The Sun. — London, England, 1851-02-28 00:00:00

ss don isy ...... ••• SPORTING NOTES. No. XIV. RETROSPECTIVE GL NCE AT THE LIVER. POOL SPRING MEETING. "'Now, ir you look but closely, you will find I have the the s y eeds of judgment in m mind: The runnin g gi ves at l east a gl i mmering light; The lines, though traced but roughly, are drawn right. POPE. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. ki°la•—Although Lincoln commenced the compound Ztere of the legitimate and leather flapping as early as th e g,, 11 , ''" of the present month, yet it was but a prelinui znieli,!ift;tiol:tiyr.ish to the great ingo of Liverpool, which e —in the last eight and forty hours has become a mater The Liverpool Spring Meeting of 1851, though ot able to show such large fields us in seine of those I: ars nt)w sunk on the shores of time, yet could beast of a " attendance, I think I may affirm, hey '" ' all stew t aipi t i hc l a t s t pc l3 l ll o l : t t ion Ceiti ng contents, and some little The Spring Cup attracted eleven furni sh e Pos, one more than I xpected, and . ed a good race to the distance, with IhjaitY, Doubt, Baroness, Panope, and Caurire; here, Qwv er, matters changed; the three last were disgusted with the pace, and accordingly cut it; Unity and Doubt "(ti lt „ w . on in company to half-way up the distance, when . i d as evident to all, that the three-year-old Unity, the l a gbter of Anti-Repealer and Tahitha Bramble, was I f r yi tnli t ) g easily, which she did by two length; thus yen-- - 1P the remark ' I made in the note No. 11, that though ; e h :litt seems to be the crack, I very much notwithstanding the (If „fL er 'od of th e season , an d the length o f t h e course exi er :,"")." This observation was founded, to some At te '' , on the forward state of the youngsters this year, th e l ,.. bo table to the hitherto remarkable pen . state h of inether, the resort to " the straw " this winter ay- Filav e en more the exception tt an the rule. In last and 1\37'4 note I placed " Caurire first, Unity second,. bf o a o ubt third;" this was not very far out, but in ner —a) . I took Unity as the absolute win (third \ p lac ing Caurire (fourth), and Baroness petted next best in my estimation. I ex nfoop:rtintgh.aptostt,here woald be a larger field theB7: Gra nd National Steeplechase than mustered at but as twenty-one came to the scr r a t t a c n h ; stak e Can complain on that score.. . For this of selected Farnham and Fugitive, on the lm srr o ength what „% Ir Public performances, and the latter . for that " h " bad done in private likewise, little dreaming e W o - r a .. t I heard in the City conc . ernieg the first-named e j otfil pn 'ects and that he was amiss. I placed unlimited ' 4 %4 " e ° in the pair, expecting one or other, bar acici 450reidt° Pull me through for a certainty. e . under such a delusion with respect to 11 Fa o r w nh I am a i ittas t l a in in a few words :—my Irish correspondent in hi that Farnham and Sir John were the best 4 , 0 d it s b l aa rter, the former certain to beat the latter; ha red, r_iegUlar, correspondent (who, it may be remem t,bat me astray on the Lincoln races by stating had some mystery hung over Nancy, and that Ilidept, b etter pass her chance over without con- It Yla", nn ) on Thursd a y week certified (after a Were d ' u , Me that both Farnham and Fugitive 1. -Qin g good work. That he was correct 0 4 4 ; e lfct to Fugitive I am well aware, but as to is t "'lt, that was all humbug, as I know too well now 15 tcia, (1° late; however, I'll take care this game don't 1,,,te0-oZan; for I will at once do with them and one or , 7 0 , d my irregular correspondents what has lately 4 0er 4 -nt le with the Ministers of these realms—make thos e lgn their posts; and I have but little doubt that kat eei w i n i o rust to my pilotage will benefit soon and . Z'Y WY this change in the sporting Ministry of ' 4 I The t have observed, how, within my the e public mus ord .. three or four we ks, I have in a way unusual to most In a'Y tactics, tacked about several times in a t4pr• taYsterious manner. This has been caused by the L ie ctit kiss of the gentry mentioned above; it will not ( 7 1 0te a gain ; it will prevent me from laying ' ll p, ~,,,You to-day my analysir, of the Chester ,htoarld'')"ieh shall be elaborately (as its importance de -40 r `Aatained in the course of the ensuing week. the t e i e avid the subject which I had almost lost sight of, h P° O l Steeplechase was well contested by six ght n t t -e ° even ' animals I selected to form the first Netn,s"Atbe finish (Farnham being the seventh), five of 10 (1 trih4tbdtel-Nader, Maria Day, Sir John, Rat-trap, ir,Perary Boy —passing the judges' chair first, 5e ,,a0115,;"41r,d, fourth, and seventh, Fugitive, when going ' ° °king like a winner, came down a burster, l a ci ot tiTrtr`kng Bradley, and, from tho stiffness of the uer hors -de-combat at once; Maria Day's pose rsllkti t he final struggle, convinces me that had Fogi -I°4, r 4 11 t," her pins she must have been the winner or tette " neck or half-length, nothing else. It was a 0, former between Abd-el-haler and Maria Day, t °nly just nicking it by a long head. tto% th Y as well remark, betore concluding this speech ;tlat;"e throne—i• e my desk—that the new order of a l 1 :111 13 g P " a much . more extended scale, as announced FttI D A i'trAt note this year, will come into operation ,f(Wtt pr,,,eßately, and th a t all r u mo urs or re p orts th e se 'WI,n quarter s w ill b e i nserte d i n t h e notes, as well : 41 an rv ations of myself and correspondents, with orld t e l ," l "Y other intormation useful to the sporting porting no i 8 at my command, as announced in the beforementioned, No. I. ti 4 '.---P etfr Simple (if meant), at 10. it. 111 b., must t hat lg t= l ; tni bg for the Doncaster Steeplechase, not- ZatitC lo - "Lng that Abd el-Kade•r, British Yeoman, and ott -43 ' 6 gnre in the same race. fle ran very well or wP at Liverpool ; if he misses the mark, the other three will hit it. I am, Sir, yours, &e., THE SPIRIT OF THE TURF. Fo, -. 28, 1851. SPURTING INTELLIGENCE. CE. litt TATTERSALL'S— I t r e at E n s clu E n ßD ce, 4 y and business AAl : I fe w mem b ers were er Y flat, admitting of i only %short quotation. CHESTER CU .IS 6 yrs, 7st—taken "3 1 Rgst Mr. Tieen's Rtipsus, 5 - and afterwards offered 040 5 yrs, 6st—t 4. 4 to 1 agst Lord Clifclen'svlN:,,w.ch, yr , , Bst—t ° 1 agst mr. Nichol's 1 o 1 1 ° I° 1 at , st Lor Enfield's Bee-hunter,4 )rs, 7st 12Ib 4 0 t —taken 31 11 ° I get Mr. Lister's Nancy, yrs,3 4st 121 b—t e4ti s was back e d ear l y in the a A t s ter s n r o A o K n E a s t . 13 to 1. 1 : 100 n .., I " sv ° THOUSAND GUINE to 1 iv, lk, tlB 1 - .0 laid Eig s t Grecian-5 Ylph colt —and 10 to 1 agat Storm. DERBY. to 1 off d n the field 12 to s ere o 20 t u 1 sgst Mr. Osbaldes , ton i 's M st o el n i n a t ti a o i n n — S t y a l k p e h n colt ° 1 ugst Mr. Meiklam e Con ,25 t afterwards offered t ' °o l) t. , 0 3 1 , &gat Mr. J Clark's Marlborough Ruck—taken Op u 0 sgst Lord Eglinton's Bun to— ri, t(1 it -4.l'DbU agst Mr. Grevill i\ e l 's_A E r r t l os NG lil t '".140 COURSING E 1,! . 0(1,1 The Waterloo Cup. ,— ta i k r e a n sr DAY. 111. 1..' 1. ' A-''e'', Forlorn Hope ht, Mr. G. G ca re r g r. s s o c ri a 's pa D c a it l y to . n. 't.':jli Gr es ahisoi's Resign,tion bt Mr. , ..'-,'s - Wee-wee ht Nir.Wehb B ,. Wa s r t E G ag . tii - pf tW °l . ar ß . ll . 4r Pe's Ilughie Graham bt Sir 1, i . i kt, (~Is Columbus bt Mr. W. _ . Eagle. k7,sii;pl;eilr.°lnaes'sblocking, , son s The J.rroii'a Finisher. 411/4,:, Ittii4th,v,,,arto,n's, Bird lit M B r. ' Mot I b b t t M m r. r. A J l:ir ß sh ro il w ll' n s ,s G ß r r e e c a i k n. ofpay. ,I'. lla.elt) 8 SYTIDo' Tiulin bt Mr. J. 1 Robinson's 4,. . hipe4rd.worth s N\ at g'itk tcl4* ! l f illl " ad M imi bt Mr. Deakin's Danesaway. iiue. • S S, c4 . l3 ,r' 6St . en k bt Mr. Ellis's Bonnet -4.l.:l,ol,,nsws!".pa_l?Prat b a , t:N r ir Barnet's Betrue. n Slater 's Saxon. lit Mr. N. SI r S 4.1,,,q wilziwst- juazztzeinE Forest bt Mr. J. Co t o ic k o e rs s e C: erito k ilt i accl t t6 V oitigeur bt Mr. Simson's , Cs , ir :Liu Neale. vit'b-,,,'' thioertaint bt Mr. E. ; 4 `h st ila li t Forlorn Hope lit l'ayl . or s • L g in n t a y t:o s n ia H ni ng ik h e ie r k•u ) Bird tt e lite ', Vol • w'e' Jamie E'res'' Moc ) 1 g ''em 11' M 4 - n't e e' Nist bt Unc ß er e t s a l tilikibil.., ~.tigeur bt s ) 1 1/.. a 4 W t Tinlin bt Symbol, Japhetbt 1 uzz, . Waterloo Purse. 44 ' -".bil'B Wick a lit Mr. W. G. Barron's Blazllla, lip, rtl.,tiiiiit, al Wit (Error jebb's Clent. , . n,a _ i. ~ k : ii nai . von Veto,. -.taws Writ obt Mr. Doak' D r, 4 t.Par:crBlett's Backward bt Mr. W. Wilson's Willie 1. 4 s t • 44 t. i•(1, G. Gor's Triste bt Mr. Cooke ll 's o C m ho e r , u ,s s. ti t t il ke i t 4ewaY's Clydesdale bt Mr. G. 1 , ! I, 8 Money -1.41er Nwell's The Nailer bt Mr J. Robinson's *qt., p-legB. tkb... regsoll's Neville bt Mr. N. Slater nd Consideru th 11:14,4trheate,i,labled to state, in the most positive C i on- Niq_utit,4l,si_lße reasnn why 1 Gladstone refused in *oin. ~,ie ' . .'s ofP!sted .Cabinet of Lord Stanley, was not and ta,,gilt-amaY disagreement between the Noble Lord lic im't, 1,,,`,..)u.. Gentleman on the that of free trade. Lord WaLkile r'!_quite willing to put question in abeyance. the,' ille S. ts , ll whY Jr. Gladstone declined to enter office lei.'" an ..4.0u1e Lord, was a difference of opinion between th.ll.je .he Subject Lord Stanley Ci?ttis4, bound, alike from his principles . as a l',ttl a lions a Minister, to his Sovereign, to take de titte, 11i,,, ~ reference to the recent assumptions d of the de of bei,r, kziadstone, on the other hand,. l hear of no IC t,Ne u t aken at all to check the aggression .o s n of the Church ts:ja"4l'ltt,,;rti\aVned believe. we are correct in stating that the Gentleman were ot tw 14i144t14Nthertl)ee f l o t rT h tl t lev il s o e n v . erally saw the uttersmpro- Ni' °I their corning to in understanding. Advertiser.. o inquest 11 ' 14 tilt tliltriG AT SODBURY.—The adjourned i n n9 we e d_ 14ttty.714,,Y,,0f Mrs. Jane Hathway 7a t s ere r s e t sun i;i d e prisoners, o 11)t , i.i hp . and all " `tit of tiAcitie len, as c e a c i i is a e n d d intense the gi r i l n Caroline Carey, were I:th4l'eu t erit in custody, but shortly after the business . c n o i m ng 5 fe e "r°ll 'd hd . 1 not feel warranted in detat . 