The Sun. — London, England, 1850-01-12 00:00:00

Bristol and Exeter Lailway, wher2 it was ruled that the allegation thAt the ct.i;ital of 100,001. had out been wholly subscribed for must cuma from tha del,nrignt; but then that case was an Ec:ion of ej• ctment to re cover land, and th:• private Act of Parliament distinctly provided that the compiny should not hold land, until the lull capital had bleu subscribed fur aLd half of it paid up. Mr. PHIPPS was not aware of this case. Mr. Justice! ERLE—You take a rule to show caLso. Rule nisi accordingly. CRIMINAL COURT.—(THIS DAY.) OLD COURT. (Before Mr. Justice TALFOURD.) The trial of Lewis Joel. aged 25, a jeweller, was re- Blamed this morning, on an indictment charging him with feloniously uttering, by false pretences, a forged bill of exchange for 1,000/., with intent to defraud Joh n Marcus Clements. At six o'clock yesterday evening, when the Court I - °ses the case for the prosecution had not cored, and it was continued this morning. Mr. Jebn Thomas Campbell was called as a witness for the prosecution. Ile said I am a solicitor. The bill alleged to be a forgery has been in my possession, and wtis produced by inc before the magistrates. I brought an action upon it against Mr. Clements, after Mr. Clements said it was a forgery. I was at Croydon on the trial. The bill at that rime we believed to be in Possession of the prisoner. The action was brought by 1:B.rsoll named Forrest, a gently man coon , cted with the London and Dublin Bank. The action was brought against Mr. Clements to recover a large debt, the bill in question being part of that debt. The action eas brought at the instance of the L,ndon and Dublin Bank. Porrest has now left the country; he has emigrated. „BY Mr. CHAMBERS—I am a memb e r of th e fi r m of " 4 viB, Son, and Campbell. I hale been admittel an attorney fur tour or five years. The aw.ion I hale r in'tel to as teing brought against Mr. C'escents was to tecote r a large eleSt. The day the trial was to come on at Croydon tt e prisoner, through his attorn ey, stated he wished to arrange the action. We had afterwards an in!e:vie v with Joel and his solicitor at our office, when I teal Jeel that Mr. Pulman had said there was no such bill in existence, and if there w e it was a forgery. I 'lid not tee ibe bill in the hands of our firm until the 23d September. Mr. Pulman was subpcensed as a wit tess by our firm. I matte inquiries, and afterwards went on with the action. I saw Mr. Clements write twice at our offi, e. Looking at the signature on the bill purport ing to be Mr. Cements' name, I believe it to be in the h endwritieg of Mr. Clements. I bad no interest in this matter beyond acting as the solicitor of the London and Lublin Bank. ~BY Mr. CLARKSON—There appears to be the name of "Forrest" partly erased upon the bill. Reed, a clerk of ours, made a copy of the bill. Mr. Clements signed his c ame twit e at our office on the occasion referred to in sty cross-examination. That was to a duplicate IMMO l'alodum, and not for the purpose of obtaining a specimen of his handwriting. Mr. Pulman stated the bill was a i O r gery befoie it came into otsr hands, and when we got I made inquiries about it. henry James Reed, clerk to the preceding witness, Proyed th a t b e rece i ve d th e bill f or 1,000/. i n quest i on from Chignell, a messenger in hie employers' office, on th e 10th September, and made a copy of it. (Looks at the bill.) Could not tell precisely whether the indorse -silts were visible or not on the bill when he made his c °PY of the bill. -Henry Chignell, messenger in the office of Davis, r" oil. and C am pb e ll, d e p ose d th a t i n A ugust or S eptem - Te Ole prisoner called at his employers' offi c e, an d sa id wanted to l e av e a m e morand um , o r bill o f exc h ange . r;the par.:suer did leave a paper, which witness gave to fpreceding witness, Reed. The paper the prisoner t /night b e th e bill now i n ques ti on . bThe bill in, ques ti on was p u t i n a n d rea d. It b ore ate the Bth August, 1847, and purported to be drawn Y Lewis Joel, the prisoner, upon E. J. M. Clements, dthe prosecutor, a Lieutenant in the 13th Light Dragoons, o 4,000/., payable two months after date. It as in sed by t h e pr i soner, an d b y one M r. F orrest, t h e lat ter name being partly erased. A l.r• Campbell was recalled, and proved that on one b ecasion when he saw the priso ne r a t hi s (M r . Camp tielll'B) office with his attorney, the prisoner did not deny the bill in question was the one which he gave to l enell; that it was a genuine bill, and that he would p r ove fir Mr. James Gordon Murdock, a partner in the banking tit 0 I Murdock. Bouverie, and Co., was called and said awas one of Mr. Clements' guardians, and have had a ttY opport un iti es of k now ing hi s h an d writ i ng. ( L oo k s tl the acceptance on the bid.) I do not believe it to be e h an d writing of Mr. Clone its. I first saw the bill in ember last, when it was shown to me by Mr. Camp „„li• Bwore August last, vet ea the trial took place at C roydon, I had Ise, er heard of Mr. Clements having ac cepted a bill tor 1,0001. By Mr. BALLANTINE—I am in the habit of occa sionally cas h ing b ills over the counter of our banking -7 u_se, and have somet i mes cashed b ills of Mr. Clements. 4 t h e bill in question for 1,0004 had been presented at the bank of our firm for payment, I should not have cashed it, both on account of the largeness of the amount, and from a doubt f the genuineness of the s ignature, I remember s a yi ng to M r. Campbell that the aignature to the bill was not like th e h an d writing of Mr. C ements. Mr. Clements was recalled, and in answer to a ques. In by the J u d ge , sa id the s i gnature of the bill was N.. , e the hand wr i t i ng o f t h e pr i soner, and that he (Mr. .., t alents) bad n ' ver s i gne d hi s name to a blank ac ceptancei, f or 1,0001 in his li . e. r5 ; 3 1 1 . 8 was the ca se f or t h e prosecut i on. CHAMBERS then addressed the jury on behalf t tf_ the .111. Prisoner. He said tt is was one ot the most ex aordinary CUPS that it had ever fallen to his lot to be p O ll , cer ued in. In ordinary cases of this kind a man in 4 -r c ircumstan ces , w h o h a d no pecuniary dealings with e t t ar Y, suddenly presented a forg - d bill of exchange or l e ,,! ina trtrinent to get the money of that party. But never tS„' s (Mr. Chs m b ers ) lif e had he met with a case of `soul t ent kind. With an honest and true debt, as he hit ti ; li s how by the ver y statement of the prosecutor a tiao ito the amount of beyond the 1,0001.—t0 the %d il e " of somewh e r e a b out I,7ool.—actually existing, 110 d 'Te from t h e prosecutor to the pr i soner, and with 11144„ e nne hut a dishonourable one, that of his being had • a ge when the d e bt was con t rac t e d, th e prosecutor kr: t ight to fasten upon the prisoner a charge of (Te e . Wl l , ll Learned Counsel was continuing his address °Ur report left.) RAILWAY -it wAT t ky, for TRAFFIC.—The following are the Total Receipts of Rail :3Peeti,,, th e Past week—that is to say, up to the date to which the t e J,.eturns are made, together with the receipts of the same " Previous year : •‘; pe ek c m . % c u nt Last a NAME OF RAILWAY. week. 1) so. 21 ti *-••••••"" ea.& -••••• c..) --• tit. 5 6 Aberdeen •• • • .f X 613 417 "•"' • • ' • 6 Atrilens and • Boulogne • ... ........ ... 1,154 1,080 6 Belfast and Ballymena ••• • • • 6 Bi rkenhead, Lancashire, and Cheshire 788 706 6 Bolton, Blackburn, Clitheroe, and W. Y. 436 304 ao Bristol and Exeter • • .... • • ...• ••• • .. 2,979 - 6 Caledonian.. -•••••••••••• • • • • • • • • • 5 , 6 3 2 3,500 a Chester and Holyhead. • ... •• .•-• • .. 1,152 1,668047 8 . o ublin and Drogheda.. •• • • - • ..... •• 600 5 Dublin an d Ki ngs t own ••••••• • • • • • • • 668 654 6 ~Duridee, Perth, and Aberdeen........ 1,096 1,005 5 ''',,as t Anglian-. •••.••••••• • • • • • • • • • 7 10 677 5 r- •otaburgh, and Glasgow. •••••• • • • • • 3,012 3.401 6 E dinburgh and Perth •••.• • - - - 2,519 1,939 ...„ Eastern Counties and North Eastern.. 13,649 11,478 . East Lancashire .. .. - - 1,643 ; Eas tern Union.. ••••---• • • • - • • "43 1,012 5 _4l,tagow, Kilmarnock, and Ayr ...... 3,549 2,417 20 Gl asgow and Greenock• • ....... .... 1,157 890 5 Great Northern and E. L........... 2,536 - 6 Gr eat Southern and Western •• .. •.• • 3,516 2,888 6 Great Western, &c • •• • 15,180 15,170 20 Lancashire and Yorkshire.. ••••• • • • • • 10,715 10,418 36 L ancaster and Carlisle 2,882 2,007 6 Leeds and Thirsk .................. 614 - Li 75 71 5 Liverpool, Lu Crosby, and Southport.... 143 139 6 ndonderry and Enniskillen• • • • .• •• 6 London and North Western, &c..- • 37,620 34,610 6 London and 81ackwa11............ - 247 510 6 London and Brighton .••.•-•• • • • • • • 6,951 6,616 6 London and South Western ••••• .. • • 7,428 7,440 6 Janchester Sheffield, and Lincolnshire 4,574 2,485 6 at, T i.d.land, Bristol, an d Bi rm i ng h am- .. 10,892 18,311 5 - "uland Great Western (Irish) ...... 6 Alonklunds ............. • .......... 908 - 51,0 567 . 5 iorth British .............• •••• - .. 3,322 2,481 5 It and Rouen .-•••••••. • • • • • • • • 5.067 4,490 6 0 to and Havre • • •• • • .. • 2,066 1,767 5 Q‘cottish Central • . •••• • • • •• • • • 1 079 597 6 Shrewsbury Midland ••••••• • •• •• - " 337 259 6 "s' i l i r r e o vv p : h h i tity and Chester •••••• • • . • • • 1,401 1,284 re Union .. •••••••• • • • • • • • • 370 -30 South Eastern and Branches ........ 11,592 7,405 6 truth . .Jev0n........ .....•. •• •• •• .. 