The Sun. — London, England, 1850-12-30 00:00:00

Although the show of Oats was by no means large, that grain moved off heavily, and damp qualities were again lower. Beans, the supply of which was moderate, ruled heavy at late rates. For Peas wo had a very slow inquiry, and the ourrenciet had a downward tendency. Noachange in Indian Corn. Fine Flour soil at late rat have been had on easier ter , CURRENCY PER IMP Wheat—Essex & Kent, Red, New .• • • 36s to 43s Ditto,White, New 39e 49s Norfolk and Lin coln, Red..... 343 41a Ditto, White ••• • •• 37s 42s Irish, Red •••• • • • • —s —5 Ditto,White • • • • • • —s .. • • • • • • • • • • 261 New........... •• 28s -8 27s 29s 23s 27s 30$ ',es. Inferior foreign might 'ERIAL MEASURE. (Malt —Chevalier • • • • •• 52$ to 551 Oats— Yorkshire and Lincolnsh„ Feed. 175 195 Potato Youghal and Cork, Black .•• •... 15s 175 Cork, White ... .• 155 liii Scotch, Feed. •• • • 19s 24s Beans—Tick ... ••• • . • 235 29 .E Barley—Grinding. • . • • 20a Malting . • • • • .... 241 Chevalier • • .. . •• 28s Malt—Suffolk and Nor folk ........ •. .. 435 48s Brown .•••••. • • • . 40s 42s Kingston and Ware 47s 51s SEEDS. Pigeons ...... .... 27s 323 Peas—Grey ..•• —•• •• 25s 23s Maple. •• .• •• ••••• 27s 32s White.•• •• .. •••• 24s 278 Boilers •••—•• •• 263 30s Flour—Town-made... 35s 408 Suffolk •• •• •• —29 s Btocktn & Norfolk 29s 34 We have again to report a steady inquiry for Clover Seeds, at fully last week's quotations. Most other at cles aro a slow sale at late rates. Turnlp,White, per bush. 103 to 12s Red and Green.... Its 128, Mustard, 8r0wn.... • . 9s I2s' White, new ...... 6s Od Rs Od Tares,Wlnter ...... —4B Od 4s 6d Carraway .. Coriander • • • . ilempseed, per quarter Linseed, Eng.iowing.. Crushing ........ Baltic •. • • ...... Odessa • • • • • • • • .. Linseed Cake,pr.l,ooo— .... . 81 5s 9/ Os 31s 329 154 Mr 34s 35s 54s 561 40s 438 383 448 42s 468 Old •.•. • . • ..... 38 Od 48 Od Canary, per quarter • • 478 52s Rye grass.• •• .. • • 24s 30s Clover, RetlE4. (cwt.) 32s 48s White •. • • ...... 325 48s Foreign Red.. 308 46s White • ... 28s 48s Trefoil .............. 178 22s SMITHFIELD. Foreign, per ton 615 s 71 51 Rape Cakes, pr ton 3/ 15a 410. Rapeseed, New, prlat . 2sl Os 271 Cs A very limited supply—as is almost invariable the case during Christmas week—of foreign stock has ar rived in the port of London, since Monday last —it having been confined to 1,325 head. During the cor responding period in 1849 we received 781; in 1848, 892; and in 1847, 2,013 head. IMPORTS INTO LONDON IN THE PAST WEEK. From Beasts. Sheep. Lambs. Calves. Pigs. Antwerp Rotterdam Harlingen Nieu Diep ... 252 ... Dordt Ostend... - • • - ... - ... 14 Total The yearly comparison of the weekly imports is as under : Beasts. Sheep. Lambs. Calves. Pigs. 1849 395 ... 224 ... ... 161 ... 184561 ... 820 ... ... 10 ... 1 1847.... 341 ... 1,653 ... - ... 19 ... Scarcely any imports have taken place at Bull, &c., and we have had no arrivals from Ireland. The show of foreign stock in this morning's market was very limited—the fresh arrivals, since the above returns were made up, having been unusually small. Although the demand was by no means active, a good clearance was effected. From our own grazing districts the receipts of beasts fresh up to-day were but moderate, the time of Sear considered, whilst their general quality was inferior. Owing to the small number of buyers in attendance, and to Newgate and Leadenhall being partly supplied with country-killed meat, the Beef trade ruled heavy, at last weeks quotations, the general top figure for Beef being 3s 8d per 81bs. The arrivals from Lincolnshire, Leices tershire, and Northamptonshire amounted to 2,000 Short horns. From other parts of England we re ceived 300 Herefords, Runts, Devons, ; and from Scotland, 230 horned and polled Scots. There was a very moderate supply of Sheep in the pens, but the condition of the stock was good. Prime old Downs moved off somewhat freely, at an advance in the currencies of Monday last of 2d per 81b.; they having sold at 4s 4d to 4s 6d per 8112 s. These, however, must be considered extreme prices. All other breeds moved off steadily, and, in some instances; the quotations Lai an upward tendency. Notwithstanding that the !lumber of Calves was small, the Veal trade ruled very Inactive at late rates. Prime small Pigs sold steadily, ether kinds of Pigs slowly, at unaltered quotations. Per albs.to elnkthe offal. s. d. to to 6. a. Interior Beasts..... 2 a 210 Inferior Sheep .. .• 3 2 3 II _Second quality •••• 3 0 3 2 Second qual. Sheep 3 8 310 _crime large Oxen.. 3 2 3 4 Coarse -woolledditto4 0 4 2 Mme Scots —•• .• 3 6 3 8 Southdown Wether 4 4 4 6 ,a•atige coarse Calves 2 8 3 0 Ditte out of the wool 0 0 0 0 mane mall ditto .. 3 2 3 6 Large Hogs •.•. •• 2 8 3 6 !tickling Calves —lB 0 24 0 Small Porkers •• •• 3 8 4 0 Lambs .....••••• 0 0 0 0 Quarter old Pigs ..16 0 20 0 TOTAL SUPPLY AT MARKET. Pouts. Sheep. Calves. Pigs I I I 3,169 15,550 127 360 FOREIGN SUPPLY. Beasts. I Sheep. I Calves. I Figs. 43 150 76 NEIVGATE AND LEADENIIALL. For the time of year these markets were fairly sup plied with most kinds of meat (chiefly London killed), of full average quality. Prime Beef, Mutton, and Pork, moved offsteadily, at full prices. Otherwise the demand ruled heavy. - - At per stone by the Carcase. 3. - d. to a. d. i a. d. to a. 0. n eef,inferior...... 2 0 2 2 Mutton, inferior .. 2 6 2 8 ""-- middling ...• 2 4 2 6 ! -middling.. 210 3 6 primelargs .. 2 8 3 0I - prime .... 3 8 319 ealprime small .. 3 2 3 6 Pork, 1arge........ 2 6 3 6 . .•.• . • . 2 6 3 6 - small . . 3 8 4 0 130110171:1 AND sprrAzanssms. Since our last report, nearly 3,000 tons of potatoes have reached the water-side, coastwise; but the foreign Imports have not ixeeeded 100 tons from Rotterdam. The receipts, per railway, have been, seasonably large and of excellent quality. 0 wing to the mildness of the Weather, and the low value of bread, the general demand ie inactive, on the following terms:— Per Ton. Per Ton. Torksh. Regents. fOs to 100: Essex Shaws 80s to 90s Scotch Regents 75s to 90s Kent Regents.... 70s to 85s Wishes ch :fc Cam- Essex Regents... 70s to 85s bridge Foreig n 65s to 80s Kentish Red Kid. Eos to 95s Lincoln. Sham —B to -• s Cambridge ditto 70s to 90s gent Shaws Bos to 90: Chats . . 50s to 35s BOROUGH HOP MARHET. Our market being extensively supplied with all kinds of New Hops, the general demand is in a very slug -ICII9I state, and prices are not supported• Factors P"ces, viz., ready money—East Kent pockets, per cwt 3 /.12s to 61; ditto bags, 31 8s to 5/ 10s; Mid Kent Plckets, 2/ 5s to bi 103; ditto bags, 21 to 4/ ss; Weald 1 1 Kent pockets, 3/ to Si 15s; ditto bags, 21 to 21 10s; Cussex pockets, 21 lOs to 31103. OOL. During last week, the imports of Wool into London were 194 bales from Mogadore, 67 from Hambro', 109 f rom Alexandria, 19 from Antwerp, 22 from Constan tinople, 45 from Rouen, 5 from Madras, and 15 packages from Ireland. The private contract market is very mo derately supplied. Although the amount of business d oing in it is small, holders are very firm, and prices rule Ready. LO. Notwithstanding that TA th L e de livery last week was sea !onably large, viz., 2,196 casks. our market is in a very t ) active state, at the prices cf Monday last. To-day f.T.C., on the spot, is quoted at 37s per cwt. For fo rward delivery next to nothing doing. Town Tallow 36, 6d to 37s per cwt, net cash ; rough Fat, 2s Id Per Blbs. 1846. 1847. 1848 1849 Stock this day •• • • 22,924 ice of Y. C. I tOlBoB6odd D elivery last week • • 1,833 D itto from June 1— 55,211 Arrivals last week . 496 Ditto fro m June 1 ... 67,572 price of Town •• —54 s 17.827 34,741 459 Od 428 Od to 45s 3d to Os Od 2,364 1.718 58,700 60,226 10,091 1,507 68,424 87,436 47,190 38s 3d to 52,924 378 Od 38s 6d 1,538 49s 6d 42s Od to Os Od 2,196 56,576 66,390 222 78,293 80 83,670 42s Od I 23s OJ E ., TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. f SIR,—I think you deserve the thanks of the public or the straightforward manner you hive acted in the ease of Jane Wllbred, and as an bumble individual I tender you my thanks. A free and independent press I ‘!'e the true guardians of the public, and as such I con sider you have acted. I ask the same question as you, „Sir, where is Mrs. Sloane? I know nothing of law, but 4 ,, can see that justice will not be vindicated unless Mrs. Sloane be forthcoming. Mr. Edito r , su pp ose the c a se was r e v e rsed as regards t he position of the parties, let it be a young lady, and the master and mistress people in an humble station of life, and see whether the experience and sagacity of Alderman Humphery would not have told him that ! ) :Itli parties must be forthcoming. It is a shame station In life should make such a difference. Mr. Editor, you may depend upon it that if it had been poor people, he would not have been satisfied with the bare word that she had Burt her leg. No, she would have been dragged 10 the bar, and why should not Alderman Humphery have acted in the same manner with Mrs. Sloane? I Want to see equal justice to all parties. I am, &c., THOS. D., a Working Man. December 30. 1850. DEATH OF Ma. OSBALDISTON. — The death of Mr. ". W. Osbaldiston, the well-known theatrical manager, and till lately lessee of the Victoria theatre, took place some- What unexpectedly yesterday afternoon about one o 'clock. Deceased, w h o was fifty- s i x years of age , b a d been a i l ing for three or four weeks, but hopes were entertained of his re cnvery until late on Saturday evening, when Mr. Roberts, his medical attendant, intimated to his family that the symptoms bad assumed a fatal character. Mr. Osbaldiston has been manager of the Covent Garden, Sadler'sWells, Surrey, and City of London Theatres, and, as lessee of the Victoria, reproduced on Thursday last the Christmas piece which'had succeeded at the first-mentioned theatre just fourteen years before. Miss Vincent, Mr. George Osbaldiston, and Mr. 8 uarbrow, all of the Victoria Theatre, were with him in his last moments. MILITARY PROMENADE.