41Z111:114rigsuicertr sfnauir,ntnheeea:s. there was nothing in the e vi- She was then discharged tl,6,cratil'idcrice havingl been given, the jury, after a short 1'.1:` 4 th,", returned a verdict—" Deceased came by her for' ll tr i !l C,:ir)blip Poison administered to her by her husli.andd, al 0 liatkway." The husband Wa . 9 then committe 4,411,,,r01:t1er,the 'coroner's warra , nt, for wilful murder. 11 .. 96t1 5er,' v% ARWICK, AND n ORCE:.TER RAILWAY..-- t l o st in :,(l e tr a e t t ice of the Official manager, Mr. Wryghte, „ having tt a .3 intended on Wednesday to ask Masteribacha v r e d d s li ta k :4 sh„eall,uPen all those contributories who had received ,zai-rf,iinltet:gra,cituie)ar:svecairsaa most numerous attendance_ observed - \°ll al ' :. s i t sd• Afte long hearing, the Master . ob, d_ 8t P t 1 . 4 , 8 041 e veriii a confirmed liiru b ' i s n i, h e i f s of h in is te p n r t e l e o e n edin r g e s. atte r _ e report as tne a - L. t ev e , , .nvqas eventually adjourned to Frida March 21, (2[4l4tehci, oirlie i:Dird_er that evidence might brought forward be subjects dis t at the „,'? l, 9 3 ager in resp ect to various el ' c) rd p '.". t e Ing. t ttt) r , i, ,ollington has addressed a letter to the 'ilkaprtt,4"l L,ontefract and the adjacent district, in which he 4; 1 14 Aotalb, surprise and regret that he should have bean -.1 t kti"' aliti °t l Against his friend Mr. Lawley, defeat at the be 420, the subject of A mortifying defeat. MINISTERIAL CRISIS. -- SPIRIT of the PUBLIC JOURNALS. 1 IMES.—We are disposed to leave to other pans the more appropriate task of celebrating the daring enter prise and unrewarded toil which made yesterday event ful in the Protectionist annals, and thretieened at one moment to make it still more eventful in the annals of the country. For we do not aspire to record the pro ceedings cf the conclave in St. James's square, and we are satisfied without nearer evidence that Lord Stanley did for his party all that could be effected by the spirit and vigour of a leader unsupported by a single man of trit d p aitical character or recognized political ability. From an early hour till sundown the struggle lasted —not indeed with any visible adversaries, but with the more incurable obstacles of a vacant and dis satisfied party, reduced to forsake its own principle of action at the very moment it affected to assume the direction of the State. At the Carlto❑ the vain efforts of a deluded enthusiasm were unsupported by the evidence of a single positive accession to the projected Administration. On the contrary, all that could be learned in the outer world of the prospects of the new Government were the names of the eminent persons who had refused to join it; and the boldest flights of conjecture never reached beyond Mr. Berries, Mr. Disraeli, and Mr. Henley, as the chief organs of the Administration in the House of Commons. Towards evening, however, it was thought that enough had been done to retreat with honour, and the intelligence circu lated that Lord Stanley had once more resolved to re sign his commission for the formation of a Government into the hands of her Majesty. A Noble Earl, well known i❑ fashionable life, made the announcement at White's, and Lord Stanley himself proceeded to the Palace to report the termination of his efforts. Our anticipations of yesterday are thus verified, and with the results we had already ascribed to this transaction. The Protectionists, separated from almost all that is posserful or trustworthy in the Conservative party, have been for forty-eight hours masters of the Government of Britain. The failure of their opponents and the voluntary abnegation of their rivals left them a wide field for the display of all their policy and all their resources. The urgent want of an Administration to conduct the business of the country was never more strongly felt. All the powers which the Constitution places in the hands of a Minister on his accession to office were in their possession. Even their own followers had begun liberally to discard the encum brances of their creed. All was in vain. The bigotted adherents of the Protestionists to a lost cause has reduced them to the fraction of a party, and Lord Stanley arrived by the exhaustion process at the demonstration that no Tory Government can now be linseed out of the mate rials he possesses, or upon the principle of commercial pro tection. It now, therefore, becomes imperatively neces sary to terminate the present crisis by a return to the most practicable of the combinations already attempted, and to make whatever sacrifices or concessions are re quired to give the utmost possible strength and effect to that combination. This is not a moment at which any sort of personal recrimination would be in place. The Embarrassments of the past week have been too great, the stoppage of the whole business of Parliament at the outset of the session is too deplorable, the duties of the immediate future, especially iu the present year, are too pressing, for us to stoop for a moment to the grati fication of any personal predilections. The only ques tion worth asking, since we hare now completed the round of all the known combinations of party is, " How is the Queen's Government to be most efficiently carried on?" This is not a time at which any accession of strength can with impunity be thrown away. It is understood that the members of the Whig Administra tion will meet this morning in the iii" private capacity at Lansdowne-house, to consider the course that it be comes them to pursue, since they are thus thrown back to office by the failure of all competitors. But we trust that it will be admitted by those who are most anxious to promote the stability of the Government, that a mere repetition of the performances which ter minated last week will be hailed with no satisfaction by the country. It will leave the abrupt resignation of the Milne Minister wholly unaccounted for, it, within eight days, he is to resume his place in the House of Com mons, as if his Government had suffered no defeat, or had become insensible to what it suffered. Too much sensitiveness then would only be followed by too much indifference now; and the transaction would pass with the world for little more than a piece of legerdemain. To remove these impres sions another vigorous effort should be made to obtain for the Administration that increase of strength which it requires. In political life nothing is so hopeless as to attempt a return to the past. That ever-shifting sphere effaces in a few hours the traces of what has ceased to be, and the seat which is once left vacant has already crumbled away. Not an address, not a meeting, scarcely a journal, has signified the faintest desire to revive the identical Administration which expired last week; and if this crisis has destroyed the last illusions of the Pro tectionists, it has more clearly demonstrated the neces sity of uniting the great divisions of their successful op ponents. During the interregnum which must intervene between the dissolution of one Government and the con struction of another, while both Houses of Parliament are buried in compulsory silence and the constitutional functions of the Exectuive Government are in abeyance, a duty devolves on the Press per hap' the most important which it can be called upon to fulfil. It is only through the columns of the newspapers that opinions as to the qualifications of public men, the c embinations of parties, and the probable good or ill success which awaits them, can meet the eyes of the immediate advisers of that august personage wLo presides over the exciting struggle for place and power. Then, if ever, is the time for the press to deal candidly and straightforwardly with the characters and conduct of public men, and to discharge without fear or favour the trust which has devolved upon it of representing the public. This duty we have endea voured, to the utmost of our ability, to perform during the present crisis, and in the course Of it we have been obliged to point out the obvious difficulty which was thrown in the way of a successful coalition by placing the power of negotiating it in the hands of Lord John Russell, who is most undountedly more nearly connected with and more responsible for the rec,nt abandonment of the Ministry by the ma jority of the House of Commons than any other mem ber of the Cabinet. It, has been our misfortune, by making these observations, to incur the censure —and that expressed in no mitigated terms—of a por tion of the press, which appears disposed to fill up the present blank in political affairs by fixing upon us a per sonal and degrading quarrel. We are told that Lord John Russell was our patron; that we followed his for tune steadily when prosperous; and we are now charged with turning upon him when in adversity. It is really time for these who expire to direct and enlighten public opinion to lay aside a slang so childish and so meaning less. We, of course, can only answer for ourselves. Whether our indignant cotemporaries may have chosen for themselves some patron whose steps they steadily follow and whose principles they eternally repeat, we do not presume to conjecture; but, for ourselves, we can say with the most perfect confidence, that the only patron whom we acknowledge is the great and liberal British people, and the only steps which we steadily follow are those of enlightened and progressive opinion. The paltry motivce which may occasion the rise and fall of rival fsetions. the adherence to men in office, or the abandon ment of them when out, the breaking up of a family clique or the fall of a Minister—all these are matters of perfect indifference to us, except so far as they re late to that which is the one and sole object of our political labours—the advancing the progress and des fending, while we seek to ameliorate, the institutions of the nation. Responsibility is not limited to Ministers or to Cabinets. We also have our responsibility, the weight of which is in exact proportion to the favour with which the public have been pleased to honour us. It is indeed a mean and inadequate notion cf the mis sion which we are endeavouring to fulfil to suppose ad herence to tlse fortunes of a Ministerial patron, through good and ilt report, through success and failere, to be its appropriate object. What are Ministers and Cabinets to us? A few months, or at most a few years, and