1,243 1,450 Tait G Vale ... ...•••• • • • • • - 1,726 - ti later . . •-•- • • • • 701 693 • 6 ~,,.Water ord. and Limerick •••••• •• - 266 lord • • • •hi , laven Junction ••• •••••• •• " " 180 170 6 rit a nd Newcastle .••••••• • • • •• .. 12,563 11,139 Yor k and North Midland ..- .... • • ..5,314 6,702 1) _ .....--___ t"l4)4i-414 A ATILLEItY. WOOLWICH, .JAN. 11.- 0 k 4 ci rvi ug's Company, the 12th battalion, proceeds -roltpl,,aY nPict, the 14th inst., to Weedon au e it theistra''tl.leve Captain . lull's company, Bth battalion, r () ; h ead.. I ‘ 4l B, Captain Hill's being ordered to return i,.'oe oltuirters to remain in readiness for foreign ser "eta. 1 -4 Ptain T - id's company, 12th battalion, hat 1 , p i ,, ~ ovvostr l ik tles t i tt , q under orders to have the garrison on . ail)). s'',l3ll'rnine., the 15th inst., for Dover, to . relieve s company, Pr ht - tr l"' ' Bth battalion, at that station, and ` t °e cr w ill return to head-quarters, preparatory to ti, ci eding on foreign service. The whole of the mar -1 es,Z 4ll tlers in the garrison here are receiving each e I: ltiti h ° F coals Per week, and the same quantity will ;Ate 3 u ed to be given i each for six weeks. The ex °ll b e ,- fed coals id defrayed ayed from the regimental funds tglit;"`" y the effi s ce e rs r The whole of the troops off 11 he„4,!'ettibled yesterday -. on the guard mounting parade 'N o hY marebig , for the purpose of marching Ntserjountry for o e r xe e reise, but a change in the weather " 'tn to return to barracks, i t e ( 1 41 .,_ --G .... , OBBEItY . OF ~ ° the I)4EIT ‘ I ' 2 0001—In reference ti.h'lll no w u ,g robbery mentioned in The Sun yesterday, ''' s k h " stated that the police discovered that the e l ar em a a ti , been borrowed of a person in Tower-street. ga..ewas : ilti d bi}l,4ll3ming, at an early hour, the iron t and the ti:114148 taken °Pea onb Kennir'gto h n as ce b e ee re n e o n btained of icklittri. infoarvvraal:_o_nutwnaos trace has t 0 Mr. Webb, who T li n t ql t lf3 b ox. 1 741)11 app 124,1T0R GEOEGEY —The following para l'' ars in G I. ' . Messenger of yesterday:— ant lb i ' l ow I f he Arr a s; tie 9rizaannG s eneralientzi, who was killed 41 )t h ge of Buda e f which fortress he was the comman till't tt a n h Pntllishefsen e memoirs, from which it appears ci/.,y e ', , Ger Oral was in secret communication with Plan"(=,.r`",), and that Buda only held out to give General R - Ya • • and t f i, Pretext for Les•eging it, so destroy the the i,'etnbilleki, which was to march on Vienna, and qaurreetion in the hereditary state& THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, JANUARY 12, 1850 CHRISTMAS BOOKS FRIENDS AND FORTUNE : a Moral Tale. By A. H. Drury. We class this volume as a Christmas book, because the incidents which it relates are supposed to have occurred during some Christmas holidays; and also because it contains a very beautiful " Song of Christ mas ;" but otherwise the story itself is so full of in terest, and the manner of the narrative is so exceed ingly attractive, that " Friends and Fortune," like the originals of its title, will be welcome to many all the year round. Few three-volumed novels are more interesting than this " Moral Tale." It relates some very momentous passages in the life of one Margaret Armadale, a young heiress, very beautiful, very accomplished, and a little self-willed. The high spirit of the somewhat haughty damsel is, however, tempered by a gentle and loving heart. At the opin ing of the tale the young heiress, who is an orphan, and having attained her majority is her own mistress, has just arrived in England after a long sojourn on the Continent. She is accompanied by an elderly companion, 111iss Martin. Margret, accustomed to continual adu!ation, which she justly attributes, in part at least, to her great wealth, begins to wish to be loved for her own sake. She wishes to prove it' friends and fortune are indeed inseparable. Having received an invitation to pass Christmas time with the family cif the Craw fords, old friends of her father's, the capricious heiress resolves upon changing places with Miss Martin, and visi - ing the unknown family, not as the rich Miss Armadale, but as Miss Armadale's poor attendant. Such is the foundation of the tale, and the manner in which it is carried out is marvellously ex• cellent. Mrs. Crawford pays due court to the supposed heiress ; the eldest son, a vain fop, makes love to her, while all the family, excepting two younger sons, treat their humble companion with neglect. It is a hard but a useful lesson for Margaret. Her pride is humbled by continued slights and petty persecutions ; while, at the same time, her heart is softened by a close acquaintance with the hitherto unknown troubles of the poor. The benevolent rector and his charming daughter Mary are beauti fully drawn characters. Alfred Crawford, a shy, sensitive poet, is also sketched with a graceful and accurate hand. Theodosia Crawford, a vain and very malicious young lady, jealous of the superior attractions of the poor Esther (Margaret's feigned name), seeks on every occasion to annoy her. At last Esther is discovered signing a cheque with the name of " Margaret Armadale. What a triumph for Theodosia! The heads of the family are out, and so the supposed criminal is locked up, awaiting their return, while Alfred rushes off on horseback to hasten them. The denouement is very dramatic : " The hail was filled with servants, among whom were Nisbett and Antoine; the former with red eyes, nose, and checks, boiling with indignation ; the latter, in a state of irrepressible glee, for in every stroke aimed at his mistress, he saw an acceleration of the denouement he panted for. When the dining-room door was opened, the general excitement overcame conventional forms, and ono and all made their way in. All eyes turned on Margaret, who as she passed through the door, seemed to leave behind her every sensation of languor and de pression. Sho withdrew her hand from Nelson's arm, and advanced towards the table, her stately figure erect, and her downcast eyes gleaming with light. Mr. Craw ford, seated in his chair of judgment at the head of the table, looked at her over his spectacles, and hemmed two or three times. am grieved, young lady,' he began, to have so unpleasant a duty to perform, but I under stand you appealed to me, and I need not say you shall have the fairest treatment, and every indulgence we can allow you.' " Margaret bowed, and stole one look at Miss Martin under her eyelashes, to prepare that lady for what was to follow. " Theodosia now stated her case, and related what our readers already know— her previous suspicions, the steps she had deemed it right for all their sakes to take, and the manner in which she had convicted her in the act; adding a few remarks on the terror Margaret exhibited on her arrest. At this Miss Armadale looked at her, and again with that cold dark smile that had perplexed ber before. She turned to her associates, and Shipton and Katy bore witness, each in her owe peculiai style, and a groan ran through the audience. Mrs. Crawford looked at Miss Martin with uplifted hands, and mur mured. What will the world come to?' " Is this all true, Miss Esther?' said Mr. Crawford. There was a pause. Very nearly true, sir,' said Margaret. " Very nearly? were the circumstances as they have been stated?' " Yes, sir—the circumstances certainly were.' " And this cheque,' said the judge gravely, consider what you are saying —did you fill it up, and subscribe it Margaret Armadale?' " I did, sir.' " ' With the intention of getting it passed?' " Yes, sir.' "Everybody looked aghast : Theodesis glanced tri umphantly at Nelson, who bit his lip: Katy muttered, Oh ! then she's a natural innocent, to go confissing like that!' " Attendez un pee,' said Antoine. " Silence there!' cried Mr. Crawford, hastily. his face aas purple with agitation, and with some difficulty he addressed himself again to Margaret. "' This is very dreadful, young lady, but I am glad, if you are guilty, that you do not deny it. It makes one hope you are young in fraud, and I trust this may be the first and last time such a thing may occur. And now the best thing you can do, to induce Miss Armadale to forgive you, will be to confess without reserve the mo. fives that led to this gross act of—l must give it its right name—felony. Let me advise you as a friend, to speak the truth, without seservation and without fear.' I will, sir,' said Margaret, in the same calm, dignified tone in which she had first spoken, it is now time that the whole truth should be heard. The zeal of these ladies has only hastened by a day or two the con fession I had purposed to make. I did read those letters —I did open that writing case—l did write that cheque . —for the letters, and the writing case, and the cheque. book are mine—and I am Margaret Armadale " If an electric battery had been discharged into the assembly, it could not have produced a more instan taneous shock. Her look—her voice—her erect and stately bearing—the calm acquiescence of her comps. nion—all carried complete conviction to every bosom that she spoke the truth: but what was the effect of such a conviction it would be difficult to describe. Before any one had found breath to do more than gasp, Margaret addressed her bewildered hostess, ' Yes, Mrs. Crawford! it is I whom you invited to your house, and who have presumed upon your goodness by entering it in disguise. I dare hardly hope you will pardon me, for I feel I do not deserve it: the only palliation I