—We announced some time bince that the Government had directed the grounds and gardens at Chelsea Hospital, which had hitherto been kept e xclusively for the use of the officers of the college, to be thrown open for the benefit of the public. We are now enabled to state that on the Ist of January the gardens, in cluding those with the terrace fronting the River Thames, are to be opened for the recreation of all visitors. We trust that, in addition to this privilege, arrangements will he made for admitting the public to view the Royal Chapel and Pensioners' Dining-hall, in which are deposited the cele brated eagles captured from Napoleon's Invincibles in the P eninsula and at Waterloo, without continuing the practice of exacting fees from the pockets of the community. But for La e 118 ual pace of the apathetic officers of the Board of Works, these gardens would have been opened twelve months since. We believe more than a year has elapsed since the Govern ment had issued orders to the above effect. —Morning Paper. ELOPEMENT.—A young lady, immured in the hall of the Chaytors, near Croft, now used as a boarding- S chool, made her exit the other night from her window, and dropped into the arms of her lover. Off they ran to Gre tna -Green—whence on the 13th inst., they returned to Stokekler, their paternal home, in the character of man and Wl.fe•--Durhant Chronicle. 1_ ~ L4J _large consignn ent of oranges was recently atariin which port orange; had not been nu -11941- 1820...-kecal Paper. TJJE SUN, LITERATURE CURRAN AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES. By Charles Phillips, Esq., one of her Majesty's Commissioners of the Court for the Relief of In solvent Debtors W. Blackwood and Sons, Edin• burgh and London. 1850. This is indeed a valu tble contribution to the na tional literature. The very title-page is suggestive. It tells of a rare combination of advantages, of an author worthy of his subject, and a subject worthy of its author; the portrait of a man of refined and sparkling wit, fervid, impassioned, and, perhaps, un equalled eloquence and genuine and consistent patriot ism, depicted by one scarcely inferior in any of these qualities to the great original; we should rather say a series of highly finished minatures—all gems of inestimable value—of many of thos,e distin guished men who constituted the pride and glory of Ireland in her palmy days, when she was an object neither of pity or contempt, who were " Of other times, when there were giants in the land." It was a period of vital importance in the history of that unhappy kingdom, which must excite enthusiasm in the heart and raise a blush on the countenance of every genuine son of " Green Erin." And the men were worthy of the days in which they lived. Their virtues and their vices were eminently Irish, the natural fruits of the national character. There were no artificial restrictions to obscure the one or conceal the other. Each was revealed in its native lustre or naked enormity, and Irishmen have much to boast of. The compatriots of Curran, Grattan, Hussey Burgh, Burke, Kirwan, and of one, the last but not the least of that bright band—Plunket, who still happily survives in the enjoyment of the chum cum dignitate which he has so richly merited, the con necting link between two distinct and, alas! very different eras in Irish history, may well exult in the fame of their countrymen. But Charles Phillips does not merely delineate these stars of the first magni tude—the planets of the Irish system, he places before us with almost equal care the secondary lutni varies, who, although they " Paled their lesser lights" THE REV. MR. BENNETT. It is really quite time that the public should knout, on some competent authority, whether Mr. Bennett is to continue Incumbent of St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, and of St. Barnabas, Pimlico, or not. Some weeks ago that gentleman tendered to the Bishop of Landon his resignation, and that tender was accepted by his diocesan. Since then Mr. Bennett's friends have been holding meeting after meeting to persuade them selves that this offer is n it binding on so " Catholic " a clergyman as he is; and have had at least one interview with the bishop to induce him to withdraw bis accept ance of the proffered resignation. But, though Dr. Blomfield " wept " with the deputation who thus advo cated the doctrine and practice of equivocation, and so exhibited weak and silly symi,athy instead of just and manly indignation at this attempt to escape from the performance of a solemn promise, Bishop Blom field is too subservient a follower of what be deems public opi nion to yield, even in his tears, to such entreaties; and so, it is stated, replied that he was under " the painful necessity" of doing what he said ho wou'd eo. Nevertheless Mr. Bennett, it is announced, has not resigned, and will not resign. A benefice can only be legally resigned in the Church of England by the in cumbent executing a deed of demission addressed to the bishop of the diocese. Such a deed Mr. Bennett, it is stated, has not yet executed, and will not execute. And I Bishop Blomfield, it is added, will now proceed against Mr. Bennett in the Ecclesiastical Courts; leaving, how ever, Divine service to be performed in St. Paul's and St. Barnabas by those curates who have hitherto been Mr. 13ennett's assistants there. Such is the position of affairs as stated in the news. papers; and assuming its accuracy, there is some diffi culty in deciding whether it is more discreditable to Mr. Bennett or Dr. Blomfield. Mr. Bennett has undertaken to do an act which he now—nothing having subsequently occurred to re lease him from his undertaking—declines to perform. This is an offence against common honesty which no refinement or subtlety can justify or excuse: one, too, that was certainly not to be expected from a man of Mr. Bennett's app aren t an d outward frankness, sincerity, and conscientiousness; an offence calculated to shake all confidence in the promises and fair dealing of clergymen of Mr. Bennett's way of thinking; one certain to con firm the public in the belief so prevalent of their jesuitry and disregard of the ordinary obligations of morality when at variance with their proselytising zeal. No doutt it is hard—very hard—that Mr. Bennett should, in December, 1850, be coerced into such a promise by a bishop who, in June, 1850, encouraged and shared in his proceedings at St. Barnabas; but it was with a know ledge of that hardship Mr. Bennett promised to resign, and as an honest man he ought, by the fulfilment of his promise, to have risen superior to his diocesan; as it is he has reduced himself to Dr. Blomfield's level, if not fallen beneath it. Bishop Blomfield cannot, of course, compel of his own mere motion Mr. Bennett to execute a deed of demission. But did he, by the long-continued consistency of his episcopal life, by the example of unerring fidelity to the Church displayed in his career, by the uniformity of his own personal views and practices, and by the influence which piety, moderation, firmness, and kindness always confer, occupy in his diocese that position which a Bishop of London ought to occupy, not even an unscru pulous tractarian would dare thus to trifle with him. It is because Dr. Blomfield's career has been weak and va cillating, inconsistent and tyrannical, because he has re duced himself to a place which none can admire, and only sycophants can profess to respect; because he has deprived himself of all moral weight, that Mr. Bennett has the bad courage thus to treat him; and hence this squabble between him and one of his clergy is discredit able to both. The bishop who would not admit a single Irish clergyman into his diocese can't get a disorderly tractarian out of it. The retribution is fit, though severe. And no wonder Mr. Bennett resists, when he finds other bishops encouraging their clergy in the very prac tices for which Dr. Blomfield insists on his resignation. lie turns to Oxford, and what does he see there? No thing less than Bishop Wilberforce (who told the Pro testants of Chipping Wycombe that he knew of no siomish tendencies in his clergy), sanctioning the ap pointment, as preacher in the University Church of St. Mary's, of Dr. Pusey, under whose tuition, and by whose teaching, Rome has for ten years been receiving increas ing supplies of English clergymen. He looks to Sher borne Minster, and there be finds Bishop Begot " losing no time" in assuring the clergy of that church that he " considers candlesticks upon the communion table in the church as one of the most legitimate ornaments in a church;" that "they were legitimately placed there by the churchwardens, who are officers acting under the ordinary, and he as ordinary has no objection to their being placed there;" and that he " cannot therefore con ceive under what supposed right or authority any indif ferent person interferes in the matter." No wonder with such high encouragement Mr. Bennett resists the autho rity, sad treats as na ug ht the moral influence of his in consistent diocesan. before their more distinguished brethren, were yet worthy of the immortality they have now received at the hands of their ta lented countryman—Tom (lipoid, Harry Deane, Grady, Jerry Keller, Jonah Barrington, Peter Bur rowes, and John Egan—honest Jack, who, to the rough and blustering manners which gained bim the soubriquet of " Bully Egan," united a kindly and generous heart that endeared him to his associates, although it did not prevent them from occasionally making him their butt—wbo was incorruptible and unpurchaseable—who, although poor in this world's wealth, yet rejected all the