they pass away, to be remembered or forgotten with the Mi ni,ters ent Cabinets that have gone before them. This journal has survived innumerable political men and po litical reputations, and we see no reason to suppose that it is approaching the end of its career. We gave our sup port to the Whig Government because we believed its existence to be conducive to the welfare of the coun try, aua we are ready to support any Government of which we may entertain a similar opinion. To have been invested with the titles of " the Ministerial jour nal," or " the organ of Government," is a misfortune for which wo are indebted to those who are unable to view the press in any other light than as the organ of parties or Cabinets; nor do we care to vindicate our selves from a charge of inconsistency which rests upon no better foundation than that chimerical position which has been so gratuitously assigned to us. As for the charge of having done injustice to Lord John Russell in our recent remarks, we may dismiss it very summa rily, since our censors themselves seem to have arrived at a conclusion not very widely differing from our own, except in greater circuity and indirectness of expression; nor shall we be very careful to guard ourselves against the accusation of entering into a political intrigue to galvanise" Sir Charles Wood, or to hand over the Go vernment of the country to a clique of Greys, Russells, and Elliots. The charge of having condescended to make these columns the medium of personal invective against a fallen Minister we must refer to the memory of our readers, not doubting but they will do us that justice which our indignant contemporaries aro of course bound to deny us. We are also accused of inconsistency in stating that Lord John Russell's letter to the Bishop of Durham " gave intensity and political importance to the anti-Papal agitation " and bred dissension between the Ministry and its Roman Catholic supporters. Be ' fore we answer the charge of inconsistency, let us ask ' if this statement is not literally and exactly true, and whether, in the opinion of the stern moralists who cen sure us, it was our ditty to put forward a falsehood or to suppress the truth, in order to conceal a past error in judgment, if any such had been committed ? But where is the inconsistency? Did we ever say that the letter of Lord John Russell would not give intensity and political importance to the anti-Papal agitation, or that it would not breed dissension between the Ministry and their Roman Catholic supporters ? We com mended the letter of Lord John Russell then as w e commend it now, for containing a pledge on behalf of her Majesty's Government that the gross insult offered to this nation by the Pope should not go unredreesed ; and we awarded this praise under the conviction, which we shared in common with every reasonable person in this country, that it wou ld " add intensity " to the anti- Papal agitation. There is, then, no inconsistency in as. serting that which we had all along foreseen, a nd never in any way denied or deprecated. Still less have we fallen into any inconsistency in asserting that the letter Imid alienated from the Government its Roman Catholic supporters. This and all the other embarrassments salsieb , hare ensued from the extension of the Ministerial ilii;asure to 'lre:ria vac elearly predicted, and over and oatr again urged the iNlinisti'y it! abardon so suicidal a course. Unhappily, our warnings were not a?!snded to; and now, because the evil which ae predicted has come to pass, we are t pld that we are inconsistent foil simply chronicling the result. The truth is that we were neither speaking in praise of blame of the Durham letter or the conduct of the Ministry. We were merely pointing out why Lord John Russell, who more than any one was responsible for that letter, was an unfit nego tiator with Sir James Graham, who was known to object to any measure restraining Papal aggression. It may very well be that the letter of Lord John Russell, written as It Is said to have been, without consulting hia colleagues, and without the intention, as it appears, of following it up by an efficient measure, was a political error, and tended to the dissolution of the Whig Go vernment. We praised that letter, not as a clever party move, but as a manly and vigorous expression of opinion worthy of the First Minister of a nation which bad not lost, amid the cant of toleration or the supineness of freedom, a just susceptibility to its honour. It is not our fault if the Ministerial measure, the errors of which we have frequently pointed out, has provoked enemies while it has failed to conciliate friends; nor if Lord John Russell, in despite of our warnings of last year, has chosen to ship wreck his Government by resisting Parliamentary Re form; nor it Sir Charles Wood has chosen to fling away his financial reputation by a support of the most iniquitous provisions of the income-tax. We certainly had no wish for the fall of the Whig Ministry, because we saw that upon that fall would ensue a crisis of no or dinary difficulty and danger, which might, if Lord Stanley had been strong enough to carry out his Pro tectionist policy, have produced the most serious results. Even while the negotiation between Lord John Russell and Sir James Graham was proceeding we abstained from saying anything which might throw difficulties in the way of a coalition, but after that conference was at an end it became our duty to show the hopelessness of such a negotiation in order that no more valuable time might be wasted, even at the risk of pointing out that the Primo Minister was, above all his colleagues, committed to the admitted blunders and failures of his Cabinet, and was, therefore, of all men, the least able to consent to a new line of policy. CHRONICLE.—Lord Stanley has a second time abandoned the task which Lord John Russell's weakness twice committed to him. Lord Stanley had no further reason for delay, after the failure of his late negotia tions for an alliance with Mr. Gladstone and Lord Can ning. His resources, such as they were, lay Tisibly be fore hi,n, and he could judge at once of the probability of success as fully as if he had employed a month in consideration. It is a severe criticism on the composi tion of the still- born Miaistry that no one at any time seriously believed in the possibility of its existence. The late Government fell almost without a blow; but the attempted Administration has dispersed into air be fore it was possible to attack it. The consummation proves that the Protectionist phantom, after condensing itself into all the solidity which it is capable of assuming, is still impalpable and imaginary. Lord John Russell found a difficulty on Mon day in indicating the supposed external causes of his defeat. Lord Stanley, with a united party ready for office, and with full discretion as to his political course, may be excused from the task of elucidating his failure. It is said that he has never been sanguine of success, nor has the deportment either of friends or op ponents, during the crisis, had any tendency to re-assure him. It is a remarkable circumstance that, in addition to the inherent difficulty of forming a Protectionist Ca binet, Lord Stanley early discovered the impediment w ha n d i eh h placed sc is ed in th e way encouragementnf hisothe late success. " It N 0 0 - s Pp n o nn e t r y n ' cry s' for in o e n t t i e w n n t e h e a d t s in s thenindffie c b i a n t n e t o t n n e the fr i A v n d l d n r u e s s s precautionsL or d Stan n e y y which Lord John Russell attempted to evade the per formance of the threats contained in his Durham Letter. If Lord Ashley and Mr. Plumptre were to give Lord Stanley their support,it was incumbent upon him at least not to fJI short of the demonstration which ruined his undecided and yet intemperate predecessor. The forces of free-trade could be counted and faced, however desperate the attempt might prove; but the ashes of the extinct anti- Papal agitation are yet too hot to walk over with security. While the question of a Protectionist Ministry was still o w p o e d n d we nn tw share;er were unwilling t s o n e e n n c e o s u s r a a r y g who have been opposed to Lord Stanley's policy , that et an r a i rnmd inallwhich e the ill consequences of his possible success in forming an Administration could only have been averted by its failure or its early overthrow. The determination of the House of Commons to maintain a liberal policy could alone have anticipated an agitation which would otherwise have gone further than the occasion which called for it. With Protectionists in office, it would have been no time to wait for their aggression on the principle's of commercial freedom. If such a contingency recurs, the more timid and cautious of the Liberal sec tion of the House must be active if they would defend themselves, not only against the reaction in front, but against the formidable movement in the rear. The practical sense of the country is tolerant of many anomalies in customs and consiitutional forms ; but one condition is necessary for its endurance— that the will of the intelligent majority shall, on the whole, by some contrivance or machinery, be the rule of the Government. Six months of a Government con ducted on the strength of mere county votes would go far to convince the more active classes of the community that the balance of the Constitution required redressing. The future effect on the Protectionist party of Lord Stanley's refusal to form a Government may hereafter form a not uninteresting nor unimportant subject of speculation. At present the conclusion of the Minis terial crisis requires more immediate attention. Lord John Russell has tried in vain to rally the party which he had ruined; and Lord Stanley, after putting forth his utmost strength, has been compelled to confess its insuf ficiency. Two courses, at least, still remain—the re-con struction of the late Administration, under an abler, and still more unscrupulous leader, or the union of all the li beral statesmen in the House, without the encumbrance of those pledges and prejudices which attach only to a portion of the late Administration. The only politician whose ability, and daring might seem capable of restoring to supremacy the old exclusive alliance would, we believe, find insuperable difficulties in a task which we have no reason