can offer for my conduct is the forlorn position in which I am placed. It is so precious to be loved for your own take: so bitter to see your possessions preferred! I have been a spoiled child all my life, and having been in the habit of indu'g • Mg every whim, I did not hesitate in this, my earnest wish to know you without being known. lam sensible now of my fault: I had no right to wrong your hospi. taliry: and if you turn me now from your door in dis grace, I can but say, I have my desert. Still, when I tell you that during this period of disguise, I have learned more than in my whole life of prosperity, that scenes, and duties, and characters have even laid before me, which otherwise might have been ever concealed: that it has been the turning point in my moral existence, and that to my dying day I may have occasion to bless the events that led me to your fireside, I venture to hope you and Mr. Crawford will not refuse the forgiveness, which I moat sincerely ask for the sake of your old friend.' Mortified heartstricken, overwhelmed with amaze ment and vexation, poor Mrs. Crawford looked in her lace, and attempted to make some reply, but the words died on her lips, while a crowd of intolerable thoughts rushed through her brain. Truo to her maternal sym patbies, the first of these was Ferdinand: she dared not turn her eyes to him: she could not, in tact, tnce any body—she had never felt quite so annoyed in all her life, and after a brief struggle for composure, her morti fication overcame her self-command, and throwing her self into a chair, she burst into tears. Mr. Crawford, petrified at first, now sprung up from his seat and seiz ing M-agaret by both hands, assured her of his hearty forgiveness by as hearty a kiss. . . " Ferdinand waited to hear no more; he struck his forehead with both bands, rushed out of the room, half beside himself wi!h fury, and coming violently into con tact with somebody in the hull, nearly knocked him over. It was Alfred, deadly pale, and covered with blood. He clung to his brother's arm. ' What has been going on? she is innocent! tell me she is innocent!' " Innocent?' cried the exasperated fortune-bunter innocent ? a vile—beggarly impostor!' " Alfred let go his arm, and staggered to the parlour, where at the sight of his ghastly appearance, every one uttered a cry of alarm. He rushed to the centre of the group, and seizing his mother's arm, sobbed convulsively for breath. Alfred! dear Alfred! comr 050 yoursell r said Mrs. Crawford soothingly, it is laid his hand on her mouth, and by a violent ( ffort, regained his ♦oice. Not a word, mother! not a word!—you have been pre judiced: you are all blinded—you cannot see goodness without gold, or beauty without ornaments—you are blind—deaf—stony of heart—or you would love her as I do!' " His manner was so vehement, his voioe so heart rending, no one could find a tongue to interrupt him; and if they had attempted it, he would not have listened. "' I ought not to speak like this, I know: reverence for her modesty ought to seal my tongue; I meant—l r( solved that it s h ou ld b e s ea l e d, un til I found a fitter time and Lilac.: but you have driven me to de,peration: and now I declare before you all, if deceived by the evi dence of enemies, who have laid, I know it, this pit-fall for her feet, you drive her from your society, and cast her from your friendship, you cast away a son too! Her lot shall be mine: her path shall be mine! I will work—l will slave for her maintenance—l will plead Lefore earth and Heaven her integrity: till at length a day may come when she may at last confess, there is a heart that can lo ve h er; i n sp i te o f poverty — an d i n spite of shame!' He turned to Margaret, who covered her face with her bands. " Yes, Et ther—l love you !—I loved you from the first moment we met, when you were left neglected among the servants in my th( r's hospitabl e h a ll! I loved you more and more as the days went on;—your face haunted my dreams—.3.mur voice was my sweetest music: I saw you bearing insult with patience, and neglect with good humour: . helping the friendless, comforting the orphan, striving in every shape to be a dispenser of blessing to others, at the time that your own cup was fu 1 of bitterness, and your prospect dim with poverty! Let them say, prove, swear, what they will! I believe you from my soul to be innecent, and it life and strength are granted me, I will mtActi your in nocence plain! Oh forgive all I have said: forgive my abruptness, madness, inconsideration: I am well nigh mad, I know—but there is no madness in my love, what ever there way be in my words!' "`There is plenty in them, sir!' now brake in his father, who had been rubbing his bands nervously during all this scene—' mad?' yes, to be sure you are! stark mad—that you go on raving there, and won't hear any one speak. Do you know, sir, who and what this young lady is, you have been addressing so passion ately ?' " Yes, sir, I do know—and whatever'— " Hold your tongue, sir, will you? you know nothing at all about it. Why, boy, who should it be but Miss Armadale herself, the real Miss Armadale, who, to play us an unfair trick, passed off her friend as herself, and came among us as the poor Esther!' "For an instant Alfred grew paler than before: then the colour rushed to his temples: ho made a vain at tempt to speak; turned to leave the room, and fell sense less to the ground. " Margaret's woman nature *could not stand this: pride, reserve and prudence would not suffer her to spe.:k: but she sprung to his assistance before even his mother could reach him, and thick and fast fell her tears upon his face. The world might wonder—‘rienels might disapprove—relations might mt.ke themselves disagreeable: it mattered little now, for her high heart was won!" The interest is well sustained throughout the volume, and the lights and shadows of the various characters contrast admirably with each other. The love-story of the gentle Mary and Nelson Crawford is second in interest only to the fortunes of Margaret. Thyoed these attractive features, the tone of the whole book is of a pure and elevating character—it is a volume that wise friends would gladly put in the hands of youth, for it pourtrays religion and virtue in their appropriately attractive colours. " The Sang of Christmas" is an improvisation of the poet Alfred. Its tone is most eloquent, and its teaching full of beauty : " ' Children of the earth—young and old--listen to the song of Christmas! " 'I am come among you again; with my fresh keen blast, and my holly-bough, and the snow crackling beneath my feet, and the hoar-frost dripping from my hair:—and I see around me again the sight I love to see—the bounding step, and the merry laugh, aid the warm-pressing hand—and the lip that quivers with remembered blessing: and the heart that glows with good deeds done, kept there for God alone. I see the blazing log, and the plentiful board, and the throng of friendly faces: I hear my name echoed as a watchword of rejoicing, and I feel that lam loved as ever. And is this all? "' Children of the earth—revellers at the feast— listen to the song of Christmas! " Was it only for this that I came among you first? —only to crown your banquets with jubilee? Was it that Ste yule log might burn, and the wassail-bowl might foam, and the table be crowned with plenty—that they who feasted all the year round should feast still higher today? Is there nothing nobler in my cheering voice —nothing holier in my song of joy—than the mirth that blazes for an hour, or the dissipation that will weary you to-morrow? Children of the earth—triflers with reality—listen to the song of Christmas! " When I came among you first, ye were a sorrowing race :—the winter came and went again, but brought no blessing with it—the sun looked down upon you with pity, but kindled you not to praise —ye had no Saviour —ye knew no God t I broke this chain of darkness—l let in this glorious light—l said to the Eastern shep herds, Rejoice!—to the wise men, Your King is waiting! I brought on the wings of my glorious message the blessings of the Father of spirits, and shed them like dew upon your path, that ye might be glad in the joy of your salvation. I shed peace on your consciences— comfort in your tribulations—light on the way wherein ye should walk—hope on the bed wherein ye must die— all this I did—yea, and greater than this, when I told you your Saviour was born! "'Children of the earth—ransomed of the Cross! listen to the song of Christmas ! " The wilderness and the solitary place are glad be cause of me; the desert has rejoiced, and blossomed as the rose:—fruit has sprung up in the waste places of the earth, and well-springs from the rock and stone! There has gone forth a voice like an angel's trump, from which sorrow and mourning flee away, and every note of its thrilling melody repeats the Redeemer's name! Well then may ye rejoice, for whom that name was given; fill up your cup with gladness —pour forth your voices in song—the utmost ye can give will fall short of the due amount, of the gratitude and praise He has deserved at your hands. Be glad, ye children of Z:on, and rejoice in the Lord your God—be has clowned the year with goodness—He has glorified the earth with deliverance: if ye should rejoice in the Lord elway, above all should ye do so now; only take heed that ye rejoice aright—that Christmas drown not the nan:e of Christ: that in the joy of the Saviour's birth, ye neg'ect not His great salvation! Children of the earth, p ro b a ti ot e rs