tempting offers that were held out to him for his vote, and in the sterling ebul lition of his feelings shouted, " Ireland for ever, and d—n Kilmainham, ' and died, leaving only an un sullied name and three shillings ! ! behind him—whose names have been " Familiar in our ears as household words." ran's peculiar phrase, 'men begin to measure their depth by their darkness, and to fancy themselves pro found because they feel they are perplexed'—no idea can be formed of that illustrious body; of the learning that infoimed, the genius that inspired, and the fire that warm, d it; of the wit that relieved its wisdom, and the wisdom that dignified its w it; of the generous emula tion, that cherished while it contended; of the spotless honour, that shone no less in the hereditary spirit of the highly born than in the native integrity of the more humble aspirant; but, above all, of that lofty and un bending patriotism that at once won the confidence and enforced the imitation of the country. It is not to be questioned that to the bar of that day the people of Ire land looked up, in every emergency, with the most per fect reliance upon their talent and their integrity. It was then the nursery of the Parliament and the peer age. There was scarcely a noble family in the land that did sot enrol its elect in that body, by the study of law and the exercise of eloquence, to prepare them for the field of legislative exertion; and there, not unfre quently, there arose a genius from the very lowest of the people, who won his way to the distinctions of the senate, and wrested from pedigree the highest honours and effiees of the constitution. It was a glorious spec tacle to behold the hope of the peerage entering such en intellectual arena with the peasant's offspring—all dif ference merged in that of mind, and merit alone de ciding the superiority. On such contests, and they were continual, the eye of every rank in the community was turned: the highest did not feel their birth debased by the victories of intellect; and the humblest expected, seldom in vain, to be ennobled in their turn. Many a personage sported the ermine on a back that had been coatless; and the garter might have glittered on a leg that, in its native bog, had been unencumbered by a stocking." We could multiply extracts, all eminently deserving of especial commendation. The volume may be opened at any page with pleasure and profit, from the preface to the appendix. Our space will not, how ever, permit us to linger longer over the rich and va ried collection of sweets, or to give specimens of the oratory of the gifted child of genius whose fame is still enshrined in the memories of his countrymen. We cannot, however, refrain from transferring to our co lumns the simply beautiful dedication, the most per fect in every respect that we have ever seen TO LORD BROUGHAM AND VAUX. Poetry has said, that " The Friendship of a great tam is a gift of the Gods." might speedily be forgotten, but for the kind and honourable tribute paid to their memories in the work now before us. There are others, too, of a different character, whose names are recorded in these pages, some well entitled to the distinction, and others, " flies embalmed in amber," who individually had no claim to so high an honour, but who were necessarily introduced as connected with more worthy objects. It may be said that the present is but a third edition of a book that had been long before familiar to the reading public. It is, however, to all intents and purposes a new work. The former editions had long been out of print, and a copy could not be obtained save by some happy chance. There was an eager demand for a reprint, but Charles Phillips, jealous alike of his friend's posthumous reputation and of his own literary cha racter, was anxious to amend and improve the pro duction of his more juvenile years, ao as to satisfy himself—a critic even more fastidious, so far as this work was concerned, than the sternest reviewer that ever crushed the hope of a young author. Publishers would have rejoiced at a rescript, because they would have been sure of purchasers, book collectors would gladly have adorned their shelves with a pro duction that was placed beyond their reach ; but the writer was inexorable. He would not consent to its reproduction until he had leisure time to devote to its completion. The due appreciation of his pro fessional exertions, the unceasing labours of a bar rister's life, retarded this consummation, "so devoutly to be wished for," until his well-merited elevation to the bench, which gave to the country a learned, painstaking, impartial, and exemplary judge, and to the literary world a new edition of" Curran and his Contemporaries." We shall not attempt to give any summary of the life of the remarkable man who forms the chief feature in the admirable volume now under notice. His life was busy and stirring from the hour when, in 1775, with, as he said himself, " no living possession but a pregnant wife," he was, after much indecision respecting an emigration to America, called to the bar of Ireland, until that, in which, in 1807, he exchanged tor the judicial robe " the gown which for so many years he had worn with dignity to himself, with advantage to his clients, and with honour to his country ;" indeed, he might say, from his natal dry, on the 24th of July, 1750, until that of his death, the 14 , h of October, 1817, he had passed through all the vicis situdes of life. " The son of a peasant" (as with too great humility he styled himself), he gained for him self a seat at " the table of his Prince," where he was the welcome and honoured guest, and that without in any degree compromising the sterling in dependence of his political principles, which were never, during his !varied career, even momen tarily sullied by the breath of slander. He was ever above suspicion in his ardent and unde viating patriotism ; the zealous, energetic, and unflinching advocate of many political victims, he never truckled to arbitrary power, or tempo rised under circumstances that might have appalled the boldest. None attacked him with impunity; the playful gibe, cutting sarcasm, or torrent of burning eloquence, were ever available, and he invariably repelled his assailants with the weapons of their own choice. As a boon companion he was unrivalled. As his able biographer justly re marks—" He was a little convivial deity. He scared in every region, and was at home in all ; he touched everything, and seemed as if he had created it; he mastered the human heart with the same ease that he did his violin. You wept, and you laughed, and you wondered ; and the wonderful creature who made you do all at will never let it appear that be was more than your equal, and was quite willing, if you chose, to become your auditor. He had no conversa tional rule whatever ; he spoke from impulse; and be had the art so to draw you into a participation, that, though you felt an inferiority, it was a contented one." We shall borrow from the same gifted source the fol lowirg graphic sketch of his professional character and position : " We feel at borne with him in the Four Courts. There never, perhaps, lived a greater advocate—cer tainly never one more suited to the country in which his lot was cast. He had all the qualities by which his countrymen are attractLd and attached. His imagina tion was wonderful, his eloquence copious , rapid, and ornate, his powers of mimicry beyond all description. The passions were under his absolute command; either the laugh or the tear was ready at bis bidding; his con trasts—their rapidity, their ease, and, strange to say, their apparent propriety—were marvellous. There was no time to criticise, where the mind was wrapt in wonder and delight, and the hearer was hurried, now into the regions of philosophy and fancy, now through the scenes of fun, and drollery, and humour, amid which the Irish peasant delights to forget, or laugh away, his wretchedness. He had another quality, apart from intellect, which the times demanded—indomitabl e courage. The English advocate is engaged in conten tions, earnest, ardent, animated, hut—peaceful. Not so, however, must we read Curran's history. In the day s from which be dates his glory, peril beset his path, armed men composed his auditory, exasperated authority denounced his zeal, and faction scowled upon the daunt less advocate it burned to make its victim. Bayonets were often bristling at his breast, and the interference of the bench was sometimes called for, to procure him even the decency of a hearing. His daring to appear at all in defence of a state prisoner was made matter of grievous accusation ! Lord Carleton broadly hinted to him, be might lose his gown if he defended Neilson. Well, my Lord,' said Curran, somewhat contemptuously, his Majesty may take the silk, but he must leave the stuff behind.' He scorned both the threat and the im putation. I feel no shame, ' he sa s s in 1798, at such a charge, except that of its being made at such a time as this, that to defend the people should be held out as an imputation upon the King's counsel, when the people are prosecuted by the state. I think every counsel is the property of his fellow-subjects. If, indeed, because I wore his Majesty's gown, I had declined my duty, or bad done it weakly or treacherously—if I had made that gown a mantle of hypocrisy, and had betrayed my client, or sacrificed him to any personal view-1 might, perhaps, have been thought wiser by those who have blamed me, but I should have thought myself the basest villain upon earth.' It was amid such scenes, and under such discouragements, that Curran pronounced the memorable orations which have made his name im• mortal." The following gloving description of the bar of Ire land, where Charles Phillips commenced that prof,. s sional career which has since been continued