to suppose he is inclined to undertake. Some to the more advanced Liberals have, it is understood, been captivated by his display of activity, while they found hopes for the success of their own projects on his well known political pliability. But his supposed colleague, are by no means equally unanimous in their willingne,s to submit to the guidance of their able and dangerous associate. It must be remembered, moreover, that the most serious and influential section of the advanced Liberals has never given its confidence to the versatile and plausible statesman who has contrived to secure the col& deuce of less cautious politicians. The Manchester party is well aware that the supposed leader of the supposed Ministry has often endangered the peace of the country, while he has never given pledges to the cause of free trade on which sufficient reliance can be placed. One other combination remains; and it is that which all impartial observers indicated from the first as the only sate termination of the crisis. The country must be sati,fied by this time that the statesmen to whose pa triotisrn appeals may probably be made are unduly eager for office. It remains for all who may be invited to unite for the public good, to show by their conduct that party considerations and personal feelings weigh less in their estimation than the opportunity and the duty of performing an important service to the country. It is not our province to suggest the claims of indivi duals. There is ample room for selection among candi dates qualified for eveiy department of administration. It is to be hoped that no unavoidable delay will be in curred in satisfying the public anxiety. HERALD.—The Times having distinguished itself on Wednesday by venting, in its leading article of that morning, its bitterest invective upon the outgoing Minis ter, whose career, whether statesmanlike and wise or the contrary, it had previously encouraged, and for a long period studiously promoted, has in its pages of y esterday fallen foul of the incoming Minister by as un fair an attack and in as deliberate a manner. This journal distinctly asserts, not as a matter of gossip, not even under the suspicions title of "Ministerial Crisis," or even of the scarcely more correct authority of the Court Circular—but on deliberation, and with all the forethought of a premeditated composition, that the first person who was applied to by Lord Stanley to assist in the formation of a Cabinet was Viscount Canning. It then proceeds to insinuate that his Lordship, in the promotion of that object, before he consulted with any of his own " obscure followers," virtually threw over the cause of Protection, and sought a recon n w t o h f h t i w s o o w o n f p r S i i n r o p R I e . s an d feel's of h l i i e s u t o e n w a n n t p s n a t.! t We do not ex p ect c t t y h i . e i a expense ti vv e smhwuahemninedethss that at o or f r direct gar e aen te T ent s z r . t m gah c s n , oe c withrob r u u er t c wealte kaeol nfleontwphn political uenl ebn knowledge gire conceal si n f ni a s oic i on s tnn t s n e w i rbh c eani y 3cs, hot a nn t inidt st journalhn s n c o f n its t e m i n p t o e r l l a i g r i e e n s o -- e s nd hnu ld prides n itself o ta tleas t upo upon the authenticity e ndes vnn r tn pre serve even the mere semblance of truth. If it does not avoid from principle and conviction the error of giving publicity to what it knows to be unfounded, it does sur prise us that it should so utterly have disregarded the old adage—that a good memory is a necessary qualifica tion on such occasions and in such emergencies, which has been especially recommended as a useful safeguard to those who propagate statements opposed to facts. In the chronological account which the Times itself has furnished of the movements of the most eminent actors in the pre sent Ministerial crisis, we find that on Tuesday morning Lord Stanley had an audience of her Majesty at 11 o'clock, and that after the audience his Lordship proceeded to the residence of Mr. Disraeli, where he remained with that Honourable Gentleman an hour; after which he returned home—and that late in the afternoon he called upon Lord Canning. Can the limes reconcile this, their own account, with the statement of yesterday, to which we now direct the attention of our readers? In the second place, the limes informs the public that Mr. Gladstone iirrived in town on Wednesday morning at, past eleven o'clock, and that soon afterwards the Right Ron. Gentleman waited upon Lord Stanley at St. James's-square. Now, if Viscount Canning was the first personage whose assistance was invoked in the for mation of an administration, and Mr. Gladstone the second, does the Times deliberately mean to affirm that Lord Stanley, having received his Sovereign's gracious commends to construct a Cabinet for the purpose of carrying en the Government of this great empire, in a true of unexampled difficulty, and at a crisis of no common danger, remained perfectly inactive from eleven o'clock on Tuesday morning until past twelve, on Wednesday, with the sole exception of calling on Viscount Canning ? The known activity and busuisss like habits of Lord Stanie y at once give the contradic tion to such en assumption. Slothful neglect of any duty has Dever till this moment been 180 to his charge. We cannot say that we have been savoured with a pe- culler or privileged knowledge of the circumstances at tendant upon the efforts which that able, chivalrous statesman has made to obey the commands of her Ma jesty, when the secret has been so completely kept from all. But this we know, and this we fearlessly, proclaim, that Lord Stanley has not been remiss in his exertions; and that, if he does form a Government, as we trust he will this day, it will be one based upon the principles which he has ever maintained—a Government which will act up to them. If he should fail in constructing a Cabinet, which we should regard as a national cala mity in the present crisis, we have not the slightest doubt that the causes which may have contributed to so unfortunate a result will be attributable to his fixed and unalterable adherence to a constitutional policy, to his unflinching determination to uphold the prerogatives of the Monarchy, and the Protestant and Reformed cha racter of our Eatablisked Church. DAILY NEWS.—It is to-day our duty to announce the melancholy fact that Protection is no more! Al though it was generally understood to have been for some time in a very precarious state, the fatal event can hardly be said to have been expected to occur so soon. To those indeed who had opportunities of observing closely the symptoms of its moribund condition, the danger of excitement or exertion such as it has lately undergone seemed to be imminent and obvious. But by the unfeeling crowd who suddenly beheld it try to take up its bed and walk, the fevered frenzy that lent mo mentary strength to the effort was unheeded, as the tepidity of the inevitable collapse was unforeseen. None but those who for the last three days and nights have sat by the bed of death cats appreciate the sufferings or pour tray the grief amid which an old and respectable party expires. We forbear to dwell upon the chronic nature of the disease against which a naturally strong constitution has for years bravely contended. Such a diagnosis be longs rather to history than the fugitive columns of obi tuary. But whether congenital or acquired, all conside rate persons felt that nothing could be more perilous than exposure; and that the utmost care ought to have been taken to preserve a uniform state of trarquillity, and total abstinence from thoughts connected with busi ness or action. Advice to this effect was indeed often and earnestly tendered; but strange to say, the unhappy invalid was always eager to embark in arduous specula tions, and anxious to undertake duties and responsibili ties that would task the ability of the strongest. For a length of time these fascinating pursuits were relin quished, save only in dreams and in discourse; and so long the body seemed rather to increase in size than otherwise; and though not of the healthiest sort per haps, it was at least calculated to dispel anticipations of proximate decay. But all the while a mournful suspi cion haunted the minds of many that there was a lurk. ing tendency developing itself of the dangerous kind. We allude to the affection popularly termed " a softening of the brain." Be this, however, es it may, it is now no linger doubtful that, from the ill-fated mo ment when Protection began to move actively . ' and bustle about, the change became fearfully pereeptiele. Over its wine or at White's, or even in a sham battle in Par liament, nothing could be more brilliant or amusing. a lf ti d n though o u a g l w h a s y o s m sometimes ive conse cutive; if not persuasive, it was frequently pleasant; ee t ne luckless hour that , it h was never incoherent or imbe ci l e . From theP it n m c e lu s s a l , it itstle impertinent, was at least essayed to play a r ea l p art, an d me ddl e with tough work, its untrained facul t i es pa l pa b ly gave wa y. On Saturday last it mistook the con d escension o f t he Queen for confi dence in its wisd om , an d forthw i th ass um e d the air and attitude of power. R eca ll ed to san i ty by a gentle inti mation that all this was very foolish, it was a little later kindled into such a paroxysm of anger as utterly to forget itself, its place, and all that it should have remem bered. On Monday night it was very low, and seemed to suffer more than it chose to utter. Nevertheless it is possible that, had no further incident occurred soon after, the shock its nerves had certainly sustained might have been got over, and Protection, in its former in active and motionless state, might still be 'mongst the things that are." But the fates had otherwise ordained. Early on Tuesday morning her Majesty, who was of course wholly unaware of its true weak re useful itself to t t o he be—her state, fu M il a permission iss was ion w weak ness and unfitness for th e d ischarge of any pu b l i c duty, and wishing probably to show how far above all personal partialities royalty in a constitutional govern ment ought it to try. With d e li cate cons i deration the graciously pleased to say that if P rotect i on thought it eoausldgin h tto anything prove Queen do e is said to have added, that