f or e t ern ity : listen to the song et Christmas! " Shall the children of the bride chamber feast, only when the Bridegroom is not with them? shall the sons of the heavenly inhe:itanee shrink from their natice air? Shad the Prince's birthday he kept us an universal jubih e, and rte Prince Himself be banish° I from the gladness his birth has given? Will ye fill the bowl with merriment, and heap the board with hospitality, d in your eager gathering of the earthly leas esings, he fallen leaves of the Tree of Li'e, gii on index 1 for the healing of the nations, but not suffie her their immortal sustenance,—pass over the fruit of holii e,s and grace, as though no tears had been shed, to blocd teen pourel, to gLeneh the flaming sword of the Cherubim? " • Children of the earth, exiles from Eden's bowerv, isten to the song of Christmas! " Is it such st — least that I have chosen: a day for a WWI to forget his soul? is it to choke up his gratitude with sell-indulget.ce, and to shackle his religion with worldly bonds? Wilt thou call this a feast, and an ac ceptable day unto the 1.,,rd? Is nut this the feast that I have chosen—to bre ,k off the yoke of sin; to crush the head of evil habits; to lay up comfort against the evil hour, and gather blessing and gladness that fade not away ? To give with both hands liberally; to love with the whole heart fervently ; to press onward, onward still, in the pathway of joyful obedience, bringing heart and soul and at, ength and intellect as offerings to the Bridegroom's table; and drinking here on earth of the cup of felicity, that shall crown the marriage supper of the Lamb? . • . . . • • • • " Children of the earth, wild olives of the Gentile : listen to the song of Christmas! "' Yes, there are hearts that love Him, and find their joy in His favour: a joy whe.ewith no stranger in.er meddleth, and which nu stranger can understand. Who ale they that wake the Nativity morning with the loudest and sweetest carols: that fill the Lord's courts with Learning faces, and bring ri e brightest smile and the happiest laugh for the meeting of affection at home? Who but they to whom my annual return is a pledge of their purchased :ecurity, and who fee: as each year glides away b neath my wing, that they are only so much nearer to heaven? Who but they that go from house to house, where the poor man is too desolate to smile; lighting up the empty hearth and covering the starving board, and giving the naked clothing, and finding the destitute a home: that every suffering member of the great redeemed family may be glad on the birthday of their Brother? Yes, to you I turn, ye sowers and reapers of mercy : sour mirth shall nut turn to heaviness, nor your sacrifice be counted a mockery; for the joy of the Lord is your shield and ,trength, and the God of the poor man is a guest at your feast of love! " Children of the earth, hells of immortality: listen o the song of Chrnitroair " ACTING CHARADES. By theßrothers Mayhew. It is difficult with pen and ink to describe these " Acting Charades ; or Deeds not Nerds." The manner in which the " deeds " are set forth by the pencil of Mr. Hine, requires to be seen, rather than to be described. As an explanation of "Charades in Action," we quote from the introduction : " The French have made themselves singularly famous by their 'petits jeux' as they call them. 'Their inability to sit still tor more than halt an hour has forced them to invent a long list of amusing excuses for locomotion. They have their ' Pigeon Vole,' and Main Chaude' or Berlingue and Chiquette,' and a thousand other receipts for making a long evening short. "But the most celebrated of all these petits jeux ire their Charades en Action.' Pigeon Vole, and all the rest, have given way to these Acting Charades. No birth-day is allowed to pass without playing at them. The young and the old both delight in the game; and invariably choose it. The old people lay aside their dignity with a look of jovial martyrdom, and laugh more than any one else; whilst—as if to apologise for their apparently unbecoming levity—they tell you they do like to see young people enjoying themselves.' " Some persons have even acquired a kind of reputa tion as Charade actors, and are in such request that in ' vitatious shower down from all quarters; and if they can only be engaged, it is looked upon as a kind of cer tificate that the party is sure to be a good one. "Lately, the game has been introduced into the draw ing -rooms of a few mirth-loving Englishmen. Its suc cess has been tremendous. Cards have been discarded; and la!ind-man's-buff, forfeits, and bunting the ring been utterly abandoned. On Christmas-day, it has been looked forward to, and entered into with as much energy as the sainted plum-pudding itself. We have seen it played among literary circles with unbounded mirth. We have seer philosophers and poets either acting their parts with all the enthusiasm of school-boys, or puzzling their brains to find out how they could dress as Henry VIII., with only a great coat and a gibus.' " This game is, as its name expresses it, a Charade acted instead of spoken. The two most celebrated per formers of the party chore their sides,' and, whilst the one group enacts the charade, the other plays the part of audit nee. A word is then fixed upon by the corps dramatigue; and my first, my second, and my whole' is gone through as puzzlingly as possible in dumb show, each division making a separate and entire act. At the conclusion of the drama, the guessing begins on the Rat of the audience. If they are successful, they in their turn perform: if not, they still remain as audience. " The great rule to be observed in acting charade, is— silence. Nothing more than an exclamation is allowed. All tho rest mus: be dune in the purest pontomitne. "If in the working out of the plot there should be some sentence that it is impossible to express in dumb show, and yet must be made clear to the audience, then, placards may be used. As Hamlet says, they must spf ak by the card.'" And as a specimen of the style of these " Charade.," let us give the first (very imperfectly, however, as COURTSHIP. A CHARADE. IN THREE ACTS. - As soon as prisoner is safely secured behind fire-screen he again breaks out in a hornpipe, when Enter the tight Plaintiffs (ladies whom the inconstant Prisoner .as respectively married in the several ports he has visit( d). They are natives of various countries, and dressed in their different national costumes. At sigLt of the vile Sailor they aro deeply moved, and intimate a strong desire to get at him. Enter Jurymen, who are immediately packed into the sofa. Counsel for prosecution, in the most electrifying dumb-show, proves, by pointing and frowning at Pri soner, who is still dancing, what a villain the man is. He shows the validity of each marriage by putting an imaginary ring on his third finger; and having referred to the case of " Lachi darem—in Re Don Giovanni," Italian Duets, Vol. 11., demands, by a thump on the ottoman, that the scoundrel should be punished with the utmost rigour of the law. Judge, putting on the black hat, proceeds to pass sen tence of death on the wretched prisoner, who evinces the utmost callousness by doing the split in the horn pipe: The Wives no sooner bear their joint Husband's doom than an affectionate rush is made towards him, which the wretched man perceiving, he seeks safety in flight. AsT IL -SHIP. DRAMATIS PERSONZ. Captain. Sailors. Passengers. &c. Scene—The deck of that fast-sailing craft the Fron Drawing-room. Enter Captain, with noble cocked-hat, made out of yesterday's Times, and hair brushes for epaulettes. He shouts through a set of quadrilles, when Enter several tight lads, who proceed to the music stool to heave at the capstan and weigh the imaginary anchor; whilst others pulley-oiat the larbo ar d b e ll- ro p e to let out ga ll ant ma i n t o p ceiling. Two more brave boys take the wheel, and, by means of the arm-chair, steer the room beautifully. Passengers on after-ottoman now begin, by wild gesti culations—the turning up of eyes, and the su dd en ap plication of handk erc hi e f s —to intimate that they have passed the Nore Light; whilst others, leaning over the backs of their chairs, implore their neighbours, in the mo t affecting pantomime, to throw them overboard. Enter Steward with basins, at which the passengers make a simultaneous rush. He also enables sev e r a l p oor creatures—who are walking about in the most extraor dinary manner, an d ro lli n g from side to side of drawing room—to reach their berths. Presently a fearful storm is supposed to arise. The Passengers, binding life-preservers of comforters round their waists, jamp hurriedly from their berths, and springing over the sides of the ship, strike out for the door, where exeunt ornnes. ACT 111. COURTSHIP. DRAMATIS PERSONS. Old Father. His Daughter. Her Loyer. Retainers. Lawyer. &c. &c. Scene—Apartment in Mansion of Uri Father. Enter Daughter, who shows, by pressing her side and swinging about, that she is deeply in love. She com mences laying a table for two, and, having set down a lovely round of cold bandbox, she again expresses her fondest devotion fur one of the knives and forks. Sweet plaintive sounds of a splendidly-executed whistle arc heard without. She claps her hands, and Enter Lover i❑ full uniform of the new police, richly silvered with chalk. He glances anxiously at the cold round of bandbox, and then gives vent to the wildest movements of joy. They advance to table, and feast commences. Just as he