with so much credit to hiuKelf in this more favoured country, is especially worthy of notice : "To that enlightened body, as at that day constituted, the ' future men' t f this country may be allowed to turn with an excusable, and, in some sort, a national satisfac tion. There were to be found, her nobles, her aristo cracy, her genius, her learning, and her patriotism, all concentrated within that little circle. No insolent pre tension in the high frowned down the intellectual splen dour of the humble: education compensated the want of birth; industry supplied the inferiority of fortune; and the law, which in its suitors knew no distinction but that of justice, in its professors acknowledged none ex cept that of merit. In other countries, where this glo rious profession is degraded into a trade—where cun ning supplies the --- place of i n t e ll ec t, a nd a handicraft k meobanism is the substitute fur mind—where, in Cur 111 CURRA.N'S - I once possessed it. In Lord BROUGHAM'S I again enjoy it. To these page. therefore, affectio na t e ly d evo t e d To the memory of the one, I proudly and gratefully, with his own permission, prefix The name of the other. It is only justice to make honourable mention of a portion of the work, too often neglected in similar publications—" the Index," the importance of which to the reader, enabling him to make the volume one of reference, by which any subject can at once de dis covered, is so fully known to every professional reader. It is prepared with the utmost care and accuracy, such as you would find in a well-arranged law book, rather than in a work of general literature. In every respect, then, we commend this admirable volume to public notice; it will be found eminently worthy of repeated perusals —one without which no library can be complete. COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, DEC. 28. The Queen and his Royal Highness Prince Albert took their usual early morning walk. The Royal Family took walking and pony exercise in the grounds adjacent to the Castle. His Royal Highness Prince Albert went out shoot. ing this morning, accompanied by their Royal High nesses the Duke de Nemours and the Prince de Join ville, and attended by Colonel Hon. Charles Grey and Colonel Bouverie. Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess de Nemours and the Prince de Joinville took leave of the Queen and the Prince to-day, and quitted the Castle. DEC. 29. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness the Prince Albert, the ladies and gentlemen of the Court, and the domestic household, attended Divine service this morning in the private chapel. The Hon. and Rev. G. Wellesley officiated, and administered the Holy Communion. The Queen and Prince Albert walked in the Slopes. The Royal Family took walking exercise. Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester continues ill, at her residence, Gloucester House, Piccadilly. Inquiries were made after the health of the Royal Duchess yesterday, on the part of the Queen and the members of the Royal Family. But what encourages him ought to sink deep into the heart of the laity of the Church of England; for it in dicates where the weakness of their Church really lies— in the bench of bishops. Even now episcopal lines are laid to divert the consideration of Parliament from that which alarmed Lord John Russell far more than Papal aggression. " There is a danger which alarms me much more than any aggression of a foreign Sovereign." It, then we are to have legislation (and most properly) for the minor danger, how much more imperative must be legislation for tLe major danger? If Parliament has to cendder that which only provoked Lord John Russell's "indignation," how much more incumbent is it for Par liament to deliberate on what roused his •• alarm?" Yet endless are the episcopal intrigues now in pro gress to avert the consideration of the greater subject and to confine attention to the smaller matter. Amougat other devices is a characteristic one. We are, it seems, to have the old scheme of " more bishops' revived. This is Dr. Blomfield's remedy for all our ecclesiastical ills. To checkmate Cardinal Wiseman he proposes at once to create Anglican sees of Westminster and of Southwark; and so to bring the Cardinal's terri torial titles within the repressive provisions of the Roman Catholic Emancipation Act; the new sees to be maintained whilst he lives, out of the funds of the eccle siastical commission; after his demise, out of the re venues of the bishopric of London. And to some such scheme as this, Mr. Sidney Herbert and Lord Ashley will, it is said, lend their support. Of such plans the laity must beware. Sir James Graham long ago told them that the want of the Church of England was clergy—Protestant clergy—not bishops; and to create additional sees until some security is taken to preserve the Protestant character of the Church is to increase, not to lessen its danger; for it has been by the active agency of some bishops, and by the supineness of the rest, that there is now a danger in the Church which alarms Lord John Russell " much more than any aggression of a foreign Sovereign." Before, then, the question of more bishops can be pro fitably entertained by the Legislature, two other ques tions must be settled ; —l. What is the Church of England? 2. Where is the Church to be found? We have through out England parish churches numberless,, and clergy in every latish; but in them we have no uniformity of doc trine, of views, or of practice 4. There we are taught to believe in ecclesiastical infallibility, here in the all-suffi• ciency of Holy Scripture; in this parish oe have a sacri ficial mediatorial priest, in that an unpretentious minis ter; in one church we have an altar, in another a commu nion table; in • Pimlico we have auricular confession in sisted on; in Liverpool we have the punishment of death recommended as a penalty for such a practice; in short, disguise it as we may, we have two different, nay, two antagonistic schemes of redemption taught in the Church of England? 1L hat, thee, is the Church of England? Where is it to be found? These are not questions to be shirked by asking for "more bishops."—Daily Acres. NEW BARONETS.—The Queen has conferred the dignity of Baronet of the Unittd Kingdom upon Major- General Sir W. R. Gilbert, G.C.8., James Matheson, Esq., F.R.S., and Thomas Tufton, Esq. The services of General Gilbert in India are well known. Mr. Matheson is Member for Ross and Cromarty, and was formerly partner in the eminent house of Matheson, Jardine and Co., in which his cousin, A. Matheson, Esq. (M.P. for Inverness) is now the leading partner. Mr. Matheson resided for many years in India and China, and on his return to England received an address and a service of plate, worth 1,500/ : trom the mer chants of Bombay, who expressed their high sense of the judgment and firmness displayed by him in the difficulties which sprung out of the seizure of the opium. Mr. Tufton has succeeded to the vast estates of the late Earl of Thanet. THE IRON TRADE.--MEETING OF SOUTH STAF FORDSHIRE IRONDIASTERS.—The usual preliminary meet ing of the ironmasters was held on Friday at Dudley. There was a large attendance, and all the firms of consequence were represented. A well-grounded hope of " better times" beamed in every one's face, and upon the whole we learn that a more cheerful meeting has not taken place since the commencement of the present year. Although the iron trade wears just now a more healthy appearance than it has for some years past, it was deemed expedient, under exist ing circumstances, to continue the present rate of prices. No alteration, therefore. will be made, yet it could not be concealed that the demand has improved considerably, and that the new year is likely to find it still more so. Already, we learn that some works are overwhelmed with orders from the United States, and a further demand f or s p r i ng ship ments is calculatedupon. Railway matters here and abroad are likely in the ensuing year to revive, and something more than symptoms of this improvement are already manifesting themselves. It is also expected that the magnificent struc ture in course of erection for the Great National Exhibition will induce similar buildings to be erected, more particularly on the Continent and America, when foreigners have an op portunity, as they shortly will, of witnessing the splendid re sults of manufacturing skill and enterprise in this country, and the commercial advantages which must result to them from an unfettered interchange between nations. On the whole we may congratulate the manufacturers of our great iron district on the prospects which are at length beginning to dawn upon them.—Birmingham Journal. EXPLOSION OF GAS.—Yesterday forenoon, at a few minutes before ten o'clock, the family of Mr. John Bobby, the proprietor of the Cock Tavern, in Leadenhall-street, City, were greatly terrified, owing to an explosion occurring upon the premises. It appears that an escape of gas, by some means not clearly ascertained, occurred from the pipe:; of the new company, when the vapour coming in contact with a flame a tremenduous explosion followed, which broke the shutters and window-frames on the ground-floor, tore down the ceilings in the cellars, and at the same time set on fire the under side of the floorings and jeistings in the basement. Owing to the prompt arrival of the police and strangers, the fire was soon extinguished. Fortunately, no one was hurt. To FEED OYSTEES.