as perhaps no serious thoughts of the matter had ever entered Protection's head before, three days would be allowed for due deli beration on the subject. Unfortunate Protection ! Its foolish vanity was inflamed by the distinction thus fatally conferred upon it. Forgetting its helplessness and weakness, its utter want of practice and training, and, above all, the resistance of three formidable rivals, whose open hostility it must from the outset prepare to encounter—off it went to Court capering and jesting, and bid all the world look and see what a crack Minister it would make. A few hours sufficed to cast deep gloom over the scene of precipitate exultation. A sharp and trying struggle to keep its wits together—first in reality, and then in appearance—was followed by spasmodic symptoms of the most painful description. Mortifi cation supervened. Then reason became obscured. With a certain instinct of courage a wonderful effort was made "to keep up," as it is called, to the last. But during the greater part of yesterday it was manifest to all who had means of observation, that the end was nigh at hand. Whatever skill could do to save, or art to mitigate, was done. Protection had the best advice, able, prompt, and skilful men. The reflection cannot heal the grief of a numerous circle of friends deeply in terested in the deceased, but it may serve to satisfy all men that the event came in the natural way. We believe we may add that in the unanimous opinion of the gifted and distinguished persons to whom we allude, it was clear a more protracted existence would have only been a prolongation of misery; and that, under the circumstances, it is rather a relief that the object of their care and solici tude has been removed. Of the afflicting incidents con nected with such catastrophes, not the least pitiful are those illustrative of the loyal love and faith that obsti nately refuses to admit the possibility of the fact to which it cannot be reconciled. We doubt not that many an honest and devoted friend of Protecion will, for a time, nut only seem to be incredulous, but will actually be so as to the truth we have been compelled to chronicle this day. Fond illusion! It may be, suffered to fade away impercepably; it were mere unfeeling rudeness to speak upon the matter any further. Peace to its ashes. Mr. Disraeli will, no doubt speak its funeral oration, and the Court newsman will, of course, duly announce that by the recent and somewhat unexpected death of Pro tection, many of the first families of the kingdom have been plunged into the deepest afflictior. POST.—The Ministerial crisis seems at last to ap proach its termination. Lord Stanley has abandoned his second attempt to construct a Cabinet; and, although speculation is as busy and as wild as ever, there seems hut one possible conclusion to the unexpected arid per plexing state of affairs. The negotiations of the last few days have clearly demonstrated to the country that neither a coalition between Lcrd J. Russell and one ,ection of the Peelites on one hand, not between Lord Stanley and, another division of the same party on the other, can produce a working Administration. But if the Peelites could not, either in conjunction with Lord John Russell or with Lord Stanley, aid efficiently in forming a Cabinet, it is manifest that by them selves they could not but be still less successful. Some of our contemporaries. indeed, have hinted at an Administration of which Lord Clarendon should stand at the head; but, besides that such a Ministry must, in consistency, fail to meet the wishes of the country on the subject of the Papal aggression, the Noble Earl whom we have just named, notwithstanding his high talents, and no less high personal character, is altogether deficient in that Parliamentary and popular support, without which no sane man would ever attempt the formation of a Cabinet. The same remarks would apply with equal force to Sir James Graham; and, be yond these two statesmen, no one has been named as likely to be entrusted with the task of forming a new Administration. The meeting of Parliament, this evening, may probably throw some light upon this important sub ject, and we are unwilling, for the few hours that shall pre cede it, to hazard conjectures which the future may do feat. What seems, however, to be the natural, the just, and the most desirable result is, that to Lord John Rus sell should be recommitted the trust of providing from his own Parliamentary resources the means of carrying on the Queen's Government. Every loyal subject will readily lend his aid to relieve the Crown from embar rassment and the country from suspense. And, under all the circumstances, should Lord John Russell address himself, by her Majesty's command, to this arduous un dertaking, we cannot doubt that the great party, whose Trad er will lend the Noble Lord every support which consists principles. with th h e a m s himself aiuten j a ne u e st fa ofi i t l s ed in publ f i o e rmi ng a Government, THE MiNISTERIAL CRISIS. - Another day of intense excitement has closed with the resignation by Lord Stanley of the charge intrusted to the N , ble Lord by her Majesty of forming a Cabinet. At five o'clock Lord Stanley proceeded to .Buckingham Palace, and at an audience of the Queen expressed his inability at the present moment to form an Administra tion. A meeting of the leading members of the " Peel" party took place yesterday m ornin g , at the residence of the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, in Carlton-gardens. Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Goulburn, and Mr. Cardwell were among those present. Sir James Graham called up on Mr . Gladstone yester• day, and had an interview with the Right Hon. Gentle man. After Lord Stanley bad plac ed hi s resignation in the hands of the Queen, a dispat ch, written by his Royal Highness Prince Albert, was forwarded to L ord John Russell, at the Noble Lord's private residence, in Cbes ham-plate. At eight o'clock last night a communication from Sir James Graham, addressed to her Majesty, Was received at Buckingham Palace. Hrr Majesty immediately replied to the Right Hon. Baronet. Tile Earl of Aberdeen, Sir James Graham, and Mr. Cardwell have been in constant communication dur irg the day. COURT CIRCULAR, .•••• yesterday aferonrodoSnt,aantlezuhckadingahnearoudriaenlaccee.of the Qu een Her :Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert walked yesterday in the garden of Buckingham Palace. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, attended by his Equerry in Waiting, rode out on horseback yesterday morning. In the afternoon his Royal Highness, attended by Lieut.-Colonel Hi.n. Alexander Gordon, visited the building in Hyde park for the Exhibition of the Industry of all Nations. Their Royal Highnesses the Prince of Wales and Prince Allred, attended by Mr. Birch, took a carriage drive yesterday. Lier Apia Memo the rtiAoos ond tho younger members of the Royal Family took-their ac customed pony and walking Exercise yesterday. At her Majesty's levee on Wednesday, Mehemet Bey, captain of a frigate, was presented to the Queen and Prince Albert by Cabouly Effendi, Chargé d'Affaires of the Ottoman Embassy. M. de Saux was presented by M. de Marescalchi, as Second Secretary of the French Embassy. Sir Godfrey Webster, Bart., Commander R.N., was presented to her Majesty, on his return from foreign service and promotion, by Sir Francis Baring, Bart. Her Majesty's private band was in attendance in Buckingham Palace on Wednesday evening, and played the following pieces.— Overture, " Oberon," Weber Entre Acte, Chceur et Sciae," Le Pro phe te” Terzetto, " Vam pyr” The Oxford University Commission met on Tuesday. Present, the Bishop of Norwich, the Dean cf Carlisle, the Master of Pembroke, the Rev. H. G. Liddell, the Rev. G. H. S. Johnson, and the Rev. A. P. Stanley (Secretary). The Duchess Dowager of Cleveland had a dinner party on Wednesday, at her residence in Seymour-place. The company included the Duchess of Inverness, the Marquis and Marchioness of Normanby, Lord and Lady Ponsonby, Lady Elizabeth and Miss Bulteel, Colonel and Mrs. Phipps, Colonel and Mrs. Grey, Lord Harry Vane, Lord Mu'grave, Mr. Ellice, and Mr. Henry Milbank. The Earl and Countess of Lichfield arrived at their residence in Great Stanhope-street, yesterday. NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. PLYMOUTH, THURSDAY.—The Apollo troop-ship, Commander James Rawstorne, sailed yesterday for Queenstown. The Avon steam-vessel sailed on Tuesday for Ports mouth, with supernumeraries for the Cumberland, 70, Captain George F. Seymour. Her Majesty's brig Kingfisher, 12, Commander Henry Harvey, came in last evening with her foremast head badly sprung between the true pendant and the neck lace, which was discovered on the 13th of February, in lat. 31 33 north, 27 30 west. The Kingfisher left Ascension on the 15th of January, arrived at Sierra Leone on the 24th, and left on the 26th. At Ascension the store-ship Tortoise. The island healthy. At Sierra Leone the Centaur steam-frigate, 6, Com modore A. Fanshawe; Cygnet, 8, Commander Richard D. White; and the Harlequin, 12, Commander Arthur P. E. Wilmot. The last two sailed on the evening of the 24th—the Harlequin for the Bights of Benin; Cygnet to the north coast. Captain Patten, of the Mound, is pronnotPd to the Centaur, RS flag captain, vice Captain Buckle, invalided; and Lieutenant Hall, first of the Cen taur, to the Hound, vice Patten. The coast is very healthy. Not much slaving for the last four or five months, bur the barracoona on shore are said to be full. The Kingfisher was commissioned on the 12th of October, 1848, and left Plymouth on the 3d of Novem ber, with the mail*, and has brought home all her officers, excepting Mr. Symons, assistant-surgeon, who died; and a lieutenant, who exchanged. She has taken three prizes, and was present at the capture of a fourth. One of her prizes, the Tam o',Shanter, an American schooner, was full, having 319 slaves on board. She had been only twenty-four hours in the possession of her then owners, showed no colours, and called herself the California, but was well known to be the Tam O'Shan ter, having been previously cruising on the coast for several weeks; and fourteen days prior to her capture she had acquainted the Kingfisher that the brig's pin nace had taken the Varetta slave schooner. The Kingfisher has brought from different ships on the coast eight invalided seamen and marines, and twelve seamen whose term of service had expired, and has the chief engineer of the Wasp steamer, and her cylinder; which was injured by the breaking of the piston- rod. After losing the trade winds, the Kingfisher has ex perienced nothing but severe gales from the N.N.W. round to N.E., and from that to S. The Kingfisher was bound to Portsmouth, but put in here in consequence of her disabled state and the strong wind blowing down chancel. PORTSMOUTH, THURSDAY.