has helped himself to the lid, a loud and con tinued knocking is heard without. They become agi tated; and Lover, endeavouring to avoid an angry parent's just wrath, seizes some bread, and plunges be neath table. Enter Old Father, suffering acutely from an attack of suppositious gout, and forced to use brooms whilst walking. lie expres.ei his surprise at banquet, but is wl ea he learns it was itveaded for him. Lover, growing ti , ei of bread, eadeavours to snatch some meat hi* angel's pla!e. Old Fail er alarmed on seeing the mysterious hand, and, jumping from his chair, drags Lore: tr(ln under the table. Grand exposure. He is ab,ut to curse the villain, wten Enter L.iw)or with placard, announcing that the scoundrel bas just come into a coroLetcy and 2,000,0001. He downs him with a ducal meat color. Old Father resents, and blesses his children. Retainers and maid of all work rush in, and arrange tlealselvea into a grand tab - e so. The little volume contains no lees than twenty-six similar definitions profusely embellished with pictorial examphe. It may afford amusement to turn over its pages even when it fails in fulfilling its avowed ob ject—" to make a long evening short." JUVENILE CALENDAR AND ZODIAC OF FLOWERS. By Mrs. J. K. Hervey. With twelve Illustrations by Richard Doyle. Never has the graceful pencil of Doyle been more gracefully employed than i n s k etc hi ng the charming illustrations of this charming book. Every month is illustrated by a fanciful picture and a fanciful tale. That for January is called " The Child's Dream of the Snowdrop," and the picture represents a sleeping child holding a snowdrop in its folded hands, while a graceful group of fairies gather round. February The Crocuses ; or the Child's Footprints "—is accompanied with a natural sket c h o f a c hild th row i ng crumbs to a robin. M arch _" T i tan i a and the Violets"—gives a graceful g li mpse o f t h e fl ora l b fairy-land. And so o n th rough all the months ofeatuhteieys of spring, ear. tolnadditiocand the elfin sprites of the graceful pictures of Doyle, and the fanciful stories of Mrs. Hervey, there is appended to every month an interesting chapter on the " insect world," or on the hybernating ani mals. Many little re a d ers will find these recreations in natural history even more attractive than the stories. Also for every month is given a calendar of important days, memorable customs, and old sayings. That for January is— " As the days lengthen So does the cold strengthen." For February— "If Candlemas be fair and clear There'll be two winters in the year;" and so on. In addition to this is a list of the birds, and insects, and flowers chiefly peculiar to each month. Thus Janu ary —F lowers : Snowdrop, Christ mas Rose, Changeable-flowered Hydrangea, Winter Aconite, Round-headed Cyclamen, white-leaved Coltsfoot. The little volume is thus rendered as use ful as it is attractive. THE POOR ARTIST ; or, Seven Eye-sights and One Object. Scieece is fable," is the ver y appropriate motto of this delightful little book. It is seemingly but the simple narration of the f ortunes of a poor art i st , b u t it rea ll y possesses muc h sc i entific interest. T he poor art i st at the openin g of the v o l ume is others, of acq u i r i ng f ame an d fortune. d.drous, like many Hitherto he has worked for a painter, whose pictures (some of them 'wholly the work of the poor artist) always sold for pod pric es . lie soon learns the value of " a name." No one will purchase the works of an unknown hand. The poor artist paints a green house for an old lade, and falls in love with the grand daughter, the beautiful Aurelia. With redoubled anxiety he pursues his work, and falling asleep in a wood dreams a strange dream, or meets with a re markable adventure, we cannot say vvbich. A humming bee comes to him, and declares she has that morning witnessed an extraordinary " object," and would like the artist to draw a picture of it after her description. She describes and he draws ; when the task is done up comes an ant with a similar tale, he has seen an " object" very different from that seen by the bee. The artist draws the second picture. Successively comes a fish, a bird, a spider, and a cat, each has seen an object. At last it is discovered that these six objects so differently described are all the same! The artist at last sees it, and his human eye-sight discovers a sovereign. The idea is inge nious, and most ingeniously worked out. The dif ferent powers of vision of the various observers led them each to form a different idea of it. The for tunes of the poor artist, however, illustrate a differ ence of sight in a moral as well as in a scientific point of view. The artist exhibits a picture, and overhears the various criticisms of a body of ob servers, all scrutinizing the same " object," but each interpreting it a different way. Of the personal ad ventures ( f the artist, of the bribes offered by Aure lie's sun', and the violent conduct of her determined uncle, we shall say nothing, contenting ourselves with recommending the " Poor Artist" on scientific and moral grounds, independent of the agreeable nation which serves to convey them pleasantly to the reader. The volume is dedicated to Professor Owen. TALES AND SKETCHES FOR FIRE -SIDE I?EADING. By Charles Fleet. A delightful volume of miscellaneous reading for an idle hour—an hour which will be anything but ever y incident is accompanied with a black-figure illustration) : ACT. I. COURT DRAMATIS PERSONAL Loid Chiet-Justice. Counsel. Prisoner (a Sailor). Eight Ladies (his Wives). Jury men. Policemen. Spectator; &c. Time—Before supper-time. Scene—A Court of Justice. At back of drawing-roots the Lord Cidef-Justice's easy-chair, and ottoman ,`'or Counsel. To the right, sofa for Jurymen. To the left, fire-screen for P r i soner ' s dock. Flourish of splendidly-imitated trumpets. Enter pro cession in following order:—The Usher, holding the carpet broom of (Ace; his Honour, robed in gorgeous dressing-gown, and wearing a magnificent wig of ermine victotine; the Counsel, carrying carpet-bags, holding briefs of music, and properly wigged with night caps; ►the wretched S,ilor, who stands charged with the dread tel crime of polygamy, in the close custody of the Jailor, bearing the s;rt et-door key of office, and endea vouring to restrain his Prisoner from dancing the horn plp~•* useless if employed in the perusal of these sketches. Some of the articles are of an amusing or interesting character • such as " Th e New Governess," "My Grandfather's First Marriage," " The Wife's Ambi bition," and others are suggestive of profitable thoughts. " Single Houses and Married Couples" is a valuable exposition of the blessings of home. " Undeveloped Greatness" is full of truthful wisdom. Alluding to people who are always complaining of what they night have been and might have done had circumstances been otherwise, but now "it is too late," it is justly remarked "True, it is too late— and for people who complain in this tone it always was too late or too early. The time is never come, or it is past. The present is never in their power; as it must be in the power of those who doom them selves to greatness—it is never a time of trial, cf effort, cf painful struggle, of continual striving and doing. They do not know such a present as this, and therefore it is that when they look upon the f ict it is a blank to theta." " The Ihppy Family" cor tains a moral frequently verified in daily lif.. volume will be a welcome guest by the Christmas fireside. THE ILLUSTRATED YEAR-BOOK of WONDERS, EVE.N7'S, and DLSCOVE RIES. The inhabitants of Auburn (before it became the D2serted Village of immortal memory) used t o regar d their learned sccolmaster with surprise and admi ration, " And more the wonder grew That one small head could carry all he knew." Similar must be the feelings of all who examine this most, attractive little volume. In little more than three hundred pages of narrative (not condensed to a mere summary, but replete with interest and infor mation), we find ourselves now delving for " gold in California," now watching the progress of the patient teachers of " ragged schools," then hurried across the Menai Straits in the " Britannia Tubular Bridge, " and thence making a steam excursion from Southampton, and threading the mazes of the city of a thousand mi narets. A change comes over the spirit of the dream —from the gaiety and glitter of romantic Stamboul, we are precipitated into " the bowels of the harmless earth," and witness the horrible spectacle of " a coal mine on fire." Rushing from one extreme to the other, we escape the flames only to encounter the perils of an expedition where " Winter barricades the realms of frost." Quitting the "Franklin Expedition," we turn cour tier' and accompany the " Quee n i n th e R oya l Vi s i t to Ireland." Then, after pondering over the vicissitudes' of the " Conquest of the Punjaub," we follow Mr. Layard in an investigation of the marvellous sculptures of Nineveh. Repeating the lines of Campbell, we watch the departing emigrants, and then curious to learn their fortunes, we track them to their homes beyond the sea, returning thence we contemplate the " French Expedition to Rome," and finally the volume closes, and we find ourselves enriched with much delightful knowledge, and grati fied by the very interesting manner in which that knowledge has been revealed to us. This first " Year Book of Events, Wonders, and Discoveries," is not likely to be the last.' Judging from this specimen