—Put them into water and wash them with a birch besom till quite clean; then lay them bottom downwards, in a pan, sprinkle with flour or oatmeal and salt, and cover with water. Do the same every day, and they will soon fatten. The water should be pretty salt. CHRISTMAS BOUNTY —Her Excellency the Countess of Clarendon, accompanied by Sir William Russell, Bart., aide•de-camp, distributed warm clothing on Christmas-eve to 250 poor persons assembled at Castlekuock glebe, county Dublin, and selected by the clergymen of the various reli gious demminations in the neighbourhood. LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER so, 1850: Iron—Prices cont'rue firm as follow !—Scotch pig iron 213- dolls. per ton; English Com. bars, 363- &lie.; best, 40 dolls.; refined, 46 dolls. per ton. Tin, I.C. 1-3 X, 10 dolls. Lead—Pig ii steady, with a fair inquiry; sales are quoted at 4 d 011 , ,. 62k c. per 100Ibs. for English; 4 dolls. 75 c. for American. Sugar—Our receipts aro light, and the market has advanced -lc. per lb. fur New Orleans, there existing a fair demand. We report sales at 5i c. to 64 c. for New Orleans; Cuba, :51- c.; Pcrto Rico, 64 C.; brown Ha ♦annah, 64 c.; white, Bc. per lb.; Dutch crushed, 8 c. per lb. Salt—The market is inactive at the fullovring rates:— Liverpool, Ashtons, 1 doll. 40 c.; other brands, 1 doll. 25 c. to 1 doll. 35 c. per sack. Spirits—The demand for foreign is moderate; sales have been effected at 1 doll. 90 c. for Hennessey's brandy;llartell's, 2 dolls. 30 c.; Godard's, 2 doll?. 30c. Whisky,: Irish, 1 doll. 15 c.; Scotch, 1 do 35 c. per gallon. DRURY-LANE THEATRE. Mr. Walter Lacy made his rentrie on Saturday, after an absence from London of three years, in the character of Wildrake, in the Love Chase, which he performed in the most artistic manner. We congra tulate the lovers of the drama on the return to the stage of the most gentlemanly actor of the day. He was much applauded throughout. Mrs. Nisbett was the joyous, fascinating, Neighbour Constance, and she never played better in her life than she did on Saturday. Mrs. Parker was the Widow Green, and acted with great spirit and humour. The pantomime concluded the evening's amusements. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. SlR,—Will your permit the following little kindly incident to appear in an early impression of your journal P At the anniversary dinner of the friends of the Commercial Travellers' Schools, two Bristol children (boy and girl), were presented by Mr. Charles Blowers, one of the stewards, to J. B. Hakerfield, lisq (Mayor of Bristol), who expressed his gratifica tion at their healthful and general appearance, and, with a kindly admonition, gave each of the children a sovereign. —Yours most respectfully, 37, Castle street, Holborn. C. B. THE BISHOP OF LONDON AND THE REV. MR. BENNETT. On Saturday the preliminary proceedings for depriv ing Mr. Bennett of the incumbency of St. Paul's, Knightsbridge, and the chapelry of St. Barnabas, Pim lico, were commenced on behalf of the Bishop of London. It will be recollected that Mr. Bennett, in his letter to the Bishop of London, stated that '' if his Lordship would not allow him time to make the desired alterations in his mode of conducting the services at his churches, he had no alternative but to place his living in his Lordship's hands." This part of his letter the Bishop considered as a formal resignation, and intimated to Mr. Bennett that he accepted it. A few days afterwards the Bishop made arrange ments for the future performance of the services in the churches, and informed Mr. Bennett of the nature of them. The Reverend Gentleman then de clared that he had not resigned at all, and, morever, that it was not his intention to do so. The Bishop informed him that he had resigned, and that he should, therefore, insist on his giving up the two churches. Mr. Bennett, however, stoutly refused to do so, and the matter is now to be brought into the Ecclesiastical Court; and, from the nature of the evidence which will Le brought for ward, it is likely to be some years be fore it is finally settled, as Mr. Bennett and his friends are determined to appeal to every court open to them should the Bishop succeed in the first instance. several of the most eminent ecclesiastical lawyers who have been consulted on the matter maintin that Mr. Bennett cannot be said to have resigned until he executes the formal dead required in such cases, a course which ho is nut likely now to adopt. The proceedings taken by the Bishop of London are under the 3d and 4th Viet., cap. 86, secs. 3 and 4, which is as follows:-- " And be it enacted that in every case of any clerk in holy orders of the united Church of England and Ire land who may be charged with any offence against the laws ecclesiastical, or concerning whom there may exist scandal or evil report, as having offended against the said laws, it shall be lawful for the bishop of the diocese within which the offence is alleged or reported to have been committed, on the application of any party com plaining thereof, or if he shall think fit, of his own mere motive, to issue a commission under his hand and seal to five persons, of whom one shall be his vicar-general, or an arch& aeon or rural dean within the diocese, for the purpose of making inquiry as to the grounds of such charge or report. . . . That it shall be lawful for the said commissioners, or any three of them, to examine upon oath all witnesses who shall be tendered to them for ex amination, as well of any party alleging the truth of the charge or ri port as of the party accused, and to all wit nesses whom they may deem it necessary tosummon for the purpose of fully prosecuting the inquiry and ascertain ing whether there be sufficient prima facie ground for instituting further proceedings. . . . . And when such preliminary proceedings shall have closed, one of the commissioners shall opbnly and publicly declare the opinion of the majority of the commissioners present at such inquiry, whether there be sufficient grounds for further proceedings." Should the commissioners decide that there is ground for:further proceedings, the Bishop may, with the consent of Mr. Bennett, pronounce sentence at once; but as Mr. Ben ne tt will not submit to this course, the matter will have to go before the Arches Court. In the meantime, the services at St. Paul's and St. Barnabas' will be, per formed by the curates. Both the churches of St. Paul and St. Barnabas were built and endowed by the Rev. Mr. Bennett, the former of which is worth 1,0001. a year, and the latter 350/. It is stated that the Reverend Gentleman has expended upwards of 100,000/. in the building and endowing the churches and schools of the districts of St. Paul and St. Barnabas. TH E ~VNGINE-DBIVERS' STRIKE.—Do not the men see that the inevitable result of all these strikes will be that it will encourage railway directors to initiate hundreds of new hands, even at some temporary expense to themselves, in order that the supply of engine-drivers may exceed, and not as ❑ow fall short of the demand. And who will sufter then? Not (Oily the present body, who, we think, are extremely well oft; but the whole of the increased class together, many of whom will ever be thrust out of employment, and prevented bout regainiEg it, by the competition which undue numbers R ill induce. Let the present body of drivers be advised. For . _ their own sak es , they ought at (mice to retrace their erroneous steps and make honourable peace with their employers.— Builder. APPREHENSION OF A RUNAWAY COLLECTOR..-- Mr. John Hyde, aged 29, collector of debts, &c., Norfolk street, was brought before the bench, charged by Mr. Hum phrey, John Eyre, and others, trustees under the will of the late Mr. Newbould, with fraud. A warrant for his appre hension was taken out, and on Thursday police detective White apprehended him walking in the streets of Glasgow. He had about BO( 1. in his possession. When placed before tF e bench, Mr. Raynor said that be was not prepared to go into the evidence against the accused, for he had only that moment been brought into the police-office, ard, therefore, he would ask for him to be remanded till Monday next. The application Was granted, and the prisoner was removed. —Sheffield Times, ARGYLL ROOMS. Christmas without a dance would be almost as bad as Christmas without a pantomime, and not a few of the rising generation would rather forego their plum-pudding than the quadrille party, which usually accompanies the mistletoe season of festi►ity. Alas, however, the great metropolis abounds in multitudes of gay young sparks, and old ones too, who know not the sweets of a romping jovial domestic circle, where " Friends and families get all together, And feelingly talk o'er the weather." Their homes, where they were wont to trip it on the " light fantastic toe" at " Race-balls, and country-balls, and balls where you, For seven shillings, got dance and surer too," _ are far, far away ; and since the cold isolation of a third floor front, or a second-floor back in a London todging-house is their o n ly r e t rea t, w h a t won d e r th a t they Should seek to while, with dance or song, Their sadder thoughts away," what wonder they should flock in crowds to so agreeable a place as the Argyll Rooms, where they can dance to the brilliant strains of an orchestra which, fur its number, has perhaps few equals in taste or execution ; nor does it, in the least, detract from the pleasure of the countless Terpsichores and sylphs who here in dulge in the exciting cry of " Vive la danse," to know that the same orchestra has often performed similar polka', waltzes, or quadrilles, for the gratification of the distinguished patricians who may have figured last year at the balls of the nobility. No musical di rector is more patronised in that way than M. Lau rent, jun., who is not only a skilful conductor, but, like his brother, the chef d orchestra at Drury-lane, an accomplished composer. The success of the Ar gyll Rooms, however, may be rather attributed to the circumstance of the saloon being as favourably situated as it is charmingly decorated; and the fact that every member of the orchestra is perfect in his