—Prince Regent, 90, will be paid off to-morrow. Avon steam-vessel, Second-Master Commander Veitch, came into harbour from Devonport, with supernumeraries for the Cumberland, 70, flag-ship of Vice-Admiral Sir G. Seymour yesterday. The Cumberland is hourly ex pected to receive her advance. The American line of packet 'ship Prince Albert, Cap tain Meyer, arrived to-day from London, and sailed fur New York. Shear% ater steam surveying -vessel, Lieutenant Tur nour commanding, passed through Spithead to-day from the westward, on her way to Woolwich, to be paid off. APPOINTMENT. Woo Limit, FEB. 27.—Captain Alexander Murray (1849). to study steam at the factory at Woolwich Dockyard. The gallant officer joined to-day. The Governalli Sardinian steam-frigate, Commander Persiani, commenced unloading the packages she has on board for the Exhibition into barges for conveyance up the river to a convenient place for landing them at Chelsea. Mr. Macdonald, master-attendant, went on board se veral of the store hulks and receiving ships in the har bour to-day to inform those in charge of them that they were to have hawsers in readiness when vessels came alongside, as several other vessels from foreign Govern ments were expected at Woolwich with packages for the Exhibition. TIIE LORD RECTORSHIP OF GLASGOW UNIVER SITY.-G LASGOW, WEDNESDAY AFTErucoort.—The mem bers of the University met to-day in the Common-hall, when Professor Ramsay read the result of the recent rec torial election, showing that two " nations " had voted for Lord Palmerston, and two for Sheriff Allison, the his torian. The Principal then explained that by the consti tution of the University the casting vote in case of equality fell to be exercised by the retiring Lord Rector, or tailing him, by the immediately preceding Lord Rector. A letter was read from Mr. Alacaulay, dated the 19th of Novem ber last, stating that it would be out cf his power to ap pear personally, and he must, therefore, suffer the casting vote to lapse into the hands of his predecessor. It was matter of satisfaction, however, that from two such distin guished candidates, he could not choose amiss. The Prin cipal then stated that the exercise of the privilege of giving the casting vote now lay with Mr. Mure, of Caldwell, M.P., Mr. Macaulny's immediate predecessor. Mr. Mure, who has up till this time been detained in Italy, then rose, and atter a graceful allusion to the merits of the two candi dates, gave his casting vote in favour of Mr. Sheriff Ali son, on the ground that he had the greatest number of in dividual votes, although the " nations " had been equal. The election was declared accordingly amid much applause. The public inauguration of the new Lord Rector takes place to-morrow in the College, when he will deliver his installa tion speech. SUNDERLAND DOCK COMPANY.—The half-yearly meeting of this company was held on Wednesday, at the Royal Exchange-buildings, Sunderland ; Mr. G. Hudson, Al. P., presided. The report stated that the trade and rev'enue of the dock had been found, during the few months it had been opened, in every respect most satisfactory. Although the dock was opened on the 20th June last, yet, in conse quence of the unavoidable arrangements arising from the change of shipment of coals from the river to the docks, no coals could be shipped in the docks till September, and then only half the quantity was brought down the Durham and Sunderland branch railway, and it was not until the month of December that the whole of the drops in the river could be taken. The dock having been, during the greater portion of the past half-year, only in partial ope ration, the directors had not deemed it necessary to sub mit any detailed statement of the revenue, but the following were the monthly receipts :—July, 1850, 191. 16s. 10d.; August, 1361.33. ld.; September, 4321. Is. Pd. ; October, 5831. 10s. 11d.; November, 6691. Is. lt'd.; December, 837/. 14s. d. The directors of the York, Newcastle, and Berwick Company, who possessed so large an interest in the company, were proceeding actively in making the Penshar branch line with the Sunderland Vtocks, on the completion of which a large increase of trade and revenue would be obtained. All the calls and interest had been paid on the 3,000 sharel standing in the name of the railway company, and the chairman had undertaken to take up the whole of the 2,325 shares respecting which the misunderstanding had occurred between him and the railway company, and had ar ranged the calls thereon, and interest, in the most satisfactory and honourable manner. The report, as well as that of the engineer, was adoped. BIRKEMIEAD DOCK COMPANY. —Yesterday the half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders in this com pany took place at the London Tavern, for the purpose of receiving the general and financial reports, the election of directors, &c. Sir I. L. Goldsmid, Bart., presided. The report, as read by the secretary, showed, that the works being still incomplete, water access could not yet be gained to the company's wharfs and premises, but it was expected that the lower part of the float would be open in April next. To secure an early completion of the entire works, a Bill had been introduced into Parliament, which had been read a second time. The directors had taken up the new lease of the company's property from the corporation of Liverpool. The gross receipts of the year had been 950,6951. 175. 3d., the expenditure 943,1021. ss. 3d., leaving a balance of 7,5331. 12s. Joseph Bailey, Esq., M.P., recommended unity with the dock trustees, who, he understood, were opposed to the present Bill in Parliament. He thought during the next two years that the docks would produce about 25,0001. to this company, and about the same sum to the dock trustees. Atter some explanation from the chairman, and some re marks from Mr. T. Poynder, urging the propriety of har mony and unanimity, the report was adopted. The meet ing, after some discussion. was adjourned to the Bth of May next. ACCIDENTAL DEATH OF ,Ma BOOTH, RAILWAY CONTRACTOR.—Wednesday, Mr. Wakley, M.P., held an in quest at the ➢Lorton Arms, Hawley-road, Kentish-town, on the late Mr. John Booth, sub-contractor on the Birming ham Junction of the East and West India Dock Railway, aged 49. The body presented an appalling spectacle, the skull having been literally driven in. James Stutter said that he was working the crane at the viaduct by which they were hoisting stone of 5 cwt., when, in consequence of the chain being foul, the stone came in contact with the side'of the viaduct, and its progress was stopped. Deceased, who was standing on the parapet, leaned ad his weight against the chain to drive it trout the wall, when the chain swerved, and deceased, losing his balance, fell amidst bricks and rubbish to the road below. In hi: , tall he (ailed out, "Hold of 1; hold off," and tried to grasp the scaffolding as he fell. Richard Whittaker, the foreman carpenter, substantiated the above evidence. Several other witnesses were examined, and the Coroner summed up, commenting upon the frightful nature of the fatal occurrence. The jury, after a brief deliberation, returned a verdict of "Accidental death." Deceased, who was beloved by the workmen, has left a widow and child to deplore his untimely end. _ . NVe regret to state that Mr. Henry Edwards, of the Weymouth Arms, who for many months past has been in a bad state of health, yesterday evening terminated his existence by hanging himself. Mr. Edwards has long been highly respected for his unbending and inflexible integrity, and few men have lived better in the estimation of his fellow-citizens ; but recently it has been apparent to those who knew him that his milid had undergone a great change, and that the greatest care was necessary for his protection. His health hadapparentiy much improved during the last two months, but y esterday evening, atter leaving his usual rou tine of business for only a few minutes, he was discovered Origies`nika and cheitenhani Gauge OWl4llefidaY. GREAT FIRE NEAR ST. PAUL'S CATHEDRAL. Last evening, at a few minutes past five o'clock, a fire I of a very extensive character broke out in the premises belonging to Messrs. Treacher and Cuthbert, wholesale tallow-melters and candle-manufacturers, carry ing on business at No. 43, Paternoster-row. The property in question has long been the dread of the inhabitants residing near St. Paul's. The premises, which have a considerable frontage in the " Row," extended in depth some 60 or 70 feet, where an exceedingly narrow space separated them from a range of lotty workshops and warehouses, which had a frontage in London-house-yard. It was in the last named buildings that the conflagration commenced, and which, fur the space of an hour, continued to rage with the greatest impetuosity. The structure was five floors high, including the basement, and was adjoined on one side by the Goose and Gridiron Tavern, the property of Mr. W. Making; whilst Hewitt's coffee and chop-house flanked the other side. The Rose and Crown Tavern, belonging to Mr. W. Davies, stood immediately opposite the burning premises; the only separation between the two was a sort of cart-way, probably 8 or 9 feet wide. The refreshment-rooms of Mr. Inglis, the pastrycook, of St. Paul:s Churchyard, also extended to within a few feet of the flames. A copper of fat, from some cause not clearly ascer tained, but which is believed to be a fracture in the metal, took fire. All hands were immediately summoned to the spot, and every endeavour made to smother the flames, but without success; they speedily rose terrifi cally, igniting the flooring over the copper, and then rushing in one immense sheet through the warehouses till they reached the roof. The various engines of the London brigade, parish, and West of England Company were on the spot in