it promises to become a valuable addition to the youth ful library, nor is it without attraction for chitdron of larger growth. It is elegant in its appearance, and is adorned with many illustrations. THE FAMILY FRIEND. The title of this book is anything but a misnomer. Every family into which it enters will hail it as a friend. Its pages abound in matter of amuse ment for the circle round the fireside. Here we have conundrums which would perplex 2Edipus himself. Here we have patterns for work which Penelope might have envied. Now we are instructed by some piece of information, and now entertained by some ridiculous absurdity. " Treasures " and " Trifles" alternately fill the pages, while the hints for wives and advice contained in the " Housewife's Friend," are full of practical usefulness. Young and old may obtain mirth and wisdom from the pages of " The Family Friend." Among the amusing " Trifles" is the following, which we do not remember - to have seen before : " A boy, selling newspapers at the railway-station at Ely, was calling out one Saturday evening,—' To-day's Times, gentlemen,' upon which a passenger, attempting a witticism, cried cut,' What's the use of to-day's Times? I'll give you a shilling for to-morrow's!' and the boy im mediately handed him the Sunday Times when the passenger refused to give him more than sixpence, but his fellow-travellers made him keep his word, and give the sharp• witted lad a shilling for a sixpenny paper!" DIAMOND DUST. (From Eliza Cook's Journal.) He who teaches religion without exemplifying it loses he advantage of its best argument No summer but it has a winter; he never reaped corn Fort in his adversity, that sowed it not in his prosperity. Replies are not always amwers. It is happy to hive so much merit, that our birth is ho least thing respected in us. Hide not past for your marriage; if you do, you may, in the period of your journey, take sorrow for your inn, and make repentance your host. An honest man is bdieved without an oath, for his reputation swears fur hire. It is the great art arid philosophy of life to make the best of the present, whether it be good or bad. Idleness wastes a man as inaen3ibly as intluitry im proves him. SACRED HARMONIC SOCIETY. Last evening, Mendelssohn's oratorio, St. Paul, was given by this Society at Exeter-hall, to a very tall audience. The high character attained by the performances of the Sacred Harmonic Society, more especially since the musical arrangements have been under the direction of Mr. Costa, was a sufficient guarantee that this great work would be rendered in all its fullness and integrity. Indeed it is scarce:y too complimentary to say, that the public frequent ing these oratorios do not attend so much in a critical spirit, as in the full faith that all that enormous vocal, instrumental, and choral resources, under the most efficient control, can contribute to wards the realization of the conceptions of the most illustrious composers of sacred music will here be insured. The doubts at one time enter tained of the capacity of Mr. Costa to give the ge nuine rendering of Handel's oratories, were speedily dissipated, except with a comparatively few; no such doubts could have arisen with respect to the in terpretation of Mendelsshen under the same auspices. This performance of the St. Paul is in all respects equal to the magnificent rendering of Elijah, already so often given here under the direction of Mr. Costa. Higher praise it would be impossible to accord. The addition of Miss Catherine Hayes and Herr Formes to the solo singers provided a special attraction on this occasion. We are happy to see Miss Hayes now taking her proper position in the metropolis among executants of sacred music. Those who heard her at Liverpool, and especially at the last Birming ham festival, were much struck by the purity and fervour of her style. Her performance last night, though her opportunities were not great, frilly confirmed the high opinion then formed. Miss Hayes invariably impresses in proportion to the attention with which she is listened to, her execu tion being full of fine and delicate touches of expres sion, not always found in vocalists of more dash and pretension. Her solos were all given with a fine and true appreciation of the demands of the text, and there could be no doubt of her having produced a most fa vourable effect, which the rule against encores scarcely withheld the audience from testifying. Herr Formes had also proved, at Liverpool, although he then sang under great disadvantages, that he was capable of fill ing effectively the post of bass in these oratorios. Since his first essay in this line, he has evidently studied much the peculiar character of vocalization re quired for sacred music. His style is more subdued and better toned; and there are not those violent con trasts and transitions which marked his earlier efforts. His aria, " 0 God ! have mercy upon me," was ren dered with fine feeling and pathos, with the full devo tional tenderness of an abased spirit craving for mercy. The passage " And take not thy Holy Spirit from me, Lord 1" was a triumph of expression. The same praise applies more or less to his other solos ; and this artist may ba pronounced now fairly and firmly to have seised a position of great difficulty, in which he will prove a permanent strength to the oratorio. The other vocal pieces were given by Miss Dolby, Mr. Lockey, Mr. A. Novello, and Mr. Smythson. Mr. Lockey improves in mellowness of tone, and force yet purity of style, at every new effort in pub lic as a singer of sacred music The instrumental execution of the oratorio was given with the full power and precision for which this orchestra is now proverbial ; and the choruses were also given with the same perfection, completeness, and attention to light and shade, which have. already earned for the chorus here their high reputation. Among the most effective were " Stone him to deal'," " Happy and blest," and " Rise up ! arise ! shine GRAY'S INN.—A notice has been issued by the Benchers of this society that there will be a voluntary examination for honours on the Laws of Heal Property in Gray's Inn Hall, in Trinity Term, namely, on Thursday and Friday, the 23d and 24th of May, com mencing at ten A.M. on each day. The names of the successful candidates will be published in a list, while those who do not go for honours, or who do not succeed, will not be placed on the list. The gentleman who at tains the first place on the list will, on the recommenda tion of the Examiners, receive the Lecturer's Prize, con sisting of a set of the Reports of Vesey, jun., in twenty volumes. CAMBRIDGE, JAN. 11.—ADDRESS TO TUB QUEEN, — The Vice. Chancellor has this day announced that the address et condolence to her Majesty the Queen, on th , death of her Majesty the Queen Dowager, was press-rated on Wednesday last, the 9.11 inst., by his Royal Highness the Chancellor and the Vice-Chancellor, and that the same was most graciously received by her Majesty. THE DIGNITY OF LITERATURL. TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING CHRONICLE. Sir,—la a leading article of your journal of Thursd.l3, Vie 31 instant, you commented upo n lite rary perbion end 'he status of literary men in this country, and illustrated your argument by extracts from the story of " Pendennis," at present in course of publication. You have received my writings with so much kindness, that, if you have occasion to dis approve of them er the anthor, I can't question your right to blame me, or doubt for a moment the friend liness and honesty of my critic; and however I might dispute the justice of your verdict in my case, I had proposed to submit to it in silence, being indeed very quiet in my conscience with regard to the charge made against me. But another newspaper of high character and re pute takes occasion to question the principles ad vocated in your article of Thursday ; arguing in favour of pensions for literary persons, as you ar gued against them ; and the only point upon which the Examiner and the Chronicle appear to agree un luckily regards myself, who am offered up to general reprehension in two leading articles by the two writers : by the latter, for " fostering a baneful pre judice" against literary men ; by the former, for "stooping to flatter" this prejudice in the public mind, and condescending to caricature (as is too often my habit) my literary fellow labourers, in order to pay court to the non-literarrclass." Tee charges of the Examiner against a man who has never, to his know edge, been ashamed c f his professior, or (except for its dulness) of any single line from his pen —grave as they are, are, I hope, not proven. "To stoop to flatter" any class is a novel accusation brought against my writings ; and as for my scheme to pay court t o the nonliterary class by disparaging my literary fellow-labourers," it is a design which would exhibit a degree not only of baseness but of folly upon my part, of which, I trust, I am not capable. The editor of the Examiner may, perhaps, occasionally write, like other authors, in a hurry, and not be aware of the conclusions to which some of his sentences may lead. If I stoop to flatter anybody's prejudice for some interested motives of my own, I am no more nor less than a rogue and a cheat ; which deductions from the Ex aminer's premises I will not stoop to contradict, be cause the premises themselves are simply absurd. I deny that the considerable body of our country men described by the Examiner " as the non-literary class" has the least gratification in witnessing the degradation or disparagement of literary men. Why accuse "the non-literary class" of being so un grateful? If the writings of an author give a reader pleasure or profit, surely the latter will have a fa vourable opinion of the person who so benefits him. What intelligent man, of what political views, would not receive with respect and welcome that writer of the Examiner of whom your paper , once said that "he made all England laugh and think 2" Who would deny to that brilliant wit, that polished satirist, his just tribute of respect and admiration ? Does any man who has written a book worth reading —any poet, historian, novelist, man of science—lose reputation by his character for genius or for learning ? Does he not, on the contrary, get friends, sympathy, ap plause —money, perhaps ?