department. Concerts are given in addition to the dancing, and though they are not quite so finished and elaborate, they are less noisy, and to the lovers of superior instrumentation equally as attractive as those of M. Jullien. Then, let all who wish to mark the runners of the town, to enjoy a dance, or feast their ears upon sweet music, that softens the passions and soothes the aching heart, bear in mind that M. Laurent nightly waves his baton at the Argyll Rooms. M. ROBIN'S SOIREES PARISIENNES, ET FAN TASTIQUES, 232, PICCADILLY. An opportunity was afforded us on Saturday even ing of witnessing an exhibition which, if we mistake not, bids fair not only to rival, but to out-do all the marvels hitherto presented to the world under the name of natural magic, and we hasten to say natural, because, despite of our strong philosophic nerves, we must needs do our best to believe that it was so, and from past experience we know that the best way to believe that a story is true, is to frequently repeat to ourselves that it is ; and in this instance we would not yield to the temptation of believing the contrary. O ye, whose motto is nil mirandum (which we beg freely to translate thus—nothing new, &c., &c., &c.) go and see the new aspirant to cabalistic fame, the last candidate for pseudo-demoniacal honours, the arch necromancer, Monsieur Robin, whose temple of wonderful unrealities and real wonders, opens this very evening its portals to a doomed-to-be fascinated public, and retract your past errors. oye that take a contrary view of the subject, and say that the ultima ratio rerun is as far from us as ever (again we apolo gize for translating, wonders will never cease), go and see him too, and thus anticipate upon the monstsr prodigy of 1851, and if he enter not into a quart bottle, he will, at least, conjure in and out of it such strange things, that if you are mere ordinary mortals you will find it hard to believe what you see, or see what you believe: Lend him your money, your rings, your snuff-boxes, anything and everything (your souls excepted —we are not quite sure where he would send them), and they will be returned to you safe and sound, we are willing to guarantee the re sult ; but what they will go through in the interim, neither you nor we can tell. But all these are com mon-place feats, and though done to perfection, would not secure him a resting. place on the pinnacle we have raised for him in our opinion. We have seen him ascend to such a height in the hitherto unexplored regions of the prodigious, that we almost feared he would spurn our said pinnacle. Fortunately he deigned to reach the ground again, and our intended pedestal will not have been set up in vain. Of one thin g we feel certain, that those who witnessed with ourselves his Cc ffre de Surete, his lmprimerie de 1951, his Portleuille, his Coffre transparent, will bear us out in the propriety of our remarks. But Monsieur Robin is not alone the centre of attraction— "Divisum imperium cum altra Robin habet " and another there is who had well nigh deprived him of his hard-earned dictinction, viz., Madame Robin, who now claims a share of our attention. Is there really such a thing as clairvoyance, Seconde vue lneidite, or whatever it may be called ? Go, pray, and judge for yourselves. On she comes, blind folded, and with an inconceiva'ole degree of readiness tells him and describes to him whatever objects are entrusted to him by the audience. But this has been done before, and Madame Robin will go farther. Behold, then, Monsieur Robin, with a little bell in his hand, again he borrows object after object, and upon his simply tingling his little bell, she gives him real answers to suppostitious queries, and you must be amazed !—then again Madame Robin stands upon a table in the middle of the stage, one moment she is concealed from your view, by a large truncated cone open at both ends, the cone is removed, and she is gone—upon which, a tall young man is called up, and desired to take his station where she had pre viously stood,—be too is covered up—and both are, but we trust not for ever—gone ! We must alsoiadd that Monsiekr Robiddistinguished himself in a manner we were not prepared to give him credit for; and well may Monsieur Soyer tremble for his nectareous fame; we have tasted M. Robin's Punch de Lucifer, and deemed it matchless. Ye parents and guardians, whose tender offsprings require to be treated in these holiday times, hasten to M. Robin's Soirees Parisiennes, and be thankful you have a good excuse for treating yourselves. P.S. In justice to M. Robin, we are bound to add, with a view to removing false impressions, that all coins", entrusted to him are returned, save those de posited at the doors, of which we wish him an ample harvest. PLANTING OF SALISBURY CRAGS.—The following is an extract from a private letter from our distinguished townsman, David Roberts, R.A. ;—" I have carefully con sidered what has been said in the council and elsewhere, re specting the improvement of the slope around Salisbury Crags, by planting it with shrubs and trees, as also the oppo sition to it by my respected friends Sir W. G. Crag and Mr. Robert Chambers. As far as my feeling on the matter is worth knowing, I am most cordially with you (in favour of the planting). There are, perhaps, few more tenacious in anything tending to alter the characteristic features of our glorious and romantic town than I am ; but the matter in question seems to me so obvious, that I only wonder what the nature of the objections are that could counterbalance the picturesque beauty that would result should your sug gestion be adopted ; from boyhood I have thought so, and am the more confirmed in it, on looking at the plantations around the Castle Hill and the western slope of the Calton Hill, both of which I well remeber treeless and bare. Pray. ask those who oppose this, whether either would be im proved by a return again to its primitive nakedness? I tear you overrate my influence in this matter; a picture re presenting the sides of the mountain clothed in copses and forest trees might have some avail —my pen, I fear, but little. Still I have little fear that you will carry the point; and, as far as my co-operation can in any way be service able, you may command it."—Edinburgh Advertiser. REPEAL. OF TEE WINDOW-TAX.—It will be ob served, from the brief accouxt we gave of what took place on Saturday at the Marylebone Vestry, respecting the repeal of the window-tax, that Sir Peter Laurie stated that he was almost justified in pledging ;himself that the window duties will be repealed in the coming session. Our information on the same subject coincides with that of the worthy knight ; but the conclusion at which we arrive is just the opposite of his. He says that, because Government are likely t o repeal the window-tax there ought to be.no agitation. We say , assuming that Mini s t ers do contemplate the rem i ss i on of that obnoxio us i m p os t, wh i ch we have every reason t o be lieve is the fact—that a vigorous agitation in favour :of that object will at once prove a stimulous to them to carry eut their purpose, and a vindication of their conduct when they have done it. But on this point we shall have more to say ill a day pr two,— 4dvertieer. AFFRAY WITH NORTH AMERICAN INDIANS. (From the Nautical Standard.) The following is an .extract of a letter from art officer of the Daedalus, dated San Francisco, Oct. 31, 1850 : " We arrived at Esquimault Harbour, Vancouver's Island, on the 22i of September, and after completing water, and cutting spars, of which we took on board more than 100, we embarked the Governor, and pro ceeded through the straits for Beaver Harbour, where we arrived on the Bth of October, having had a nar row escape, th e s hi p passing w i t hi n a f ew yardsof an immense sunken roc k i n S c b ucast i c B ay. The island is full of good bays and harbours; the northern has not yet been surveyed. The land, about Victoria, appears to be the mo s t a d vantageous for settlers, the ground being clearer there than any other part we visited. The scenery is delightful ; the immense oaks in the large and beautiful pa r k s rem i nded us much of dear old England. Durin g our stay at Esquimault we were supplied daily with excellent mutton, vege tables, and milk ; to the northward we could obtain nothing. " The object of our visit being to demand the mur ders of three of the Hudson's Bay servants, and the chiefs of the Newetta tribe having refused to give them up, the boats of her Majesty's ship Daedalus were :dispatched, on the afternoon of the 12th of October, to endeavour to capture their chiefs and de stroy their villages. A pull of twenty miles brought them off the Indian settlement, but too late to attack them. After a cold and miserable night the party landed at daylight and burnt the village, and then re turned to the ship. Receiving information that more of the Newetta tribe, said to consist of 200, well sup plied with arms and powder, were located at Bull Harbour, the pinnace and cutter, in charge of Lieu tenant Burton, and Mr. Scott, second-master, with Mr. Leonard, Lieutenant R.M., Messrs. Chads and Bruce, midshipmen, and 46 men, left the ship on the night of the 14th of October. The weather, unfortu nately, came on most boisterous, and after a fruitless attempt to beat to windward, the pinnacle came to an anchor under an island for the night; the cutter, thinking her consort a bead, kept on their oars, and arrived within a short distance of her destination at daylight, when, seeing nothing of the pinnace, and observing a canoe to seaward, gave chase, and was fast overhauling her when the Indians fired their muskets, and were immediately joined and taken in tow by some dozen canoes, that swarmed out from under the land, and assumed a most warlike appear ance, being fast reinforced by