pleased to express his approbation of the work itself, and of its great utility, as affording shelter to vessels of all classes needing a harbour of refuge in run ning up and down the Channel. There will be, when the work is completed, enclosed about six hundred and fifty acres of water, with a bottom of the firmest and best kind, so that ships coming within it, need have ne ap prehension about danger from any wind, however bois terous. — Western Luminary. THE CABINET. —Wednesday circulars were trans mitted to the several members of t he Cabinet, calling for their prtvezo3 j tow= 'Duly it the er.m.,--,g it ill tort' tted bal' ' rift