—all good and pleasant things in themselves, and not ungenerously awarded as they are honestly won. That generous faith in men of letters, that kindly regard in which the whole reading nation holds them, appear to me to be so clearly shown in our country every day, that to question them would be absurd as, permit me to say for my part, it would be ungrateful. What is it that fills mechanics' institutes in the great provincial towns when literary men are invited to attend their festivals ? Has not every literary man of mark his friends and his circle, his hundreds or his tens of thousands of readers ? And has not every one bad from these constant and affecting testimonials of the esteem in which they hold him ? It is of course one writer's lot, from the nature of his subject or of his genius, to command the sym pathies or awaken the curiosity of many more readers than shall chose to listen to another author ; but surely all get their hearing. The literary profession is not held in disrepute ; nobody wants to disparage it; no man loses his social rank, whatever it may be, by practising it. On the con trary : the pen gives a place in the world to men who had none before—a fair place fairly achieved by their genius ; as any other degree of eminence is by any other kind of merit. Literary men need not, as it seems to me, be in the least querulous about their position any more, or want the pity of anybody. The money-prizes which the chief among them get are not so high as those which fall to men of other callings—to bishops, or to judges, or to opera singers and actors; nor have they received stars and garters as yet, or peerages and governorships of islands, such as fall to the lot of military officers. The rewards of the profession are not to be measured by the money standard ; for one man spends a life of learning and labour on a book which does not pay the printer's bill; and another gets a little fortune by a few light volumes. But, putting the money out of the question, I believe that the social estimation of the man of letters is as good as it deserves to be, and as good as that of any other professional man. With respect to the question in debate between you and the Examiner, as to the propriety of public re wards and honours for literary men, I don't see why men of letters should not very cheerfully coincide with Mr. Examiner in accepting all the honours, places, and prizes which they can get. The amou n t of such as will be awarded to them will not, we may be pretty sure, impoverish the country much ; and it it is the custom of the State to reward, by money, or titles of honour, or stars and garters of any sort, indi viduals who do the country service, and it individuals are gratißed by having sir, or my lord, appended to their names, or stars and ribbons hooked on to their coats and waistcoats, as men most undoubtedly are, and as their wives, families and relations are, there can be no reson why men of letters should not have the chance, as well as men of the robe or the sword ; or why, if honour and money are good for one profession, they should not he good for another. No man in other callings thinks himself degraded by receiving a reward from his Go vernment; nor surely need the literary man be more squeamish about pensions, and ribbons, and titles, than the ambassador, or general, .or jtelge. Every European State but ours rewards its men of letters; the American Gove r nment gives them their full share of its small patronage; and if Americans, why not Englishmen ? If Pitt Crawley is disappointed at not getting a ribbo n on r e tiring fr o m his diplomat ic post at Pumpernickel; if General O'Dowd is pleased to be called Sir Hector O'Dowd, K.C.8., and his wife at being denominated my Lady O'Dowd : are literary men to be the only persons exempt from vanity, and is it to be a sin in them to covet honour ? And now, with regard to the charge against myself of fostering baneful prejudices against our calling—to which Ino more plead guilty than 1 should think Fielding would have done if he had been accused of a design to bring the Church into contempt by describing Parson Trulliber—permit me to say, that before you deliver sentence it would be as well if you had waited to hear the whole of the argument. Who knows what is coming in the future numbers of the work which has incurred your dis pleasure and the Examiner's, and whether you, in accusing me of prejudice, and the Examiner (alas!) of swindling and flattering the public, have not been premature ? Time and the hour may solve this mystery, for which the candid reader is referred "to cu. next." That I have a prejudice against running into debt, and drunkenness, and disorderly life, and against quackery and falsehood in my profession, I own ; and that I like to have a laugh at those pretenders in it who write confidential news about fashion and poli tics for provincial gebemouches; but I am not aware of feeling any malice in describing this weakness, or of doing anything wrong in exposing the former vices. Have they never existed amongst literary men ? Have their talents never been urged as a plea for improvidence, and their very faults adduced as a consequence of their genius ? The only moral that I, as a writer, wished to hint in the descriptions against which you protest, was, that it was the duty of a literary man, as well as any other, to practise regularity and sobriety, to love his family and to pay his tradesmen. Nor is the picture I have drawn " a caricature which I condescend to," any more than it is a wilful and insidious design on my part to flatter " the nonliterary class." If it be a caricature, it is the result of a natural perversity of vision, not of an artful desire to mis lead ; but my attempt was to tell the truth, and I meant to tell it not unkindly. I have seen the book seller whom Bludyer robbed of his books : I have carried money, and from a noble brother man-of letters, to some one not unlike Shandon in prison, and have watched the beautiful devotion Of his wife in b W that dreary place. - hy are these things not to e, described, it th e y ill us t ra t e , as th ey appear to good e t and do, that stra nge an d aw f u l s truggle a wrong which t a k es pl a ce in our t hearts and :noral ill, or in the world ? It may be that I work-out m y it may he possibly that the crit ic of the Examiner fails in apprehension. kly effor t s as an artist come perfectly within his province as a censor ; but when Mr. Examiner says of a gentleman that he is " stoop ing to flatter a public prejudice," which p u bli c pre judice does not exist, I submit that he mak es a c h arge which is as absurd as iti s unjust; and am thankful that it repels itself. And, instead of accusing the public of / ersecuting and disparaging us as a class, it seems to me that men of letters had bent silently assume that they are as good as any other gentlemen ; nor raise piteous controversies upon a question which all people of sense must take to be settled. If I sit at your table, I suppose that I a m my ne i ghbour ' s equal, as that he is mine. If I begin straightway with a protest of " Sir, I am a literary man, but I would have you to know I am as good as you," which of us is it that questions the dignity of the literary profession —my neighbour who would like to eat his soup in quiet, or the man cf letters who commences the argument ? And I hope that a comic writer, because he describes one author as improvident, and another as a parasite, may not only be gu il t l ess of a desire to vilify his profession, but may really have its honour at heart. If there are no sp en dth r if ts or parasites among us, the satire becomes unjust; but if such exist, or have existed, they are as good subjects for comedy as men cf other callings. I never heard that the Bar felt itself aggrieved because Punch chose to describe Mr. Dunup's notorious state of insolvency, or that the picture of Sti gg i ns, in " Pickwick, " was intended as aninsult to all Dissenter s ; or t h at all the attorneys in the empire were indignant at the famous history of the firm of " Quirk, Gammon, and Snap ;" are we to be passed over because we are faultless, or because we cannot afford to be laughed at? And if every character in . a story i s to represent a class, not an ie. dividual—it every bad figur e is to have its obliged contrast of a good one, and a balance of vice and virtue is io be struck— novels, I think, would b: come impossible, as they wouli be intolerably atui-id and unsatural ; and there would Le a lamentable end of writers and readers of such .composition s .—B e li eie me, :7;ir, to be your vry faithful servant, .Reform Club, Jen. 8. 