others. Nothing daunted, our fellows gave way towards them ; but finding they edged close to the bush, and seeing the abject of the Indians was to decoy them close to the bush, the cutter would not become the assailants, considering sixteen men would be too small a force to give battle to at least 100 armed Indians so protected. On the boats rejoining company they pro ceeded to the place where they bad last seen the enemy, let fly two or three rounds of grape-shot from the pinnace into the woods, and then proceeded to Bull Harbour, ordering the cutter to chase a canoe, which was observed watching their movements. After a pull of ten minutes the cutter found herself in a small creek, and having seen the Indians, she deter mined to cut their canoes out, but on running within nine or ten yards of the beach found a landing could not be effected at the head of the bight ; a well-directed fire of musketry from both sides soon told their whereabouts, and having received orders not to go in the bush, the cutter's people gave them 1.50 rounds of ball cartridge from the boat, the Indians yell ing and making a most fearful noise. The am munition being nearly expended, and their fire having ceased, the cutter hauled out and re gained the ship, now off the point. It is thought the bushes must have broken the fire of the Indians, seve ral men being struck with spent shot, the second master wounded in the arm (several slug shots also entering his clothes, but without injuring him). George Doble, private R Al , Lally Rounded in the leg, and lance-corporal Cornish slightly wounded in the hand. " On hoisting in the boats we made sail for San Francisco, arriving there on the 23d of October. We lost overboard a poor boy in a gale of wind, on our passage down, the second-master leading the life-boat's crew, although his arm was still bad from the wound he received at Vancouver's Island, but which did not deter him from being agai❑ first on that duty. We sail for Valparaiso on the 10th of November, taking a quantity of gold dust on freight. L' - L .iO5B OF . JIFE BY FIRE.—On Saturday Mr. H. M. Wakley held an inquest at the Duke of York, York-place, St. John's-woad, on William Ball, aged four, the son of Mr. Ball, architect and land-surveyor, 12, Ehaitree-road. De ceased was left for a short time by himself i❑ the parlour, when he began playing with the fire, and he was quickly en veloped in flames. The nurse, attracted by his screams, soon extinguished the flames, but the little sufferer sustained such injuries that he only survived one day.—On Friday Mr. Payne held an inquest in St. Thomas's Hospital on Mary Anne Moore, aged four, whose clothes caught fire while she was playing with Christmas candle?, and she was burned almost to a cinder. Verdict in both cases—" Accidental death." Her Majesty has been graciously pleased to direct that. the Servants' Provident and Benevolent Society, whose establishments, recently removed from Cork-street to Great Marlborough-street, have been personally inspected by. his Royal Highness Prince Albert, be in future styled the Ser vants' Royal Provident and Benevolent Society. Several colliers from Kilmarnock have been hire(' by the Hudson's Bay Company to proceed to 'Vancouver's Island, in order to work the coal mines. FIRE AT THE EGYPTIAN HALL, PICCADILLY.-- Yesterday afternoon the utmost excitement prevailed in the immediate neighbourhood of Piccadilly, in consequence of a cry being raised that the well-known place of amusement called the Egyptian Hall was on fire. 'ln an instant a body of flame was perceived issuing apparently from the Exhibition of California, on the first floor. This caused the cabmen and others to travel with all possible expedition for the aid of the firemen. Three engines belonging to the London brigade were remarkably quick in arriving, when the fire men found that an escape of gas having taken place in the frame of the large transparency belonging to Messrs. Paul and Co., the proprietors of the diorama representing the overland route to California, it had caused the painting out side the building to become ignited, and the great heat melted the gas pipes, so that the flames eventually communicated with the wooden frame of the window, and brae a nnmber of squares of glass. The firemen and police succeeded in soon extinguishing the fire, and before more damage was done than previously stated. With the exception of the destruction of the transparency and the broken glass, the loss may be termed inconsiderable. The police mustered in strong numbers, and prevented the populace from breaking into the premises, and thereby much damage was spared. It could not be ascertained whether the premises were insured or not. THE RAKE'S PROORESS.—On Saturday Mr. 1 - 1. M. Wakley concluded, at the Old King's Head, Short's gardens, St. Giles's, an adjourned inquest on Samuel Townsend, aged 50, son of the late Mr. Townsend, well known at Tattersall's and on the turf, and celebrated as a horse dealer, in which capacity he invariably purchased carriage and racing studs for the then Dukes of Buccleuch, Norfolk, Richmond, and other distinguished noblemen. James Drain, deceased's companion, stated that deceased was so destitute that he slept in cellars, doorways, lanes, courts, or anywhere he could. On the night of his death lie slept with witness on the bench of a taproom, in an unoccupied beer-shop in Wyld-street. Before going to bed he complained of his condition, declared that he could bear it no longer, and that he would destroy him self. Missing him in the middle of the night, witness went in search of deceased, whom he found lying dead in the dust-hole, his face buried in the dust. Latterly he earned a few pence by begging and attending cabs, which was his only support. He told witness that be had a wife and child in good circumstances in Gloucestershire, but that his family wholly disowned him. It was further stated that in early life deceased draw a cheque for 8,000/. on his father's bankers, which he spent in folly and dissipation in Paris; after which his family discarded him. Mr. Bennett, surgeon to St. Giles's workhouse, deposed that he performed post mortem examination, and that deceased died of aneurism of the heart. Verdict—Natural death. OXFORD.—The county meeting on the Papal ag gression is appointed to be held on Thursday next, the 2d of January, at the county-hall. The names of the Duke of Marlborough, and of Lords Abingdon, Jersey, Macclesfield, and Valentia, together with those of many of the principal landed proprietors, &c., are appended to the address, which will " pray her Majesty to adopt measures for repressing the vaunted usurpation of the Queen's supremacy and preroga tive, and the grievous insult to our Protestant country." THE MARBLE ABCs.—On Friday morning a number of workmen commenced pulling down the railings and the lodge at Cumberland-gate, the entrance to Hyde park from the top of Oxford -street. At the same time they began building a smith's forge and workshop, together with sheds for the accommodation of bricklayers and manes. On inquiry it was stated to be the intention to erect the marble arch which had been taken from the front of Buckingham Palace upon this site. REVENUR SEIZIIRE.—SERIOUS AFFRAY.--A [arty of the revenue police stationed at Mountfleld proceeded on Sunday night, in consequence of previous information, to the -townland of Aughmeenacroy, under the command of Lieu tenant Graves, where they seized a still in full work, with a large quantity of illicit liquor, in the stage known as " singling." They also took three prisoners after a sharp scuffle, the persons being well known as desperate characters. When returning to Mountfield, about half-past two o'clock in the morning, with the prisoners, they were fired upon by a number of persons concealed in the heath through which the road ran. The first shot took effect in the thigh of one of the police, named Thomas Keys. Lieutenant Graves imme diately ordered the men to form a square, and the hindmost rank to keep up tiring in the direction whence the attack came, while the whole party moved steadily forward, keeping the prisoner in the centre. After about 20 (hots had been exchanged the firing ceased on the part of those ambushed in the heath, owing, it was supposed, to the fear of wounding the prisoners, who themselves called out loudly for tlAtir frieno's to desist, or they would be murdered. The revenue party then made their way good into Mounttield, when me isiCedt i c a a t aide wound updrobcauarebdeefour inflicted tl3e w oundedeither man. It tw rifle as fou bullet nd or some larger missile of a square form, and was very dange roofutsh.eltis attackingfea red parties esiihave amputationbee been mustlf apprehended.res o resorted t l o t . organised, several heavy seizures having recently sup posed that the attack must.have been preconcerted and re gularlybeen made in that district by Lieutenant Graves and his party.—Tyrone Constitution. LIVERPOOL, DEC. 28.—The United States Mail steamer Atlantic, Captain West, sailed for New York this afternoon, carrying out a number of passengers and a fair cargo of goods, together with a pretty heavy mail. The Arctic, that was to leave new York on the 21st, will probably , arrive about Thursday. _ Mr. Dodsworth ha!, it is stated, placed his resig. nation in the hands of the Bishop of London. ST. Hum :A.