the course of a few minutes after the outbreak, and a most copious supply of water was furnished by the New River firemains iu the district. The fire, however, notwith standing the short time that bad elapsed, assumed such a threatening aspect that every building near seemed doomed to destruction. Out of every window in the spacious premises the flames were rolling, and reached within a foot of Mr. Inglis's refreshment-rooms, and the Rose and Crown Tavern. The engines, under the direction of Mr. Braidwood, Mr. Colf, and Mr. Connorton, were placed in the most commanding positions, some in Paternoster-row, and others in the Churchyard, whilst a number were set to work from Ave Maria-lane. The first thing sought to be accomplished was to throw up a stream of water between the building on fire and those immediately op posite, which were smoking and cracking with the in tense heat. The firemen, i❑ so doing, ran great risks, but, fortunately, the expedient proved successful, and the latter premises were saved from destruction entirely through the exertions of the brigade. It was past seven o'clock before it could be said that the mastery over this fearful conflagration was obtained, and not until the entire range of premises belonging to the firm, in London-house-yard, were burnt completely through, the front building severely damaged by re moval and brealcge, and several others in immediate proximity, materially injured by fire, water, &c. The crowd, at one period, numbered sem° thousands, and it required the services of a strong body of police to keep the spectators out of danger. ADDITIONAL PARTICULARS. HALF-PAST 10 P.M.—Several engines are still obliged to be kept in constant operation. Owing to the various floors being saturated with tallow the fire continues to bura under the timbers left standing, and it is question able whether the firemen will be enabled to get it en tirely extinguished during the night. All danger of any fresh outbreak, however, is at an end, Mr. Cuthbert informed tie reporter that the disaster originated in the following manner:—A copper charged with tallow in the basement was so constructed that the steam arising during the process of melting, could pass through an aperture at the back part of the brickwork, and be car ried away through the flue. By some means a portion of the fat got upon some cinders, the moment the fire touched them they blazed up, and the heat caused the gas from the fat to generate very rapidly, so that a fierce body of flame kept shooting forth. Mr. Cuthbert had no doubt that he, with the assistance of his men, would have been able to extinguish the flames, had it not been for the effiavium emitted from the burning tallow. As it was, they kept to their work, until most of them got scalded or burnt about the hands, but the moment Mr. Cuthbert saw the woodwork near the copper take fire he desired his men to escape immediately. This they did, and it was fortunate, for, had they remained two minutes longer, they must have all lost their lives, the greater part of the melting-house in that brief period being covered with blazing fat. The firm do not believe their loss to be so extensive as may generally be sup posed; they are of opinion that many casks of fat and boxes of candle will be recovered from the several floors only triflingly injured. Mr. Colf, the foreman of the B district of the London brigade, is of quite a different opi nion; that officer informed the reporter that many of the ' casks alluded to, as well as the floorings, had fallen into the ground story; if so, very little property can be ex pected to be saved. Fortunately, Messrs. Cuthbert were insured in the Imperial, Hand-in-Hand, Union, and se veral other fire-offices. LATEST PARTICULARS.—(THIS DAY.) The following is the official report of damage, &c.:— PATERNOSTER-ROW. Nos. 42, 43—Messrs. Cuthbert, tallow-melter, pro perty consumed; insured in the Hand-in-Hand, Imperial, and Unio❑ Fire-offices. No. 46—Phelps and Sons, stationers, furniture and stock damaged by water and removal; insured in the Sun office. First-floor front room, occupied by Mr. Joy, bookseller, some damage to property; insurance unknown. First•floor back room, belonging to Mr. Woollins, a bookseller, the same extent of damage; but insured in the Sun Fire-office. Second-floor, March a❑d Co , pocket-book-makers, the same damage; insurance unknown. Third-floor, occupied by Timbury and Sons, engravers, same amount of damage; insured in the Sun office. No. 46—Hitchcock and Rogers, linendrapers, serious damage to stock by hasty removal; insurance unknown. No. 4 Longman and Co., booksellers, contents damaged by removal; insured in the Church of England and other offices. COURT OF COMMON COUNCIL. Yesterday a Court was held for the dispatch of business. The REbIESIBRANCER haring announced that amongst the Bills just hi ought into Parliament was a Bill for the removal of Smithfield-market, it was agreed that the said Bill should be referred to the Markets' Improvement Committee, and Mr. H. L. Taylor, the chairman of that committee, promised that the best attention should be paid to the project. Mr. PHILLIPP S the chairm an o f th e N av i gat i on and Port of London Committee brought up a report on the reference respecting steam-boat landings at the Surrey end of London-bridge. The report, which relates to a great public conveni ence, stated that it was referred to the committee to in quire and report whether it would be fur the public con venience to afford accommodation for the embarking and disembarking of passengers by steam-boats and other vessels and boats at the east and west sides of the Surrey end of London-bridge, and if the eemniitteethewyerperoe-f opinion that such would be the case, that cure and lay before the Court a plan or model, show. ing how the same could be provided. The re port then proceeds—ln order to ascertain how tar public accommodation night be affected by the question under consideration, we received the evidence cf several ge-ntlemen who were in the habit of using the railways the termini of which are at London-bridge, and the steam-boats which call at the stairs at the Surrey end of the bridge. We also had evidence before us by other gentlemen and tradesmen of the neighbourhood,who were constant witnesses of the difficulty and danger of crossing the carriage way at the Surrey end of the bridge from the particularly crowded state of that busy thoroughfare. The directors and managers of the steam boats afforded us further information in respect of the numbers who avail themselves of the line of communica tion to which our inquiries were directed. The concur rent testimony of all the parties who appeared before us has satisfied your committee that it would be very highly conducive to the public convenience if the accommoda tion adverted to by the reference were afforded. Your committee then proceeded to consider the other points embraced in the reference, which directed us to obtain a plan for effecting the objects contemplated. We there fore instructed Mr. S. W. Leach, the engineer, to prepare a plan which might be suited for the purpose, and inter fere as little with the navigation of the river as circum stances and due security would permit; and two plans were accordingly submitted by that officer. A plan was also submitted by Mr. Dawson, a member of your Hon. Court, proposing an arched thoroughfare through the abutment of the bridge, and under the road way from the upper landing, on the west stairs, to the corresponding landing on the east stairs. Previously, however, to agreeing upon the recommendation of any plan your committee invitsd the attendance of Messrs. Fenning, the occupiers of the wharf next below the bridge to the east, who had communicated their anxiety to be heard on the subject. These gentlemen attended with their solicitor and inspected the various plans, and the obj. - ctions urged by them were duly entertained. Your committee having carefully deliberated upon the advantages and disadvantages of the respective plans, have agreed to recommend as most suitable the one hereunto annexed, the estimate of the cost of executing which is 1,2201. At the same time your committee beg to lay More the Court the suggested plan of Mr. Daw son, and to state their opinion that the same would be a great public accommodation; and if such a communica, lion were made the platform and brow on the east stairs would be rendered unnecessary. Mr. PHILLIPS having moved that the report be agreed to, - Mr. H. L. TATion. said the accommodation might, for what he knew, be a great public convenience, but he disapproved the sudden expenditure of 1,2001. upon an improvement which was as yet unintelligible, at the same time that the Court did not know how far it might interfere with the interests of the tenants of the corpora tion in the locality.—(Bear, hear.) He moved as an amendment, that the report be printed and circulated amongst the members. Mr. Deputy STACEY referred to the plan suggested by Mr. Dawson, as likely, it carried into effect, to give im mense accommodation to the public independently of the convenience afforded to the steamer passengers, at the same time that it would present the advantage of security to life and limb, which were constantly endan gered in the existing state of the traffic in the neigh bourhood of the bridge.—(flear, hear.) He wished to learn whether the plan proposed by Mr. Dawson was practicable. Mr. DewsoN said the opening at the abutment sug gested to the Court would prove an accommodation of the greatest importance, for the attempt to cross from one side of Lilo street at the bottom of the bridge was dangerous in the extreme, and he had known ladies to be detained several minutes by the fear of being over whelmed by the ponderous and the rapid vehicles which never cease - to pass in the busy hours of the day.—(Hear, hear.) A professional friend of his estimated the ex pense at SOOl, and no doubt the cost would ba a mere trifle in comparison with the accommodation, which would, in fact, obviate the necessity of putting the city to the expense of a pier. _ _ _ Mr. ANDERTON doubted that the person who esti mated the exi.ense at 600/., would undertake to make it for 1,000/. Mr. Deputy HOLT placed implicit reliance upon the judgement of the Navigation Committee, and agreed with the report. Mr. Deputy OBBAAD did not approve of Jr. Dawson's plan, and said that the danger incurred by ladies at present in crossing the street was not likely to be so great as the (larger they would incur in making their way through a dark and crowded passage, in which in sults might be very easily perpetrated.