11'. A.T. MACHERAY. SPORTING INTELLItiENUIt. BETTING AT MANCHESTER—FRIDAY. Very liu'e businet.s 011 racing or sleeploebasin g , op t i grand billiard match. which Rot erta won. METROPOLITAN HANDICAP.-300 to 12 agst 131ac1C Eagle (f). CHESTER CUP.—Not a Lo, laid. Offers to take 35 t 1 about Peep-o'-day Bly, and 40 to 1 about Lady Evelyn DERRY.-500 to 5 agat Black Susan colt, and 500 to 5 agst C:ossbow. STATE OF THE STREETS AT THE EAST END. TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN. Six,—Perhaps you would favour the inhabitants at this part of the "modern Babel by calling the atten tion of the proper authorities to' the disgracefully dirty condition in which the streets are allowed to remain for days together after rain or a thaw. The majority of the streets here are generally in a most filthy state, It would, however, occupy too much of your valuable space to enumerate such streets; suffice it, then, to say that the principal thoroughfare from the Mile• end-road to the Commercial-road during the season mentioned is absolutely shoe-deep in mud ; and I can assure you, Mr. Editor, the ladies in this part are not a little inconvenienced and annoyed thereby. The complaints on the subject are loud and numerous, but the cause still exists. The opinions as to whose duty it is to cleanse the streets are various. Some say the Commercial-road trustees are to blame, others the surveyors, and a third clays that toe parochial authorities should do it. If the scavengers are inter rogated on the matter, their reply is,That it comes not within their contract. It is easy enough to believe this, inasmuch as when the authorities condescend to employ a few road-scrapers or sweepers, the mud and dirt are swept on one side of the street, where it remains for a length of time before being taken away. Sir, lam convinced that nothing short of the power of the press will ever awake the slumbering authorities here to a sense of duty, and therefore I hope you will kindly find room in your paper for the insertion of this brief note.—l am, Sir, Ja: .1 Stepney, Jan. 9, 1850. AN OBSERVER. ELIZA CHESTNEY.—It gives us great pleasure to be enabled to state that this intrepid )(rung woman, who is now residing at Wymondham, where she is carrying on the business of a milliner and eressrnaker, is now so tar recovered as to be able to walk up and down stairs, without the assistance of either a crutch or stick. It must be gratifying to those who have taken such deep interest in this young woman, to learn that the poor sufferer is at length restored to the use of her limbs.--s Norfolk News. Tile FISTULA INFlRMAZT.—Yesterday a deputes. tion from the great charity of the Fistula Infirmary, in Charterhouse-square, consisting of Mr. Masterman. M.P., treasurer; the Rev. Dr Vivian, the chairman of the committee; Mr. Potter, judge of the Secondaries' Court; and Mr. Salmon, the surgeon of the establish ment, waited on the Lord Mayor upon the affairs of the charity, and his Lordship fixed the middle of May for the celebration of the festival, and pledged himself to do all in his power to carry into full effect the benevolent objects of the institution. Sr. MARY, NEWINGTON.—A vestry was held yes. terday evening in the United National School-room for several important purpo:es, among which were the con sideration of co-operating with the Anti-Cholera and Dwellings-Improvement Committee of Lambeth, the question of erecting baths and vvasbhouses, and other sanitary measures necessary to preserve the public health, The chairman, Mr. Churchwarden Boyson, read a requisition which had been signed by upwards of 5U ratepayers, re vesting the co-operation of the clergy, churchwardens, and other parochial authorities of St. Mary, in forming a committee for g, neral sanitary mea sures. A long and keen discussion arose on this subject, in the course of which it was insisted with reference to baths and washbouses especially, that the parish did not la quire anything of the kind, aid that the burden of the poor-rates was already too heavy to p: rmit of such a proposition being entertained. Mr. Charles Ccchrane presennd that the establishmz.nt of baths and wash houses would be a remunerative undertaking, aid stated that in two instances where they had been erecttd they had yielded a lirge profit. Finally, an atm ndn_sitit ott the original motion for a committee ear carried, to the effect that the notice of meetieg re Trired by Act of Par liament in such cases should he coral lied with. The subject of the water supply was thee taken into consi deration, and it was resolved unaLimou:ly that the vestry should co operate with the Parochial Water Supply A. sociation ou the subject. The proceedings then termis nated. THE BRITANNIA-BRIDGE.—We learn from the Menai that there is at length a complete roadway over the Straits, the s« cond great tube having been safely raised to its 100 feet elevation, and forming, by its junc tion with the other tubes, a continuous rigid wrought iron highway, 18,401 feet long and between 6,000 and 6,000 tons in weight. The workmen are now engaged, day and night, in completing the junctions and adjust ments. The greater portion of the permanent way and rails for the trains is laid. The grand approaches to the bridge at either end, where the colossal litais re►t, are tiniihed, including the continuation of the line of rail to the stations on each side at Bangor and Llaidair, and every exertion is being made to have the line complete by the end of February, for the first trial trains to go through. THE LATE CHAPLAIN OF AYLESBURY GAOL.— JOHN TAWELL'B CONFESSION.—It will s probably, be within the re collection of our readers that the Rev. Mr. Cox, the late chaplain of the county gaol at Aylesbury, was compelled to retire from the chaplaincy in conse quence of his refusing to divulge to the magistrates the nature of the confession of John Tawell (the murderer of Ebza Hart, at Salt-hill), after repeated motions, to the effect that he should confide the confession to the, county magistrates, had been unanimously adopted at three or four quarter sessions subsequently to Tawell's execution. At the Epiphany Sessions, just held, Mr. Cox memorialised the magistrates, praying that an an nuity might be granted him until he obtained some cle rical preferment, and strongly urging that his " inadver tence," as regards his pertinacity in refusing to accede to the wishes of the county bench, might not have a preju dicial effect. The memorial was accompanied by a medi cal certificate, setting forth that Mr. Cox's health had been seriously affected by the nature of the duties connected with his late appointment. It appeared, from the act of Parliament relating to the power of the magistrates to grant pensions to their superanuated officials, that they could grant an allowance not exceeding two-thirds of the salary previously enjoyed by the memorialist. A motion to the effect that the prayer of Mr. Cox should be taken into consideration was then proposed by Mr. Barker, and seconded by Dr. Lee, the latter gentleman observing that, although he did not consider that Mr. Cox had performed his duty in the case of John Tawell's confession, he thought the matter ought to be enter tained, the memorialist being, in his (Dr. Lee's) opinion. a modest, learned, and quiet man. The motion having been strongly opposed by Mr. Carrington (who main tained that the real cause of Mr. Cox's compulsory re tirement from the chaplaincy was quite different from that alleged in the memorial, and expressing his astonish ment that such a motion as that before the bench should have been introduced), it was put by the chairman (Sir T. D. Aubrey, B ar t.), and negatived, the only hands held up in its favour being two—those of the mover and seconder. DEATH Op A BROTHER the pr EDITOR. M'Cosh, editor and proprietor o lnve rness Acl ve jan)e rttser s . He was about died here this morning (Wednesday d 3 i s se y a e s a e rs of of th ea immediate u ) s . eof death was laboured un der a physical weakness and malformation, of mind a remarkable • itu , tance complication are. The thedee a m t p r l e i n e a d t e i r o e n d of his activity of energy. Mr.M`Cosh had only rece n tl y established ; news paper here, but he was long conn ecte d w i th the ress in Dundee. He was a zealous member of the Free Ch u rch, and at the time of the disruption wrote a pamph let on the clergy, entitled " The Chaff and the Wheat." —lnverness Courier. Dispatches were sent off last evening from the Colonial-office for the Governors of the North Ame rican Provinces. CHESTER AND HOLYHEAD RAlLWAY.—Traffic foe the wzek ended Jan. 6, 1850:—C. and H. Main Line, 1,0151. 2s. Id.; Mold, 661. Bs. lid b 701. ;,steam- oats, 10s. 6 d.--Total, 1,152/. Is. 6d. LONDONDERR Y AND ENNISKILLEN RAILWAT.—. The extension of this line from Strabane to Omagh has been actually commenced at the Strabane terminus. The extension from the terminus here to the bridge is pro ceeding with great vigour and rapidity.--Londonderry Journal. LAW AProtriTMENT..-.-We understand that last week Mr. James Martin, clerk to the Lord Advocate, received the appointment of depute clerk of session, in room of Sir James Wemyss, Bart., lately deceased.— Edinburgh Courant. On Ictonday last, as a woman who subsisted by begging was proceed►ng from Upton to Gloucester, she was seized with the pains of labour, and delivered of es male child in the public road. Assistance was pre sently procured, and the woman and child were, after some delay, removed to an inn, but the child died from want of attention and exposure to the cold.