—Sir James Emerson Tennent, Colo. nisi Secretary at Ceylon, will succeed the late Sir Patrick liQke r Governor of §ti Eticaa, AMERICAN NEWS. ARRIVAL OF THE ASIA. LIVERPOOL, SUNDAY. The Royal Mail steam-ship Asia, Captain C. H. E. Judkins, arrived here on Saturday night, from New York, after a voyage of ten days nine hours (without any deduction) from port to port. This is beyond doubt the quickest voyage ever made, being about two hours less than her own previous unrivalled trip of Angust last. The Asia left New York on the 18th inst., has brought the usual mails, about sixty passengers, and specie on freight to the amount of 250,000 dolls. The political news by this arrival is not uninter esting. In Congress Mr. Cass bas introduced a reso lution in the Senate, calling for the correspondence between the Government and the Austrian Minister, relative to the diplomotic agent sent by the United States to Hungary during the revolutionary conflict iu that country. Mr. Benton has introduced a Bill for the construction of a railroad to the Pacific. No action has been taken on the above Bills. The Presi dent has communicated the official information to the House of the acceptance of the ten million indemnity by Texas. It was before intimated that great offence bad been taken in South Carolina by the additional force of regular troops which had been lately introduced there, and a " difficulty " seemed likely to arise out of it. In reply to the inquiry of the Governor demanding the reason for sending troops to the garrison of that state, the President states that being commander-in chief of the navies and armies of the United States, he cannot be held accountable for the manner in which he performs his duties. This was considered a haughty reply, and retaliatory steps were talked of, of which some evidence appears by a telegraphic dis patch, which had reached New York, that the Senate of South Carolina had passed a Bill for a convention, and appropriated the sum of 300,000 dollars to be applied to military purposes ; this step had, however, excited more surprise than alarm amongst the friends of the Union. The State Convention now in session in Georgia, with reference to the slavery question and the position of the south, have under consideration the report of a committee in favour of the preservation of the union, and of adopting the measures of the last Congress as the basis of a permanent adjustment of the sectional controversy. The holders of claims against Texas, it is said, will soon be able to realise a dividend. The United States Government will soon issue stock to pay the 10,000,000 dolls. indemnity, whilst Texas pays the bondholders 5,000,000 dolls. pro rata. A number of lives were lost on the Mississippi, near New Orleans, on the 13th inst., by the explo sion of the boiler of a steam-boat. She was on a pleasure excursion with a party of over 100 persons on board, including several ladies and many of the most respectable citizens of New Orleans. Among the sufferers are several members of the New Orleans press. The ship South Carolina, from Liverpool Oct 20, arrived in the lower harbour of Boston on the 12th inst., with signals of distress. She had $0 cases of small-pox on board, from which the passengers had suffered severely. George Thompson is lecturing to large audiences in Boston on the subject of British India ; having given up any direct reference to the " peculiar insti tutions" of America, he is heard with attention by large audiences. A spirited meeting has been held in New York by the friends of cheap postage. Resolutions were adopted urging an immediate and general action in Congress in favour of the Bill reported at the last sesaiun, providing for a uniform rate of two cents, prepaid, on letters, and one cent on newspapers. A destructive conflagration took place at Halifax on the 11th inst., consuming about 100 dwelling houses and the North Barracks. Our advices from Hayti to November 24 inform us that preparations were still on foot for an attack on St. Domingo, and that the army was recruited by constant impressments. The inhabitants of St. Do mingo were under no alarm from the contemplated invasion. Coffee was scarce, and little to be bought at any price. A severe tempest occurred at Porto Rico on the 25th of November and lasted for five days. It was accompanied with a deluge of rain, which inundated the whole north side of the island, and interrupted all communication. Great damage was feared for the coffee and sugar cane in the low lands, and the rice crop, which was just ripening, has suffered severely. Considerable injury was done to the ship. ping in the harbour. There is nothing of importance from Canada. COMMERCIAL, NEW YORK, DEc. 18. Business continues in a very satisfactory state. The abundance of money on call continues, and loans are easily made at 5 to 6 per cent, on good stocks and lower on governments. The supply of paper is not large , and the demand is good. First-class names go at sto 7 per cent. for short dates, and 6 to 8 per cent. for long dates. The rates have rather a downward tendency. The receipts of the banks are very large, and they are discounting freely. In exchanges there has been a Isle business for the steamers, and the supply of bills is moderate. Rates have been very firm, but at the close there was rather more disposition to sell. Sterling is 104 to 104 ; the latter for first-class signatures. Francs, 515t0 5 some sight bills were sold at 5 07f. Continental bills are all high. Hamburgh, 361 to 37; Bremen, 80 to 80i; Amsterdam, 414 to 41k. The market is firm for freights in consequence of but few Liverpool vessels being in the berth. Engagements of 10,000 to 12,000 bbls. flour at 18d.; 1,000 bbls. oil meal, Is. 9d.; 500 bales cotton, 5-32 d. and 3-16 d. asked; for grain sd. is asked. To London; 2,000 bbls. flour was taken at 190.; to Holland, some heavy freights at 30s. A foreign vessel was engaged to load at the south for Hamburgh at 21. To California there is a fair business doing at 60e. to 80c. up to 1 doll. NEW YORK MARKETS. Ashes—The market continuesinactive, and pots have declined to 5 dolls. 50c. to 5 dolls. 62ic., or 275. to 275. 9d.; pearls, 5 dolls. 75c. to 5 dolls. 80c. per 1001bs; or 28s : 3d. to 28s. Bd. per cwt. f. o. b. Bees Wax—Sales at 23c. to 24c. per lb. for western yellow. Breadstuffs—The comparatively small stock of flour now here has caused a considerable speculative inquiry, and the market continues firm with an upward tendency. Canadian wheat is in good demand fur export, and holders being firm prices have slightly advanced. Corn has been in moderate request, prices rather easier, and the market closes dull at quotations. Flour—Genesee and Southern brands, 5 dolls.o6lc. to 5 dolls. 12ic., or 225. 10d. to 235. sd. Ohio, Michigan, and Canada, 4 dolls. 68c. to 4 dolls. 75c., or 20s. 3d. to 205,9 d. per bbl. f. o. b. Wheat—Genesee, 1 doll. 20e. to 1 doll. 22c., or 41s. 6d. to 425. 2d; Canada, in bond, 1 doll. 05c. to 1 doll. 08e., or 365. 4d. to 375. 6d. per qr. of 4801bs. 1. o. b. Indian corn, 650. to 67c. per 561b5., or 245. 4d. to 255. per qr. f. o. b. EXPJLTS FROM THE 3D TO THE 17TH INSTANT. Flour. Wheat. London 4,600 bbls. Liverp00l Glasgow 111,060 bushels. Cotton—Since the arrival of the America, with un favourable accounts of the political affairs on the Conti n( nt, our market has been depressed; with little demand for e xport. Prices, since tho date of our last circular (the 3d instant), have declined /c. to lc. per lb., and our market closes dull and unsettled. The quotations given below are as accurate as the irregularity of the market will admit. QUOTATIONS. Now Orleans Ord. Mid. Mid. Fair. Fair. and Mobile 121 to 121 13 to 134 14 14 per lb Uplands and Florida ... 12 to 12i 12i to 13 131 13i „ Naval Stores-We have no particular transactions to report. The market is steady at the following rates Common rosin, ldull. 350. to 1 d011.45c per 2301b5., or 63. to 63. 4d. per brl.; wilmington. 2 dolls. 25c., or 10s; white rosin, 3 dolls. 250. to 3 dolls. 75e., or 15e. to 16s. 9d, per brl. f. o. b.; spirits turpentine, 370. per gallon, or 345. ld. per cwt.; soft turpentine, 2 dolls. 75c. per 2801bs , or 12s. 6d per brl.; tar, 1 doll. 68c. to 2 dolls. per brl.; pitch, 1 doll. 75c. per brl. Oils-Since the receipt of the letters per America, linseed oil has been in request at 80c. to 81c per gallon; whale is quiet at 50c. per gallon, or 321. ss. 9d. per tun; sperm, 1 doll. 25c., or 851. 16s. per tun. Lard has de clined to 65e. per gallon. Provisions continue firm at the following rates:-Ohio mess, 12 dolls. to 12 dulls. 25c., and,for new 12 dolls. 75c.; prime, 8 dolls. 75c. to 8 dolls. 87c. per brl.; beef mess, 8 dolls. 50c. to 8 dolls. 75c.; prime, 5 dolls. 25c. to 5 dolls. 50c. Ohio lard continues in demand at 71c. to Bc. per lb. Cheese is steady at 51c. per lb. Hams smoked. 70. to Bc. per lb.; pickled, 6c. per lb. EXPORTS FAOM 3D TO 17TR DECEMBER. London-150 brie pork, 1,798 trcs. beef, 56,980 lbs. ham and bacon, 286,911 lbs. cheese. Liverpool-50 brie. pork, 1,110 trey. beef, 187,039 ham and bacon, 13,500 lba lard, 353,251 lbs. cheese. Glasgow-150 tree. beer, 5,000 lbs. ham and beef, 15,721 lbs. cheese. IMPORTS. Coal continues depressed. Liverpool, 6 dolls 50c. per chaldron; Newcastle, 5 dolls. 25e. par chaldron. — Coffee—The market is firm at the followieg prices:— Laguayra, 1 Ic. ; Java, 13e. ; St. Domingo, 10c. per lb., at which sales have been effected. Drugs and Dyrs—The market generally is dull, the trade buying sparingly, to supply immediata wants only. We quote the following sales :—Opium, 4 dolls. per lb ; arsenic, 24c. to 3c. per lb ; soda :oh (80 per cent.) 24c.; sal soda, 2ic.; cream of tartar, 18e. per lb; cam phor, refined, 32e.; senna, alex., 18c. per lb. Dyewoods—The demand has declined considerably,:in consequence of the inland navigation closing; our quo tations are therefore nominal. Maracaibo rustic, 154 dolls.; Cuba, 28 dolls.; Savacilla, 17 dolls. per ton. Log wood—Campeschy, 25 dolls.; Honduras, 16 dolls; St. Domingo, 141 dolls. per ton. Hides are in request, and holders are firm. The fol- _ lowing sales are reported :—Buenos Ayres, 21 to 221b5., 144 c.; Caraccas 251b5., 1 Lic.• ' dry Florida, 10i- •.; Tam pico, 124 c. per lb. Stock on hand light. Indigo—Bengal, 1 doll. 25c.; Madras, 1 doll.; ,X - 11iiik 900, peg 10,