—(Hear, hear.) Mr. BOWER saw no more difficulty in crossing Lon don-bridge than there was in crossing Cheapside and other populous neighbourhoods, and thought the Court ought to take care bow they incurred a large expense merely for the benefit of steam companies. Mr. BENNOCH was afraid the project would increase the number of nuisances in the ♦icinity of the bridge. The report was then, i❑ accordance with Mr. 11. L. Taylor's amendment, ordered to be printed. BLICHFRIARS-BRIDGE. Upon the motion of Mr. B. L. TAYLOR, a report re commending the payment of expenses incurred in works at Blackfriars-bridge, amounting to 1,7001., and the ex ecution of other works, was agreed to, and referred back to' be carried into effect. A report was agreed to recommending the payment of the sum of 7001. for the repair of the Navigation barge. _ A voluminous report on the reference on the petition of D. T. Alston, respecting the holdsmen to the deputy oyster meters, was ordered to be printed. Mr. Deputy BEDFORD presented a petition from the vestrymen of the parish of St. Sepnlchere, "to secure the rates of the parish, which may be effected by the improvement of Smithfield-market, especially during the progress of the works." Referred to the Markets' Improvement Committee. Upon the motion of Mr. BENNOCH, a sum of 52/. 10s. was voted in aid of the 8 widows and 36 orphans of the Worthing fishermen who lost their lives o■ the 25th of November, while gallantly attempting to render as sistance to the Lalla Roukh, a ship in distress. FREE ADMISSION INTO ST. PAUL'S. Mr. CLARKE moved that it be referred to a committee to confer with the proper authorities upon the desire ableness of opening St. Paul's Cathedral for the free ad mission of strangers visiting the metropolis during the Grand Exhibition this year, He considered it, he said, disgraceful to the country that so magnificent a national edifice should be shut, as it had always been, from public inspection except upon certain conditions. some discussion took place, and Mr. H. L. Taylor's opinion that the matter ought to be left to the "Exhibi tion Committee" seem e d to prevail in the court, for the previous question was carried. The Court then adjourned. RAILWAY TRAFFIC RETURNS. THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY.—(MiIes in work, 236.) -Return of Traffic for the Week ending Feb. 16, 1851: Passengers, parcels, carriages, horses, dogs, and mails ... £4,304 18 0 Merchandise and minerals ... 3,555 18 Cattle ... ••• 255 8 Total £5,126 4 Corresponding week, Feb. 17, 1850 (143 miles) : Passengers, parcels, &c. £1,153 7 Cattle ... 1,487 11 Total ... ... 2,640 18 4 EASTERN COUNTIES AND NORFOLK RALLlVAT...alliffie return for the week ending Feb. 23 Passengers, parcels, &c. ... £5,775 10 7 Merchandise, cattle, and cartage 6,505 9 7 Total ... ... £12,281 0 2 Corresponding week of IESO ... 0,849 17 1 CHESTER AND HOLTHEAD RAILWAT,•••Trilffie for the week ending Feb. 23: MAIN LINE. Passengers Parcels, _ H. C. and V. ... Goods, cattle, &C. •••• Mails ••• "' ... £BB3 0 7 ... 72 11 8 ... 387 9 0 575 0 0 Total MOLD. ... £1,868 1 3 „usengers ••• ••• ••• £29 2 7 S• C. and D. 2 6 4 G oo ds, cattle, &c. • 79 14 7 Total ..• ... ... Xlll 3 6 STEAM-BOATS. Passengers ••• ••• Parcels, H. C. and D. ... £99 2 10 12 8 -4 Total ... £lll 11 2 THE RIOT AT YARMOUTH.—On Monday the per sons (17 in number) who had been captured during the late riot were brought up for examination before a full bench of magistrates. The seamen's committee engaged Mr. Cartes Cooper, bartister, of Norwich, to defend those of the prisoners who Were seamen. Twelve of the men were charged with the minor offence of obstructing, assaulting, and misting the police in the execution of their duty. Of these three were discharged,fromlOs. imprisonment to azni.d, including remainderuding all costs;w e were and,fine d i ni offnd default t us of sums, pay ment, they were sentenced to terms 9 varying leaders werefr o m one charged month with i t t ho twor i ot. committed for trial a t the next quarter the Bo of n e t n e l r a i r a g n in M z ti t s h e e n t a n , in vestigation, were fillly t i o February,a passed 18b4Y6, relative th the t.ori of the t e . s t h ° m eansefnianoclntlh ft .er Faivleengotfhtehneerdinign: Sessions. , var —A copy of a resolu tion HUNTERIAN 1.1:313 _ . The resolution moves that the Marquis of 14 7 h q e u re e b st y ed it to m s ig u b b- t Treasury the claims of the fore the House. for receis ing and exhibiting .the collections, has be en laid be fore B . nd the tßoishsoompoef provision n n be oilutt:itnteoraintaltehne3lairlug'sleresimarlea for its contents, and be enabled to ma i n t a in itself worthily "as the Feet national depositoq or the hrenchea of kizowledge rluch it ha been SaetitetN ti) promotal LONDON-HOUSE-YARD. Mr. Making, the Goose and Gridiron Tavern; pre mises damaged by fire, and contents by removal; in sured in the Monarch Are-effice. Mr. Davis, the Rose and Crown Tavern, serious damaged by fire and removal; insured in the Sun Fire office. Mr. Hewlett, coffee-shopkeeper, like damage; insured fn the Pho3aix Pim-office. ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD. Mr. Inglis, baker, back-front and roof damaged by tire and contents by removal; insured in the Monarch Fire•officF. Nos. 77, 78—Bailey, linen-drapers, slight damage to stock by removal; the insurance unknown. DAURY-LANE THEATRE. Dernard's,amusing and bustling eornedietta, T he Lady and the Devil, was , revived at this theatre last evening. The characters of Zephyrina, Wildlove, and Jeremy (originally sustained by Miss Kelly, Billiton, and Har ley), being on this occasion represented by. Mrs. Nesbitt. Mr. Anderson, and Mr. Walter Lacy. The co medy went dashingly off, and was followed by the magnificent spectacle of Azael, the representation of which excited greater enthusiasts than ever. The house was crowded to excess in every part. STATE OF TRADE.-MANCHESTER, THURSDAY, FEB. 27.—The advance in yarns and cloths obtained on Tuesday was firmly maintained this morning, and there was a disposition on the part of both spinners and manufacturers to demand still higher rates. Purchasers, however, did not appear in such force, and there was a heavy market. The business effected was generally at Tuesday's rates. The tele graphic announcements from the morning papers of the diffi culties encountered in all the combinations of parties yet at tempted in the formation of a Government exercised a dis turbing influence, and was apparently one cause of checking operations, The export trade has been of a rather more general character, including some purchases on account of Italy and Germany, as well as for the East. The print trade continues dull, though there is a good variety of new styles, and prices have been rather favourable. If you want enemies, excel others; if you want friends, let others excel you.—Eliza Cook's Journal. Major Samuel Wensley Blacksll, M.P. for Long ford, has been appointed Lie utenant-Governor of the island of Dominica. Marrying a woman for her beauty is like eating a bird for its singing.—Eliza Cook's Journal. AGRICULTURAL PROGRESS.—The Wotton estate, of about 7,C00 acres, in Bucks, till recently the property of the Duke of Buckingham, is forthwith to be drained and un proved. The tiles for the drainage are to be manufactured on the estate, and a number of workmen are engaged in fur therance of the object. Lord Truro, the Lord Chancellor, and the Marquis of Salisbury. the Lord Lieutenant, have appointed Dr. Bateman,lher Majetity's assistant solicitor of Excise, to be a magistrate for the county of Middlesex and liberty of Westminster. FOREIGNERS IN LONDON.—Communications have been addressed by direction of the Royal Commissioners from the Palace at Westminster to the several Government establishments, respecting the admission of foreigners to those places, without the payment of any fee, on producing a card from the Consul-General or other public functionary in London belonging to the several Continental and other Courts. We understand that on the meeting of the House of Commons on Friday Mr. Cobden will give make that he will submit a resolution expressive of the determination of the House to refuse its support to any Administration that is not prepared faithfully to adhere to the free-trade policy adopted in the year 1846. Such a motion will have the effect of discovering the intended policy of Lord S tanle y 's Government, should such a Government be formed.—Times. BURGLARY AND A TTEiIiPTED MURDER AT WINDSOR. —WINDSOR, THURSDAY. --The Dean and Canons of Windsor have very handsomely contributed the sum of AIL, to which her 'Majesty's Government hare added 501., as a reward for such information as will lead to the apprehension and con viction of the suspected accomplice of Ash (now in custody) in the recent burglary end murderous attempt on the lives of Mr. Tucker and Mrs. Whittaker, of Clarence-road, Windsor, and the most active steps are being taken by the authorities of the borough to secure his apprehension. This man, for whom a warrant has been issued, is known by the name of gill,"' and absconded from his lodgings immediately after th e burglary was committed. He follows the trade of a blaasmuli ; and no doubt, when the following description of his person is given by the London press, h a e bo will t soon be a pprehended :—He is a dirty-looking perso l , eof age, has a burnt five inches high, from twenty-six to thirty years low complexion, dark lair, full eyes and u five feat mark ou the fleshy part of the left hand, andwhich a scar on the sal right hand near the knuckles, through h round jacket and trou sers, shot; N n ‘ d a s dressed(iBrk cap.in N d dark t h s d tand g ing the c a ev r er am it r : d of was th wounds sustained by Mr. Tucker and Mrs. L Whittaker, the e report of Mr. Brown, her bNtsty'a h ch . old Apothecary, Vino now AtIODOIS OM; is ftW94ll{biti a l their ultiotte re- .~- stst ind is a a the )ffee. settle :10 0 ' our° I - 9 in I Wlll bil l I. Pli e ' 10 3 e. C 410° . O ogOtir II ill h ii': r Into' war; Dor' [O O ° adi itbl f Ip' pfi THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 23, 1851.